propane-ai If you need to check connected tools (placeholders) or role/company context, see REFERENCE.md.
Competitive Intelligence
Research your competitors extensively and generate an interactive HTML battlecard you can use in deals. The output is a self-contained artifact with clickable competitor tabs and an overall comparison matrix.
How It Works
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ALWAYS (works standalone via web search) │
│ ✓ Competitor product deep-dive: features, pricing, positioning │
│ ✓ Recent releases: what they've shipped in last 90 days │
│ ✓ Your company releases: what you've shipped to counter │
│ ✓ Differentiation matrix: where you win vs. where they win │
│ ✓ GTM talk tracks: how to position against each competitor │
│ ✓ Landmine questions: expose their weaknesses naturally │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ OUTPUT: Interactive HTML Battlecard │
│ ✓ Comparison matrix overview │
│ ✓ Clickable tabs for each competitor │
│ ✓ Dark theme, professional styling │
│ ✓ Self-contained HTML file — share or host anywhere │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ SUPERCHARGED (when you connect your tools) │
│ + ~~CRM~~: Win/loss data, competitor mentions in closed deals │
│ + ~~knowledge base~~: Existing battlecards, competitive playbooks │
│ + ~~chat~~: Internal intel, field reports from colleagues │
│ + ~~conversation intelligence~~: Competitor mentions in customer calls │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Getting Started
When you run this skill, I'll ask for context:
Required:
- What company do you work for? (or I'll detect from your email)
- Who are your main competitors? (1-5 names)
Optional:
- Which competitor do you want to focus on first?
- Any specific deals where you're competing against them?
- Pain points you've heard from customers about competitors?
If I already have your seller context from a previous session, I'll confirm and skip the questions.
Connectors (Optional)
| Connector | What It Adds |
|---|---|
| Win/loss history against each competitor, deal-level competitor tracking | |
| Existing battlecards, product comparison docs, competitive playbooks | |
| Internal chat intel (e.g. Slack) — what your team is hearing from the field | |
| Competitor mentions in customer calls, objections raised |
No connectors? Web research works great. I'll pull everything from public sources — product pages, pricing, blogs, release notes, reviews, job postings.
Output: Interactive HTML Battlecard
The skill generates a self-contained HTML file with:
1. Comparison Matrix (Landing View)
Overview comparing you vs. all competitors at a glance:
- Feature comparison grid
- Pricing comparison
- Market positioning
- Win rate indicators (if
CRMconnected)
2. Competitor Tabs (Click to Expand)
Each competitor gets a clickable card that expands to show:
- Company profile (size, funding, target market)
- What they sell and how they position
- Recent releases (last 90 days)
- Where they win vs. where you win
- Pricing intelligence
- Talk tracks for different scenarios
- Objection handling
- Landmine questions
3. Your Company Card
- Your releases (last 90 days)
- Your key differentiators
- Proof points and customer quotes
HTML Structure
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Battlecard: [Your Company] vs Competitors</title>
<style>
/* Dark theme, professional styling */
/* Tabbed navigation */
/* Expandable cards */
/* Responsive design */
</style>
</head>
<body>
<!-- Header with your company + date -->
<header>
<h1>[Your Company] Competitive Battlecard</h1>
<p>Generated: [Date] | Competitors: [List]</p>
</header>
<!-- Tab Navigation -->
<nav class="tabs">
<button class="tab active" data-tab="matrix">Comparison Matrix</button>
<button class="tab" data-tab="competitor-1">[Competitor 1]</button>
<button class="tab" data-tab="competitor-2">[Competitor 2]</button>
<button class="tab" data-tab="competitor-3">[Competitor 3]</button>
</nav>
<!-- Comparison Matrix Tab -->
<section id="matrix" class="tab-content active">
<h2>Head-to-Head Comparison</h2>
<table class="comparison-matrix">
<!-- Feature rows with you vs each competitor -->
</table>
<h2>Quick Win/Loss Guide</h2>
<div class="win-loss-grid">
<!-- Per-competitor: when you win, when you lose -->
</div>
</section>
<!-- Individual Competitor Tabs -->
<section id="competitor-1" class="tab-content">
<div class="battlecard">
<div class="profile"><!-- Company info --></div>
<div class="differentiation"><!-- Where they win / you win --></div>
<div class="talk-tracks"><!-- Scenario-based positioning --></div>
<div class="objections"><!-- Common objections + responses --></div>
<div class="landmines"><!-- Questions to ask --></div>
</div>
</section>
<script>
// Tab switching logic
// Expand/collapse sections
</script>
</body>
</html>
Visual Design
Color System
:root {
/* Dark theme base */
--bg-primary: #0a0d14;
--bg-elevated: #0f131c;
--bg-surface: #161b28;
--bg-hover: #1e2536;
/* Text */
--text-primary: #ffffff;
--text-secondary: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);
--text-muted: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);
/* Accent (your brand or neutral) */
--accent: #3b82f6;
--accent-hover: #2563eb;
/* Status indicators */
--you-win: #10b981;
--they-win: #ef4444;
--tie: #f59e0b;
}
Card Design
- Rounded corners (12px)
- Subtle borders (1px, low opacity)
- Hover states with slight elevation
- Smooth transitions (200ms)
Comparison Matrix
- Sticky header row
- Color-coded winner indicators (green = you, red = them, yellow = tie)
- Expandable rows for detail
Execution Flow
Phase 1: Gather Seller Context
If first time:
