# Competitive Intel

> Competitive Intelligence

- Skill: `neekware/competitive-intel-2` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add neekware/competitive-intel-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/neekware/competitive-intel-2/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: neekware (https://skillmd.com/u/neekware)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/neekware/competitive-intel-2

---

# Competitive Intelligence

Systematic competitor tracking. Not obsession — intelligence that drives real decisions.

## Keywords

competitive intelligence, competitor analysis, battlecard, win/loss analysis, competitive positioning, competitive tracking, market intelligence, competitor research, SWOT, competitive map, feature gap analysis, competitive strategy

## Quick Start

```
/ci:landscape         — Map your competitive space (direct, indirect, future)
/ci:battlecard [name] — Build a sales battlecard for a specific competitor
/ci:winloss           — Analyze recent wins and losses by reason
/ci:update [name]     — Track what a competitor did recently
/ci:map               — Build competitive positioning map
```

## Framework: 5-Layer Intelligence System

### Layer 1: Competitor Identification

**Direct competitors:** Same ICP, same problem, comparable solution, similar price point.
**Indirect competitors:** Same budget, different solution (including "do nothing" and "build in-house").
**Future competitors:** Well-funded startups in adjacent space; large incumbents with stated roadmap overlap.

**The 2x2 Threat Matrix:**

|                       | Same ICP          | Different ICP    |
| --------------------- | ----------------- | ---------------- |
| **Same problem**      | Direct threat     | Adjacent (watch) |
| **Different problem** | Displacement risk | Ignore for now   |

Update this quarterly. Who's moved quadrants?

### Layer 2: Tracking Dimensions

Track these 8 dimensions per competitor:

| Dimension            | Sources                                           | Cadence   |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | --------- |
| **Product moves**    | Changelog, G2/Capterra reviews, Twitter/LinkedIn  | Monthly   |
| **Pricing changes**  | Pricing page, sales call intel, customer feedback | Triggered |
| **Funding**          | Crunchbase, TechCrunch, LinkedIn                  | Triggered |
| **Hiring signals**   | LinkedIn job postings, Indeed                     | Monthly   |
| **Partnerships**     | Press releases, co-marketing                      | Triggered |
| **Customer wins**    | Case studies, review sites, LinkedIn              | Monthly   |
| **Customer losses**  | Win/loss interviews, churned accounts             | Ongoing   |
| **Messaging shifts** | Homepage, ads (Facebook/Google Ad Library)        | Quarterly |

### Layer 3: Analysis Frameworks

**SWOT per Competitor:**

- Strengths: What do they do well? Where do they win?
- Weaknesses: Where do they lose? What do customers complain about?
- Opportunities: What could they do that would threaten you?
- Threats: What's their existential risk?

**Competitive Positioning Map (2 axis):**
Choose axes that matter for your buyers:

- Common: Price vs Feature Depth; Enterprise-ready vs SMB-ready; Easy to implement vs Configurable
- Pick axes that show YOUR differentiation clearly

**Feature Gap Analysis:**
| Feature | You | Competitor A | Competitor B | Gap status |
|---------|-----|-------------|-------------|------------|
| [Feature] | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Your advantage |
| [Feature] | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | Gap — roadmap? |
| [Feature] | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Moat |
| [Feature] | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Competitor B only |

### Layer 4: Output Formats

**For Sales (CRO):** Battlecards — one page per competitor, designed for pre-call prep.
See `templates/battlecard-template.md`

**For Marketing (CMO):** Positioning update — message shifts, new differentiators, claims to stop or start making.

**For Product (CPO):** Feature gap summary — what customers ask for that we don't have, what competitors ship, what to reprioritize.

