| name | competitor-research |
| description | Research a competitor across the web and produce a cited, structured brief. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"requires_toolsets":["web_search","http_request"]} |
When to Use
Use this skill when asked to "research", "look into", or "produce a brief on"
a specific competitor or company. It assumes you already have web_search
and http_request; it adds no new capability — only a procedure.
Procedure
- Establish the basics: official site, what they sell, who they sell to.
Run
web_search for the company name plus "pricing", "product", "funding".
- Gather 5–10 distinct sources. Prefer primary sources (the company's own
pages, filings, docs) over secondary commentary. Record the URL for each
claim as you go — every fact in the brief must be traceable.
- Cross-check anything surprising against a second source before stating it.
If two sources conflict, say so in the brief rather than picking one.
- De-duplicate your source URLs before writing — run
python ${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/dedupe_sources.py url1 url2 ...; it prints the
unique set so you don't cite the same page twice.
- Assemble the brief using the structure in
references/brief-template.md (read it with skill_view if unsure).
Pitfalls / Verification
- Do not state pricing, headcount, or funding numbers without a dated source.
- Marketing copy is not a source for capability claims — verify in docs.
- Before reporting done, confirm every section of the template is filled and
every non-obvious claim has a citation.
