market-research

name	market-research
version	1.0.0
description	Provides tools and frameworks for synthesising external market data, analysing competitors, and defining user personas to inform product strategy.
user-invocable	true
allowed-tools	["Read","Write","Edit","Bash","WebSearch","WebFetch"]

Market Research Skill

This skill helps you look outward to validate assumptions, understand the competitive landscape, and deeply empathise with users. It provides the strategic "Why" that fuels the Product Management "What".

Core Methodologies

1. Competitor Analysis

Don't just list features. analyse Strategy.

• Direct Competitors: Solve the same problem for the same customer (e.g., Coke vs. Pepsi).
• Indirect Competitors: Solve the same problem differently (e.g., Zoom vs. Business Travel).
• Replacement Competitors: The status quo (e.g., Excel, Pen & Paper).

Use the competitor-analysis.md template to structure this data.

2. "Jobs to be Done" (JTBD)

Focus on the user's underlying motivation, not their demographics.

• Formula: "When I [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome]."
• Example: "When I am late for a meeting, I want to find the fastest route, so I can minimize embarrassment."

3. Fact vs. Inference

When conducting research, strictly separate what you know from what you guess.

• Fact: "Competitor X charges $10/month." (Verified via pricing page)
• Inference: "Competitor X is targeting SMBs." (Deduced from pricing tier)

Template Library

Templates are located in the templates/ directory relative to this skill.

1. Competitor Analysis Matrix (templates/competitor-analysis.md)

A side-by-side comparison tool. Use this to identify gaps in the market or "table stakes" features you must build.

• Feature Parity: Do we have feature parity?
• UX/UI Patterns: How do they solve the interaction?
• Pricing/Positioning: Where do they fit in the market?

2. Persona Profile (templates/persona-profile.md)

A deep-dive into a specific user archetype. Use this to humanise the "Target Audience" section of a PRD.

• Psychographics: Values, fears, and motivations.
• Tech Literacy: How comfortable are they with new tools?
• Pain Points: What keeps them up at night?