1. Ask: "What company do you work for?"
2. Ask: "What do you sell? (product/service in one line)"
3. Ask: "Who are your main competitors? (up to 5)"
4. Store context for future sessions
If returning user:
1. Confirm: "Still at [Company] selling [Product]?"
2. Ask: "Same competitors, or any new ones to add?"
Phase 2: Research Your Company (Always)
Web searches:
1. "[Your company] product" — current offerings
2. "[Your company] pricing" — pricing model
3. "[Your company] news" — recent announcements (90 days)
4. "[Your company] product updates OR changelog OR releases" — what you've shipped
5. "[Your company] vs [competitor]" — existing comparisons
Phase 3: Research Each Competitor (Always)
For each competitor, run:
1. "[Competitor] product features" — what they offer
2. "[Competitor] pricing" — how they charge
3. "[Competitor] news" — recent announcements
4. "[Competitor] product updates OR changelog OR releases" — what they've shipped
5. "[Competitor] reviews G2 OR Capterra OR TrustRadius" — customer sentiment
6. "[Competitor] vs [alternatives]" — how they position
7. "[Competitor] customers" — who uses them
8. "[Competitor] careers" — hiring signals (growth areas)
Phase 4: Pull Connected Sources (If Available)
If ~~CRM~~ connected:
1. Query closed-won deals with competitor field = [Competitor]
2. Query closed-lost deals with competitor field = [Competitor]
3. Extract win/loss patterns
If docs connected:
1. Search for "battlecard [competitor]"
2. Search for "competitive [competitor]"
3. Pull existing positioning docs
If chat connected:
1. Search for "[Competitor]" mentions (last 90 days)
2. Extract field intel and colleague insights
If transcripts connected:
1. Search calls for "[Competitor]" mentions
2. Extract objections and customer quotes
Phase 5: Build HTML Artifact
1. Structure data for each competitor
2. Build comparison matrix
3. Generate individual battlecards
4. Create talk tracks for each scenario
5. Compile landmine questions
6. Render as self-contained HTML
7. Save as [YourCompany]-battlecard-[date].html
Data Structure Per Competitor
competitor:
name: "[Name]"
website: "[URL]"
profile:
founded: "[Year]"
funding: "[Stage + amount]"
employees: "[Count]"
target_market: "[Who they sell to]"
pricing_model: "[Per seat / usage / etc.]"
market_position: "[Leader / Challenger / Niche]"
what_they_sell: "[Product summary]"
their_positioning: "[How they describe themselves]"
recent_releases:
- date: "[Date]"
release: "[Feature/Product]"
impact: "[Why it matters]"
where_they_win:
- area: "[Area]"
advantage: "[Their strength]"
how_to_handle: "[Your counter]"
where_you_win:
- area: "[Area]"
advantage: "[Your strength]"
proof_point: "[Evidence]"
pricing:
model: "[How they charge]"
entry_price: "[Starting price]"
enterprise: "[Enterprise pricing]"
hidden_costs: "[Implementation, etc.]"
talk_track: "[How to discuss pricing]"
talk_tracks:
early_mention: "[Strategy if they come up early]"
displacement: "[Strategy if customer uses them]"
late_addition: "[Strategy if added late to eval]"
objections:
- objection: "[What customer says]"
response: "[How to handle]"
landmines:
- "[Question that exposes their weakness]"
win_loss: # If ~~CRM~~ connected
win_rate: "[X]%"
common_win_factors: "[What predicts wins]"
common_loss_factors: "[What predicts losses]"
Delivery
## ✓ Battlecard Created
[View your battlecard](file:///path/to/[YourCompany]-battlecard-[date].html)
---
**Summary**
- **Your Company**: [Name]
- **Competitors Analyzed**: [List]
- **Data Sources**: Web research [+ ~~CRM~~] [+ ~~knowledge base~~] [+ ~~conversation intelligence~~]
---
**How to Use**
- **Before a call**: Open the relevant competitor tab, review talk tracks
- **During a call**: Reference landmine questions
- **After win/loss**: Update with new intel
---
**Sharing Options**
- **Local file**: Open in any browser
- **Host it**: Upload to Netlify, Vercel, or internal wiki
- **Share directly**: Send the HTML file to teammates
---
**Keep it Fresh**
Run this skill again to refresh with latest intel. Recommended: monthly or before major deals.
Refresh Cadence
Competitive intel gets stale. Recommended refresh:
| Trigger | Action |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Quick refresh — new releases, news, pricing changes |
| Before major deal | Deep refresh for specific competitor in that deal |
| After win/loss | Update patterns with new data |
| Competitor announcement | Immediate update on that competitor |
Tips for Better Intel
- Be honest about weaknesses — Credibility comes from acknowledging where competitors are strong
- Focus on outcomes, not features — "They have X feature" matters less than "customers achieve Y result"
- Update from the field — Best intel comes from actual customer conversations, not just websites
- Plant landmines, don't badmouth — Ask questions that expose weaknesses; never trash-talk
- Track releases religiously — What they ship tells you their strategy and your opportunity
Related Skills
- account-research — Research a specific prospect before reaching out
- call-prep — Prep for a call where you know competitor is involved
- create-an-asset — Build a custom comparison page for a specific deal