shyamw-cloud market-research
Strategic research is not a dump of links. It's a tight brief that ends with a recommendation.
Inputs to gather
- Question — what decision is this research informing?
- Scope — competitors named, segment, geography, price band.
- Time budget — quick scan (≤ 30 min) or deep dive?
If the user hasn't given a question, ask: "What decision will this research inform?"
Method
- List 3-7 competitors that fit the scope.
- For each, capture: tagline, target persona, pricing, top 3 features advertised, last public update.
- Cluster the positioning angles you see (e.g. "all-in-one platform", "best-of-breed point tool", "open-source alt to X").
- Find the gaps — angles nobody is taking, or that everyone is taking poorly.
- Recommend one angle the user could own, plus the proof points needed to credibly hold it.
Output format
## Question
<the decision this informs>
## Competitor matrix
| Company | Tagline | Persona | Pricing | Top features | Last update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
## Positioning clusters
- Cluster A: <name>. Companies: <list>. Promise: <line>.
- Cluster B: <name>. Companies: <list>. Promise: <line>.
## Gaps
1. <angle nobody owns> — why it's open
2. <angle everyone owns badly> — why we could win it
## Recommendation
Own: <the angle>
Because: <one-paragraph rationale>
Proof points needed: <list>
## Sources
- <url> — <claim it backed>
- <url> — <claim it backed>
Hard rules
- Every claim about a competitor's pricing, feature, or customer is sourced (URL or screenshot reference).
- If a fact can't be verified, mark
[unverified — source: vendor marketing site]. - Never copy a competitor's copy verbatim into the deliverable. Paraphrase + cite.
- Don't recommend an angle the product can't credibly hold today (or within 90 days).