# Reverse Costing

> Deconstruct competitor products to understand cost structure. Use for competitive pricing and cost analysis.

- Skill: `whyzsm/reverse-costing` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add whyzsm/reverse-costing`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/whyzsm/reverse-costing/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: whyzsm (https://skillmd.com/u/whyzsm)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/whyzsm/reverse-costing

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# Reverse Costing

## Metadata
- **Name**: reverse-costing
- **Description**: Competitor cost structure analysis
- **Triggers**: reverse costing, competitor cost, teardown, cost structure

## Instructions

Analyze competitor cost structure for $ARGUMENTS to understand pricing dynamics.

## Framework

### Cost Structure Analysis

| Cost Component | Analysis Method |
|----------------|-----------------|
| **Materials** | BOM estimation |
| **Labor** | