Competitive Intelligence
Comprehensive competitive analysis including landscape mapping, battlecards, and ongoing tracking.
Purpose
Competitive intelligence informs strategic decisions:
- Positioning requires understanding competitive alternatives
- Messaging requires competitive differentiation
- Sales requires battlecards for objection handling
- Strategy requires tracking competitor movements
Competitive intel should be refreshed regularly, not one-time.
Process
Phase 1: Competitive Landscape
Map the competitive ecosystem:
## Competitive Landscape
### Competitor Categories
| Category | Definition | Examples |
|----------|------------|----------|
| Direct | Same product category, same buyer | [Competitors] |
| Indirect | Different product, same problem | [Alternatives] |
| Potential | Could enter market | [Threats] |
### Competitor Profiles
#### [Competitor 1 Name]
**Overview:**
- Company: [Description]
- Founded: [Year]
- Funding: [Amount/Stage]
- Size: [Employees, Revenue if known]
- HQ: [Location]
**Product:**
- Core offering: [Description]
- Key features: [List]
- Technology: [Stack if known]
- Integrations: [Key integrations]
**Market Position:**
- Target segment: [Who they target]
- Positioning: [How they position]
- Pricing: [Model and price points]
- Market share: [Estimate if available]
**Strengths:**
1. [Strength 1]
2. [Strength 2]
3. [Strength 3]
**Weaknesses:**
1. [Weakness 1]
2. [Weakness 2]
3. [Weakness 3]
**Recent Activity:**
- [Date]: [Activity/announcement]
- [Date]: [Activity/announcement]
#### [Competitor 2 Name]
[Repeat structure]
Phase 2: Feature Comparison
Detailed feature analysis:
## Feature Comparison
### Feature Matrix
| Feature Category | Feature | Us | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C |
|-----------------|---------|-----|--------|--------|--------|
| [Category 1] | [Feature 1] | YES/NO/PARTIAL | ... | ... | ... |
| | [Feature 2] | YES/NO/PARTIAL | ... | ... | ... |
| [Category 2] | [Feature 3] | YES/NO/PARTIAL | ... | ... | ... |
| | [Feature 4] | YES/NO/PARTIAL | ... | ... | ... |
### Legend
- YES: Full feature parity or better
- PARTIAL: Feature exists but limited
- NO: Feature not available
- SUPERIOR: Feature advantage over competitors
### Unique Features
**Our Unique Features:**
| Feature | Competitive Advantage | Customer Value |
|---------|----------------------|----------------|
| [Feature 1] | [Why unique] | [Why customers care] |
| [Feature 2] | [Why unique] | [Why customers care] |
**Competitor Unique Features:**
| Competitor | Feature | Threat Level | Our Response |
|------------|---------|--------------|--------------|
| [Comp A] | [Feature] | HIGH/MED/LOW | [How we counter] |
| [Comp B] | [Feature] | HIGH/MED/LOW | [How we counter] |
Phase 3: Win/Loss Analysis
Understand competitive dynamics:
## Win/Loss Analysis
### Win Scenarios
| Scenario | Why We Win | Key Proof Points |
|----------|------------|------------------|
| [Scenario 1] | [Reasons] | [Evidence] |
| [Scenario 2] | [Reasons] | [Evidence] |
| [Scenario 3] | [Reasons] | [Evidence] |
### Loss Scenarios
| Scenario | Why We Lose | Improvement Needed |
|----------|-------------|-------------------|
| [Scenario 1] | [Reasons] | [Gap to address] |
| [Scenario 2] | [Reasons] | [Gap to address] |
| [Scenario 3] | [Reasons] | [Gap to address] |
### Head-to-Head Analysis
| Competitor | Win Rate | Common Win Reasons | Common Loss Reasons |
|------------|----------|-------------------|---------------------|
| [Comp A] | X% | [Reasons] | [Reasons] |
| [Comp B] | X% | [Reasons] | [Reasons] |
| [Comp C] | X% | [Reasons] | [Reasons] |
### Competitive Triggers
**When to Engage:**
- [Signal that indicates opportunity]
- [Signal that indicates opportunity]
**When to Walk Away:**
- [Signal that indicates poor fit]
- [Signal that indicates poor fit]
Phase 4: Battlecards
Create sales enablement:
## Battlecards
### Battlecard: [Competitor Name]
**Quick Facts**
| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Company | [Name] |
| HQ | [Location] |
| Founded | [Year] |
| Funding | [Amount] |
| Employees | [Count] |
| Pricing | [Range] |
**Their Positioning**
> "[Their tagline or positioning statement]"
**Their Strengths (What They'll Say)**
1. [Strength 1]
2. [Strength 2]
3. [Strength 3]
**Their Weaknesses (What They Won't Say)**
1. [Weakness 1]
2. [Weakness 2]
3. [Weakness 3]
**Why Customers Choose Them**
- [Reason 1]
- [Reason 2]
**Why Customers Choose Us Instead**
- [Reason 1]
- [Reason 2]
**Objection Handling**
| Their Claim | Our Response | Proof Point |
