Competitor Research

Setup

On first use, read setup.md for integration guidelines.

When to Use

User needs deep competitor analysis. Agent conducts thorough research on competitors in a niche, identifies gaps and opportunities, and delivers actionable strategies. Supports both new market entry and existing business competitive analysis.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/competitor-research/. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/competitor-research/
├── memory.md              # Status + research preferences + niche context
├── niches/                # Research by market/niche
│   └── {niche}/           # One folder per niche
│       ├── overview.md    # Market landscape
│       └── {company}.md   # Individual competitor deep dives
└── insights/              # Cross-cutting findings
    └── {date}-{topic}.md  # Strategic insights and recommendations

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Setup process	setup.md
Memory template	memory-template.md
Research frameworks	frameworks.md

Core Rules

1. Define Scope Before Research

Never start without clarity on:

Question	Why It Matters
What decision will this inform?	Shapes depth and focus
New market entry or existing competition?	Different analysis needs
Direct competitors only, or substitutes too?	Defines research boundaries
Time constraint?	Determines depth level

If user is vague, ask. Bad scope = wasted research.

2. Use Depth Levels

Level	Time	Output	Best For
Quick Scan	15-30 min	Top 5 competitors, key differentiators, obvious gaps	Initial exploration
Standard	1-2 hours	Full landscape, pricing matrix, positioning map, opportunities	Business planning
Deep Dive	Half day+	Individual competitor audits, detailed SWOT, strategic playbook	Serious competition

Always confirm depth level before starting. Default to Standard if unsure.

3. Structure Every Competitor Analysis

For each competitor, cover:

BASICS
- What they do (one sentence)
- Target customer
- Pricing model and range
- Founding date, funding, size indicators

PRODUCT
- Core features
- Key differentiators
- Weaknesses/gaps
- Recent changes

POSITIONING  
- How they describe themselves
- Who they compare against
- Messaging tone and style

TRACTION SIGNALS
- Reviews/ratings (G2, Capterra, etc.)
- Social proof they highlight
- Customer logos/testimonials
- Growth indicators

4. Always Find Gaps and Opportunities

End every research session with:

GAP ANALYSIS

• What do customers complain about that nobody solves?
• What segments are underserved?
• What's overpriced in the market?
• What's missing that should exist?

OPPORTUNITIES

• Where can user win? (price, features, positioning, audience)
• What would be the wedge to enter?
• What's the unfair advantage potential?

Research without actionable gaps is just a report. Make it strategic.

5. Iterate and Build Knowledge

Each research session builds on previous ones:

• First session: Establish landscape, identify key players
• Follow-up sessions: Deep dive individual competitors
• Return visits: Update with new findings, track changes

Before researching a niche again, check niches/{niche}/ for prior work.

6. Cite and Date Everything

Mark all findings with:

• Source: Where you found it (website, G2, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Date: When observed (pricing changes, features evolve)
• Confidence: High (direct source) / Medium (inferred) / Low (speculation)

Undated intelligence becomes unreliable fast.

7. Deliver Actionable Recommendations

Every research deliverable ends with:

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
1. [Specific action] because [finding supports it]
2. [Another action] based on [gap identified]
3. [What to avoid] given [competitor strength]

WHAT TO WATCH
- [Signal that would change this analysis]
- [Competitor move to monitor]

Research Frameworks

Market Landscape

Start broad, then narrow:

1. List all players (direct, indirect, substitutes)
2. Categorize by segment (enterprise, SMB, prosumer, etc.)
3. Map by positioning (premium vs budget, generalist vs niche)
4. Identify white space

Competitive Matrix

Compare on dimensions that matter:

Competitor	Price	Feature X	Feature Y	Target	Differentiator
Player A	$$$	✅	❌	Enterprise	Security
Player B	$	❌	✅	SMB	Simplicity
(User)	$$	✅	✅	Mid-market	Best of both

Win/Lose Analysis

For each competitor, answer:

• Why would a customer choose them over user?
• Why would a customer choose user over them?
• What type of customer is a slam-dunk for each?

Positioning Audit

Analyze how competitors position:

• Homepage headline and subhead
• Three main value props
• Social proof strategy
• Pricing presentation
• Comparison pages (if any)

Look for positioning gaps nobody owns.

Iterative Research Workflow

Session 1: Landscape

"I want to research competitors in [niche]"
→ Quick scan of market
→ Identify 5-10 key players
→ Create overview.md for the niche
→ Ask: want to deep dive any specific competitor?

Session 2+: Deep Dives

"Let's analyze [Company X]"
→ Load niche overview for context
→ Full competitor analysis
→ Save to niches/{niche}/{company}.md
→ Update overview with new findings

Return Visit

"What do we know about [niche/company]?"
→ Load existing research
→ Note what might be outdated
→ Offer to refresh specific sections

Common Traps

• No scope = bad research → Always clarify what decision this informs before starting
• Feature obsession → Business model and positioning often matter more than features
• Outdated pricing → Check pricing pages directly, don't trust cached data
• Missing substitutes → Direct competitors aren't the only threat. What else solves the same job?
• Analysis paralysis → Set time limits. Good-enough research beats perfect research never delivered
• No recommendations → A list of competitors isn't strategy. What should user DO with this?
• Forgot to save → Update memory and niche files after every session

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local:

• All research stored in ~/competitor-research/
• Niche analyses and competitor profiles
• User preferences and context

This skill does NOT:

• Access private competitor systems
• Create fake accounts for research
• Scrape content violating ToS
• Send your research externally
• Store any credentials

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• market-research — broader market analysis
• business — strategic frameworks
• competitor-monitoring — ongoing tracking after research

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star competitor-research
• Stay updated: clawhub sync