| name | market-research |
| description | Professional market research and competitive analysis using McKinsey/BCG/Bain consulting methodologies. Use when analyzing markets, competitive landscapes, customer insights, or strategic positioning. Generates hypothesis-driven research with PPTX presentation deliverables. |
| license | Proprietary. Complete terms in LICENSE.txt |
| allowed-tools | Read, Grep, Glob, WebFetch, WebSearch, Write, Bash |
Market Research: MBB-Grade Analysis & PPTX Deliverables
Execute professional market research using proven methodologies from top consulting firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain). This skill generates hypothesis-driven analysis structured as a four-level pyramid: Segment/Market → Customers → Competitors → Your Company, culminating in a presentation-ready PPTX artifact.
When to Use This Skill
Activate this skill when the user requests:
- Market sizing and industry analysis
- Competitive landscape assessment
- Customer needs and behavioral research
- Strategic positioning evaluation
- Business intelligence gathering
- Client-ready market research presentations
Quality Standard
Work must demonstrate master-level execution typical of top consulting firms:
- Every insight backed by solid numbers and cited sources
- Strategic rigor matching McKinsey/BCG/Bain standards
- Professional-grade visual design (avoid AI slop: no purple gradients, no centered-everything layouts, no generic templates)
- CRAAP-validated sources only
- Multi-source triangulation for critical findings
Three-Phase Workflow
Phase 1: Research Philosophy (30 minutes)
Create the strategic foundation using hypothesis-driven methodology.
Execute these steps:
- Define the problem using SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
- Build hypothesis tree applying MECE principle (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive)
- Reference:
references/MBB_METHODOLOGY.md for MECE framework details
- Identify source strategy prioritizing free, high-credibility resources
- Reference:
references/FREE_SOURCES_GUIDE.md for Tier 1-3 source hierarchy
- Generate research brief using template:
templates/research-brief.md
- Establish success metrics and validation criteria
Deliverable: Research brief document (4-6 paragraphs) articulating:
- Core research question and decision context
- Hypothesis structure (MECE-validated)
- Source identification strategy
- Success criteria and timeline
Standard: Brief must demonstrate "strategic clarity typical of top consulting firms" - clear problem definition, structured thinking, actionable scope.
Phase 2: Pyramídová Analýza (1-2 days)
Systematically collect and validate data across four analytical levels, building from broad market context (bottom) to specific company positioning (top).
Level 4 (Pyramid Bottom): Segment & Market Analysis
Analyze:
- Market size (TAM, SAM, SOM)
- Growth rate (CAGR, historical trends)
- Key market drivers and trends
- Development opportunities and threats
Source priority:
- Tier 1: Government statistics (Eurostat, US Census Bureau, national statistical offices)
- Tier 1: Academic journals (Google Scholar, JSTOR)
- Tier 2: Industry associations, trade publications
- Tier 2: World Bank, OECD, IMF datasets
Validate: Apply CRAAP test to each source (reference: references/VALIDATION_FRAMEWORKS.md)
Level 3: Customer Insights
Investigate:
- Customer segments and demographics
- Needs, motivations, pain points
- Purchase barriers and decision-making process
- Behavioral patterns and preferences
Source priority:
- Consumer survey data (academic research, government consumer reports)
- Industry white papers and market research reports
- Academic studies on consumer behavior
- Trade association consumer research
Triangulate: Minimum 2-3 independent sources per critical finding
Level 2: Competitive Landscape
Profile top 3-5 competitors:
- Market positioning and differentiation
- Product/service offering analysis
- Communication strategy and brand messaging
- How they address customer needs
- Strengths and vulnerabilities
Source priority:
- Company websites and press releases
- News articles and media coverage
- Crunchbase, LinkedIn, public filings
- Industry analyst reports
- Academic case studies
Cross-validate: Compare competitor claims against independent sources
Level 1 (Pyramid Top): Your Company Position
Assess:
- Current strategy and business model
- Organizational culture and capabilities
- Core strengths and unique advantages
- Brand positioning potential
- Strategic fit with market opportunities
Synthesize:
- Internal documentation analysis
- Competitive benchmarking against Level 2 findings
- Gap analysis (market needs vs. company capabilities)
- Strategic recommendations
Continuous synthesis: Create "Day 1 draft" insights immediately, refine continuously. Never accumulate analysis until the end.