**For CEO/Board:** Monthly competitive summary — 1-page: who moved, what it means, recommended responses.

### Layer 5: Intelligence Cadence

**Monthly (scheduled):**

- Review all tier-1 competitors (direct threats, top 3)
- Update battlecards with new intel
- Publish 1-page summary to leadership

**Triggered (event-based):**

- Competitor raises funding → assess implications within 48 hours
- Competitor launches major feature → product + sales response within 1 week
- Competitor poaches key customer → win/loss interview within 2 weeks
- Competitor changes pricing → analyze and respond within 1 week

**Quarterly:**

- Full competitive landscape review
- Update positioning map
- Refresh ICP competitive threat assessment
- Add/remove companies from tracking list

---

## Win/Loss Analysis

This is the highest-signal competitive data you have. Most companies do it too rarely.

**When to interview:**

- Every lost deal >$50K ACV
- Every churn >6 months tenure
- Every competitive win (learn why — it may not be what you think)

**Who conducts it:**

- NOT the AE who worked the deal (too close, prospect won't be candid)
- Customer success, product team, or external researcher

**Question structure:**

1. "Walk me through your evaluation process"
2. "Who else were you considering?"
3. "What were the top 3 criteria in your decision?"
4. "Where did [our product] fall short?"
5. "What was the deciding factor?"
6. "What would have changed your decision?"

**Aggregate findings monthly:**

- Win reasons (rank by frequency)
- Loss reasons (rank by frequency)
- Competitor win rates (by competitor, by segment)
- Patterns over time

---

## The Balance: Intelligence Without Obsession

**Signs you're over-tracking competitors:**

- Roadmap decisions are primarily driven by "they just shipped X"
- Team morale drops when competitors fundraise
- You're shipping features you don't believe in to match their checklist
- Pricing discussions always start with "well, they charge X"

**Signs you're under-tracking:**

- Your AEs get blindsided on calls
- Prospects know more about competitors than your team does
- You missed a major product launch until customers told you
- Your positioning hasn't changed in 12+ months despite market moves

**The right posture:**

- Know competitors well enough to win against them
- Don't let them set your agenda
- Your roadmap is led by customer problems, informed by competitive gaps

---

## Distributing Intelligence

| Audience   | Format                      | Cadence             | Owner   |
| ---------- | --------------------------- | ------------------- | ------- |
| AEs + SDRs | Updated battlecards in CRM  | Monthly + triggered | CRO     |
| Product    | Feature gap analysis        | Quarterly           | CPO     |
| Marketing  | Positioning brief           | Quarterly           | CMO     |
| Leadership | 1-page competitive summary  | Monthly             | CEO/COO |
| Board      | Competitive landscape slide | Quarterly           | CEO     |

**One source of truth:** All competitive intel lives in one place (Notion, Confluence, Salesforce). Avoid Slack-only distribution — it disappears.

---

## Red Flags in Competitive Intelligence

| Signal                                                | What it means                                      |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Competitor's win rate >50% in your core segment       | Fundamental positioning problem, not sales problem |
| Same objection from 5+ deals: "competitor has X"      | Feature gap that's real, not just optics           |
| Competitor hired 10 engineers in your domain          | Major product investment incoming                  |
| Competitor raised >$20M and targets your ICP          | 12-month runway for them to compete hard           |
| Prospects evaluate you to justify competitor decision | You're the "check box" — fix perception or segment |

## Integration with C-Suite Roles

| Intelligence Type    | Feeds To  | Output Format                             |
| -------------------- | --------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Product moves        | CPO       | Roadmap input, feature gap analysis       |
| Pricing changes      | CRO, CFO  | Pricing response recommendations          |
| Funding rounds       | CEO, CFO  | Strategic positioning update              |
| Hiring signals       | CHRO, CTO | Talent market intelligence                |
| Customer wins/losses | CRO, CMO  | Battlecard updates, positioning shifts    |
| Marketing campaigns  | CMO       | Counter-positioning, channel intelligence |

## References

- `references/ci-playbook.md` — OSINT sources, win/loss framework, positioning map construction
- `templates/battlecard-template.md` — sales battlecard template

> **Creator:** Alireza Rezvani
> **License:** MIT
> **Source Repo:** `neekware/dojo-skills`
> **Source Bucket:** `c-level-advisor`
> **Original Path:** `c-level-advisor/competitive-intel`