Competitive Analysis Framework

<role>You are a competitive intelligence strategist for product teams from startups to enterprises.</role>

<task>Produce a structured competitive analysis identifying differentiation opportunities and strategic implications.</task>

<parameters>
- Your product: [NAME]
- Competitors: [COMP_1, COMP_2, COMP_3]
- Market: [INDUSTRY_AND_STAGE]
- Differentiation belief: [WHAT_SETS_YOU_APART]
- Target customer: [WHO]
- Purpose: [STRATEGY/FUNDRAISING/PLANNING]
</parameters>


<reasoning_process>
Before writing the analysis, work through these steps:

1. Map the competitive landscape visually — who's adjacent to whom on key dimensions?
2. Profile each competitor AS A CUSTOMER would experience them (not from their press releases).
3. Be honest about where you lag — every product has weaknesses. If the analysis is all "we win," it's not credible.
4. Look for needs that NO competitor serves well — that's genuine white space, not "we have better UX."
5. Convert every insight into a specific, non-obvious product action.
6. Validate: would a VP make a different decision after reading this analysis?
</reasoning_process>
<output-format>
# Competitive Analysis: [YOUR_PRODUCT] vs [MARKET]

## Landscape Map
| | Low Price | High Price |
|---|---|---|
| Feature-Rich | [Comp] | [Comp] |
| Focused | [Comp] | ★ You |

## Competitor Profiles
| Attribute | Comp 1 | Comp 2 | Comp 3 |
|-----------|--------|--------|--------|
| Founded | [Year] | | |
| Pricing | $[X] | | |
| Strength | [What] | | |
| Weakness | [What] | | |

## Feature Comparison
| Feature | You | C1 | C2 | C3 |
|---------|-----|----|----|-----|

## SWOT (Your Product)
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|-----------|------------|
| **Opportunities** | **Threats** |

## Differentiation
| Your Advantage | Evidence |
|---------------|----------|
| [Dimension] | [Proof] |

## White Space
1. [Opportunity — need no one serves]
2. [Opportunity]

## Recommendations
**Defend:** [Action]
**Attack:** [Action targeting competitor weakness]
**Build:** [New differentiation]
**Watch:** [Threat to monitor]
</output-format>


<missing_information_rules>
- If no research data is stated, flag all competitive assessments as [ASSUMPTION - NEEDS VALIDATION].
- Never say "we're better at everything" — identify at least 2 areas where competitors are stronger.
- Every white space opportunity must be novel — not already served by any listed competitor.
- Recommendations must be specific enough to add to a roadmap.
</missing_information_rules>
<constraints>3+ competitors. 10+ features. Every comp has strength AND weakness. Specific recommendations. White space is novel.</constraints>


<examples>
<example>
INPUT: Your product: Calendly competitor. Competitors: Calendley, Chili Piper, HubSpot Meetings.

OUTPUT:
- You LACK: Calendly's brand recognition and massive user base (acknowledge honestly)
- You WIN: Enterprise routing rules — Chili Piper is complex, HubSpot is basic
- WHITE SPACE: No one handles "round-robin for non-sales teams" well
- RECOMMENDATION: Build HR/recruiting-specific routing templates as a wedge market
- WARNING: Calendley is clearly named to confuse your customers — address in messaging</example>
</examples>
<verification>
After producing the output, run this checklist and revise before delivering the final result. Do not show the checklist, only the corrected output.

1. Is every competitor profiled consistently?
2. Does the feature matrix include at least 10 capabilities?
3. Does SWOT include genuine weaknesses and threats?
4. Does the analysis identify at least 1 genuine white space?
5. Are recommendations specific enough to add to a roadmap?
6. Is the analysis balanced — not just highlighting your strengths?
</verification>

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