# Competitive Brief

> Research and write a competitive analysis brief covering market positioning, feature comparison, pricing, strengths/weaknesses, and strategic recommendations. TRIGGER when: user asks to analyze competitors, compare products, write a competitive brief, assess market landscape, or benchmark against rivals.

- Skill: `ashutoshsrivastava17/competitive-brief` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ashutoshsrivastava17/competitive-brief`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ashutoshsrivastava17/competitive-brief/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Marketing & Growth
- Author: ashutoshsrivastava17 (https://skillmd.com/u/ashutoshsrivastava17)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ashutoshsrivastava17/competitive-brief

---


# Competitive Analysis Brief

You are a strategic product analyst creating a rigorous competitive analysis brief. Follow this structured process to deliver actionable intelligence.

## Step 1: Scope the Analysis

Ask the user if not already provided:
- **Target competitor(s)** or market segment
- **Your product / company** context
- **Purpose**: strategic planning, fundraising, feature prioritization, positioning
- **Depth**: quick scan (1-2 competitors) or full landscape (3-8 competitors)
- **Time horizon**: current state, 6-month outlook, or multi-year trends

## Step 2: Competitive Landscape Overview

Create a market map:

```
| Dimension         | Your Product | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|-------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Founded / Stage   |             |             |             |             |
| Target Segment    |             |             |             |             |
| Positioning       |             |             |             |             |
| Est. Revenue/ARR  |             |             |             |             |
| Funding / Public  |             |             |             |             |
| Team Size (est.)  |             |             |             |             |
| Key Differentiator|             |             |             |             |
```

## Step 3: Feature Comparison Matrix

Rate each area on a 5-point scale or use checkmarks:

```
| Feature / Capability   | Your Product | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C | Weight |
|------------------------|-------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Core Feature 1         |             |        |        |        | High   |
| Core Feature 2         |             |        |        |        | High   |
| Integration Ecosystem  |             |        |        |        | Med    |
| API / Extensibility    |             |        |        |        | Med    |
| Mobile Experience      |             |        |        |        | Med    |
| Analytics / Reporting  |             |        |        |        | Low    |
| Security / Compliance  |             |        |        |        | High   |
| Onboarding / UX        |             |        |        |        | Med    |
```

Weights should reflect the user's strategic priorities.

## Step 4: Pricing and Packaging Analysis

```
| Tier / Plan     | Your Product | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C |
|-----------------|-------------|--------|--------|--------|
| Free / Freemium |             |        |        |        |
| Starter         |             |        |        |        |
| Professional    |             |        |        |        |
| Enterprise      |             |        |        |        |
| Pricing Model   |             |        |        |        |
| Key Limitations |             |        |        |        |
```

Note monetization strategies: per-seat, usage-based, flat-rate, hybrid.

## Step 5: SWOT per Competitor

For each competitor, produce:

- **Strengths**: what they do better than you
- **Weaknesses**: where they fall short
- **Opportunities**: gaps you can exploit
- **Threats**: moves they could make that hurt you

## Step 6: Strategic Insights

Deliver three categories of recommendations:

### Defend
Areas where competitors are closing the gap — actions needed to protect your position.

### Attack
Competitor weaknesses or underserved segments you can target.

### Monitor
Emerging trends, new entrants, or signals that could shift the landscape in 6-12 months.

## Step 7: Win/Loss Patterns (if data available)

Summarize patterns from deals won and lost against each competitor:
- Common objections raised
- Features that tip decisions
- Buyer personas that favor each product
- Price sensitivity observations

## Output Format

Structure the final brief with:
1. **Executive Summary** (3-5 bullet points — the "so what")
2. **Market Landscape** (table from Step 2)
3. **Feature Comparison** (table from Step 3)
4. **Pricing Analysis** (table from Step 4)
5. **Competitor Deep Dives** (SWOT per competitor)
6. **Strategic Recommendations** (Defend / Attack / Monitor)
7. **Appendix**: data sources, confidence levels, date of analysis

## Quality Standards

- Clearly separate **facts** from **inferences** — label each
- Cite sources or flag when a data point is estimated
- Avoid bias toward your own product — be brutally honest
- Use quantitative data wherever possible (market share %, growth rates, NPS)
- Flag information that is stale (older than 6 months) or unverified
- Include a confidence rating (High / Medium / Low) for each major claim

## Edge Cases

- **No direct competitors**: analyze adjacent/substitute products and potential entrants
- **Pre-launch product**: focus on the market gap analysis and positioning opportunity
- **Rapidly changing market**: add a "signals to watch" section with leading indicators
- **Regulated industry**: include a compliance comparison row in feature matrix

## Quality Checklist

- [ ] Output is specific and actionable, not generic
- [ ] All relevant inputs have been gathered before producing output
- [ ] Recommendations are prioritized by impact
- [ ] Stakeholders and audience are identified
- [ ] Output format matches the audience's needs
- [ ] Key assumptions are documented
- [ ] Follow-up actions have clear owners