Data Collection Standards
For each pyramid level:
- Source tracking: Document every source in
templates/source-bibliography.md
- CRAAP validation: Score Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose
- Triangulation: Validate critical findings with 2-3 independent sources
- Documentation: Capture methodology, limitations, confidence levels
Output: Completed pyramid analysis using templates/pyramid-analysis.md structure
McKinsey principle: "Any solution not backed by solid numbers carries heavy burden of proof"
Phase 3: PPTX Artifact Generation (1-2 hours)
Transform analysis into presentation-ready PPTX using professional design standards.
Execute these steps:
-
Prepare HTML slides using templates/slide-deck.html:
- Dimensions: 720pt width × 405pt height (16:9 aspect ratio)
- ALL text must be in
<p>, <h1>-<h6>, <ul>, or <ol> tags (html2pptx requirement)
- Use professional color scheme from
assets/color-scheme.json
- Apply pyramid visual from
assets/pyramid-diagram.svg
-
Generate slide content (7-9 slides):
- Slide 1: Title - Project name, client, date
- Slide 2: Executive Summary - 3-5 key findings
- Slide 3: Segment & Market Analysis (Pyramid Level 4)
- Slide 4: Customer Insights (Pyramid Level 3)
- Slide 5: Competitive Landscape (Pyramid Level 2)
- Slide 6: Your Company Position (Pyramid Level 1)
- Slide 7: Strategic Recommendations - Action items with ownership
- Slide 8: Next Steps - Timeline and priorities
- Slide 9: Appendix: Sources Bibliography
-
Invoke PPTX generation:
- Option A: Use
scripts/generate-slides.js wrapper for document-skills/pptx
- Option B: Directly invoke the
pptx skill with generated HTML
- Follow html2pptx workflow (see document-skills/pptx/html2pptx.md)
-
Quality validation:
- Verify all text is visible (check no text in plain
<div> or <span>)
- Confirm professional visual design (no AI slop patterns)
- Validate source citations on every data point
- Check slide flow and narrative coherence
Deliverable: market-research-report.pptx - Professional presentation matching MBB standards
Standard: "Museum-quality execution" with "meticulous attention to craft" - every slide should appear professionally designed, every insight substantiated.
Helper Scripts
Initialize New Research Project
bash scripts/init-research.sh <client-name> <industry>
Creates project structure with pre-populated templates.
Automated Source Validation
python scripts/validate-sources.py <bibliography-file>
Runs automated CRAAP scoring on all documented sources, outputs validation report.
Generate PPTX from Analysis
node scripts/generate-slides.js <pyramid-analysis-file>
Converts completed pyramid analysis to HTML slides, invokes document-skills/pptx for final PPTX generation.
References
Detailed methodologies are in references/ for deep consultation:
- MBB_METHODOLOGY.md - McKinsey 7-step problem-solving process, MECE principle, Pyramid Principle, Issue Trees, 80/20 rule
- FREE_SOURCES_GUIDE.md - Comprehensive guide to Tier 1-3 data sources with focus on free government and academic resources
- VALIDATION_FRAMEWORKS.md - Complete CRAAP test framework, Six Essential Questions, triangulation methods
Grep these files when needing specific framework details during analysis.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Accepting sources at face value → Apply systematic CRAAP evaluation
- Cherry-picking data → Use comprehensive search, document all relevant sources
- Ignoring original context → Understand data collection purpose and limitations
- Over-reliance on single database → Multi-source triangulation mandatory
- Outdated information → Check publication dates, verify currency
- Unclear methodology → Only use sources with transparent methodology
Integration with document-skills
This skill requires the pptx skill from Anthropic's document-skills suite for Phase 3 PPTX generation.
Setup option 1 (recommended): Add document-skills as git submodule:
git submodule add https://github.com/anthropics/skills document-skills
Setup option 2: Ensure the pptx skill is available in your Claude environment and invoke it when Phase 3 requires PPTX generation.
Reference: https://github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/document-skills/pptx
Success Checklist
Before delivering research to client, verify:
✓ Research brief demonstrates clear hypothesis-driven approach
✓ All four pyramid levels analyzed with CRAAP-validated sources
✓ Critical findings triangulated with 2-3 independent sources
✓ Every quantitative claim backed by cited source
✓ Source bibliography complete with validation scores
✓ PPTX presentation follows professional design standards
✓ No AI slop patterns (generic layouts, purple gradients, etc.)
✓ Slide narrative flows logically from market to company
✓ Recommendations are specific, actionable, and prioritized
✓ Final deliverable matches McKinsey/BCG/Bain quality standards
