| name | business-researcher |
| description | Business Researcher - Complete market research, competitive analysis, customer research, and data synthesis. Use when: researching markets, analyzing competitors, understanding customers, gathering data for decisions. Include: market research, competitive intelligence, customer insights, data synthesis, reports. Works with: Claude Code, OpenCode, Cursor, Any SKILL.md agent.
|
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | Business Brain |
| license | MIT |
| tags | ["research","market-analysis","competitive-intelligence","customer-insights"] |
| agents | ["universal"] |
Business Researcher Skill
Complete business research for data-driven decision making.
Research Types
| Type | Purpose | Methods |
|---|
| Market Research | Size, trends, opportunity | Reports, data, surveys |
| Competitive Analysis | Who, what, how they win | Scraping, reviews, analysis |
| Customer Research | Pain points, needs | Interviews, surveys |
| Product Research | Feasibility, validation | Testing, analysis |
| Technology Research | Tech landscape, tools | Documentation, testing |
Research Methodology
Primary Research
| Method | Best For | Sample | Cost |
|---|
| Surveys | Quant data | 100-1000 | $ |
| Interviews | Deep insights | 10-30 | $$ |
| Focus Groups | Reactions | 5-10 groups | $$ |
| Observations | Behavior | 10+ sessions | $$ |
Secondary Research
| Source | Data | Cost |
|---|
| Industry reports | Market data | $$$ |
| Company filings | Financials | Free/$ |
| News/Press | Trends | Free |
| Academic papers | Deep dives | Free |
| Social media | Sentiment | Free |
Market Research Framework
Standard Report Structure
# Market Research: [Market Name]
## Executive Summary
[1-page overview with key findings]
## Market Sizing
- TAM: $[X]
- SAM: $[Y]
- SOM: $[Z]
## Growth Dynamics
- Historical: [% YoY]
- Projected: [% YoY]
- Drivers: [List]
## Key Players
| Company | Market Share | Revenue | Focus |
|---------|--------------|---------|-------|
| [A] | [%] | $[X] | [Y] |
| [B] | [%] | $[X] | [Y] |
## Customer Segments
| Segment | Size | Needs | Willingness |
|---------|-----|------|-------------|
| [A] | [%] | [Needs] | [High/Med/Low] |
## Trends
1. [Trend 1]
2. [Trend 2]
## Opportunities
1. [Opportunity 1]
2. [Opportunity 2]
## Risks
1. [Risk 1]
2. [Risk 2]
## Conclusion
[Summary + Recommendations]
Competitive Intelligence
Competitive Analysis Matrix
| Dimension | Us | Comp A | Comp B |
|---|
| Product | [X] | [X] | [X] |
| Pricing | [X] | [X] | [X] |
| Distribution | [X] | [X] | [X] |
| Marketing | [X] | [X] | [X] |
| Strengths | [X] | [X] | [X] |
| Weaknesses | [X] | [X] | [X] |
Win/Loss Analysis Framework
Wins:
- [Reason]: [Count]
- [Reason]: [Count]
Losses:
- [Reason]: [Count]
- [Reason]: [Count]
1. [Theme]
2. [Theme]
1. [Theme]
2. [Theme]
Customer Research
Interview Guide Template
## Customer Interview: [Company]
### Context
- Interviewee: [Name, Role]
- Company: [Name, Size]
- Interview Date: [Date]
### Questions
#### Current State
1. What's your biggest challenge with [area]?
2. How are you solving this today?
3. What's working/not working?
#### Evaluation
4. What would make [solution] ideal?
5. What hesitations do you have?
6. What's your decision process?
#### Value
7. What's this worth to you?
8. What's the cost of not solving it?
### Key Quotes
- "[Quote 1]"
- "[Quote 2]"
### Themes
- [Theme 1]
- [Theme 2]
### Next Steps
[Actions]
Survey Questions by Stage
| Stage | Questions |
|---|
| Discovery | Problem awareness, current solutions |
| Validation | Feature priorities, pricing |
| Commitment | Purchase intent, objections |
Data Synthesis
Analysis Frameworks
PESTLE
- Political
- Economic
- Social
- Technological
- Legal
- Environmental
Porter's Five Forces
- New entrants
- Suppliers
- Buyers
- Substitutes
- Competitors
SWOT
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Opportunities
- Threats
Research Delivery
Executive Summary Template
# Research: [Topic]
## TL;DR
[One sentence]
## Key Findings
1. [Finding 1] - [Impact]
2. [Finding 2] - [Impact]
3. [Finding 3] - [Impact]
## Recommendations
1. [Recommendation 1] - Rationale
2. [Recommendation 2] - Rationale
## Supporting Evidence
- [Evidence 1]
- [Evidence 2]
## Appendix
- Methodology
- Sources
- Limitations
Sources & Tools
Research Sources
| Source | Type | Best For |
|---|
| Crunchbase | Database | Companies, funding |
| G2/Capterra | Reviews | Product comparisons |
| SimilarWeb | Traffic | Market share |
| LinkedIn | Network | Customer research |
| Google Alerts | News | Trends |
| PitchBook | Private market | B2B data |
| CB Insights | AI research | Industry |
Research Tools
| Tool | Use |
|---|
| Google Forms | Surveys |
| Typeform | Customer interviews |
| Notion | Research repository |
| Airtable | Data organization |
| Miro | Visual synthesis |
Usage Examples
User: "Research the CRM market"
Agent: Comprehensive market analysis with size, players, opportunities
User: "Why did we lose to [Competitor]?"
Agent: Win/loss analysis, competitor breakdown
User: "What do our customers want?"
Agent: Synthesize research, key themes, priorities
User: "Is there demand for [feature]?"
Agent: Validate with market analysis, customer data
Compatible Agents
All SKILL.md compatible agents ✅
See Also
- competitive-strategist (competitor deep-dive)
- opportunity-finder (opportunity identification)
- product-researcher (product-specific research)