|-------------|--------------|-------------|
| "[Claim 1]" | [Response] | [Evidence] |
| "[Claim 2]" | [Response] | [Evidence] |
| "[Claim 3]" | [Response] | [Evidence] |
**Landmines to Set**
- Question to ask: "[Question that exposes their weakness]"
- Question to ask: "[Question that highlights our strength]"
**Trap Questions They'll Set**
- "[Question]" → Our response: "[How to handle]"
- "[Question]" → Our response: "[How to handle]"
**Win Strategy**
1. [First step]
2. [Second step]
3. [Close approach]
[Repeat for each major competitor]
Phase 5: Tracking and Updates
Establish ongoing intelligence:
## Competitive Tracking
### Monitoring Sources
| Source | Type | Frequency | Owner |
|--------|------|-----------|-------|
| [Source 1] | News/Social/Product | Daily/Weekly | [Owner] |
| [Source 2] | News/Social/Product | Daily/Weekly | [Owner] |
| [Source 3] | News/Social/Product | Daily/Weekly | [Owner] |
### Alert Triggers
| Trigger | Action | Owner |
|---------|--------|-------|
| New funding announcement | Update battlecard, assess threat | [Owner] |
| Major feature launch | Feature comparison update | [Owner] |
| Pricing change | Pricing analysis update | [Owner] |
| Key hire/departure | Profile update | [Owner] |
| Acquisition/partnership | Strategy reassessment | [Owner] |
### Update Cadence
| Deliverable | Frequency | Owner |
|-------------|-----------|-------|
| Battlecard refresh | Monthly | [Owner] |
| Feature matrix update | Quarterly | [Owner] |
| Full competitive review | Bi-annually | [Owner] |
| Ad-hoc alerts | As needed | [Owner] |
### Intelligence Gaps
| Gap | Impact | Plan to Address |
|-----|--------|-----------------|
| [Gap 1] | HIGH/MED/LOW | [How to fill] |
| [Gap 2] | HIGH/MED/LOW | [How to fill] |
Output Format
# Competitive Intelligence: [Market/Product]
## Executive Summary
- **Primary Competitors:** [Top 3]
- **Competitive Position:** [Strong/Moderate/Weak]
- **Key Differentiator:** [Primary advantage]
- **Biggest Threat:** [Primary concern]
## Competitive Landscape
[Phase 1 output]
## Feature Comparison
[Phase 2 output]
## Win/Loss Analysis
[Phase 3 output]
## Battlecards
[Phase 4 output]
## Tracking Plan
[Phase 5 output]
## Recommendations
1. **Positioning Implications:** [What this means for positioning]
2. **Product Gaps:** [Features to prioritize]
3. **Sales Enablement:** [Training/tools needed]
4. **Watch List:** [Competitors to monitor closely]
## Last Updated
- **Date:** [Date]
- **Owner:** [Name]
- **Next Review:** [Date]
Blocker Criteria
| Blocker | Action |
|---|---|
| No competitor data available | STOP. Cannot analyze without data. Research required. |
| Competitor set unclear | STOP. Define competitive frame before analysis. |
| Data significantly outdated | STOP. Refresh data before proceeding. |
| Conflicting competitive claims | STOP. Verify with multiple sources. |
Anti-Rationalization Table
See shared-patterns/anti-rationalization.md for universal anti-rationalizations.
Gate-Specific Anti-Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Why It's WRONG | Required Action |
|---|---|---|
| "We don't have competitors" | Every product has alternatives, including doing nothing | Identify all alternatives |
| "We know our competitors" | Assumptions miss updates and nuance | Systematic analysis required |
| "Battlecards are just for sales" | Competitive intel informs all GTM | Create comprehensive intel |
| "Competition is irrelevant" | Market context always matters | Analyze regardless of lead |
Pressure Resistance
See shared-patterns/pressure-resistance.md for universal pressure scenarios.
Gate-Specific Pressures
| Pressure Type | Request | Agent Response |
|---|---|---|
| "Quick competitive scan" | "Just list competitors" | "Lists without analysis miss insights. Completing full analysis." |
| "Focus on weak competitors" | "Only analyze ones we beat" | "Strong competitors inform strategy. Analyzing all." |
| "Skip the battlecards" | "Sales can figure it out" | "Sales enablement drives wins. Creating battlecards." |
Execution Report
Base metrics per shared-patterns/execution-report.md:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Duration | Xm Ys |
| Iterations | N |
| Result | PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL |
Gate-Specific Details
- competitors_profiled: N
- features_compared: N
- battlecards_created: N
- sources_referenced: N
- intelligence_gaps: N
- update_cadence_defined: YES/NO
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