# Competitive Analysis > Use when user says "research competitors", "competitive analysis", "how do we compare to X", when planning go-to-market and needs competitive positioning, when assessing the competitive landscape before launch, or when objection handling and win/lose scenarios need to be documented. - Skill: `aneja5/competitive-analysis` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add aneja5/competitive-analysis` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/aneja5/competitive-analysis/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: aneja5 (https://skillmd.com/u/aneja5) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/aneja5/competitive-analysis --- # Competitive Analysis ## Overview Read `.forge/prd.md` to understand what we're building, then produce `.forge/competitive.md` — an honest assessment of the competitive landscape with actionable positioning. The output must be brutally honest about where we lose, not just where we win. ## When to Use - `.forge/prd.md` exists and the product is entering a market with existing players - User asks "who are the competitors" or "how do we differentiate" - Preparing for GTM and need positioning statements and objection handling - Investor pitch requires competitive landscape slide ## When NOT to Use - No PRD exists — run `spec-driven-development` first (you need to know what you're building to compare) - The product creates a new category with no direct competitors — focus on adjacent alternatives instead - User wants a quick opinion, not a structured analysis — just answer the question ## Common Rationalizations | Thought | Reality | |---------|---------| | "We don't have real competitors" | You always have competitors — at minimum, the status quo (spreadsheets, manual process) | | "We're better at everything" | No product wins on every axis. If your matrix shows all green, you're lying to yourself | | "Pricing research takes too long" | Public pricing pages take 10 minutes. If pricing is hidden, that IS the data point | | "Our moat is obvious" | If you can't name it in one sentence, you don't have one | | "Win/lose scenarios are speculative" | They're based on feature gaps and buyer priorities — that's analysis, not speculation | ## Red Flags - Feature matrix shows you winning every category (cheerleading, not analysis) - "Lose" scenarios are empty or dismissive ("unlikely") - Competitor profiles are surface-level (just website taglines) - Positioning statement is more than one sentence - No mention of the status quo as a competitor (incumbent inertia) - Objection responses are generic ("we're better") instead of specific ## Core Process ### Step 1: Identify competitors Read `.forge/prd.md`. List: - **Direct competitors**: same problem, same buyer, similar solution - **Indirect competitors**: same problem, different approach - **Status quo**: what buyers do today without any tool (spreadsheets, manual processes, hiring) Minimum 3 competitors. Include the status quo as a competitor. ### Step 2: Build competitor profiles For each competitor: - Company name, founding year, funding/revenue (if public) - Target customer (their ICP, not yours) - Core value proposition (one sentence) - Pricing model and approximate price points - Key strengths (be honest — what are they genuinely good at?) - Key weaknesses (specific, not generic) ### Step 3: Feature matrix Build a comparison table. Columns: your product + each competitor. Rows: features from the PRD's requirements list. Values: ✓ (has it), ✗ (doesn't), ~ (partial/planned). **Honesty check**: if your product has ✓ in every row, you've cherry-picked the features. Add rows where competitors win. ### Step 4: Win/lose scenarios For each competitor, write: - **We win when**: specific buyer profile + situation where we're the better choice - **We lose when**: specific buyer profile + situation where they're the better choice - **Switching cost**: what a buyer gives up to switch from them to us ### Step 5: Positioning statement One sentence: "For [ICP] who [pain point], [product] is the [category] that [key differentiator], unlike [primary competitor] which [their limitation]." ### Step 6: Objection handling Top 5 objections a buyer raises when comparing to each competitor. For each: the objection, the honest answer, the redirect to our strength. ### Step 7: Moat analysis Answer: what do we have that competitors can't easily copy? Data? Network effects? Regulatory advantage? Integration lock-in? If the answer is "nothing yet" — say so honestly and identify what to build toward. ## Output Write `.forge/competitive.md` with all sections above. Prepend a `forge:meta` header (`generated_by: competitive-analysis`, `generated_at: `, `depends_on: [.forge/prd.md]` — paths only, never hashes, `generated_from: {.forge/prd.md: }`, `content_hash: `). See [forge-dependency-graph](../../references/forge-dependency-graph.md). After writing: "Competitive analysis written to `.forge/competitive.md`. Run `/gtm` to build the go-to-market strategy." ## Verification - [ ] `.forge/prd.md` read before starting - [ ] At least 3 competitors profiled (including status quo) - [ ] Feature matrix includes rows where competitors win - [ ] Win/lose scenarios are honest — lose scenarios are real, not dismissive - [ ] Positioning statement is one sentence - [ ] Objection responses are specific to each competitor - [ ] Moat analysis is honest (says "none yet" if true) - [ ] `.forge/competitive.md` written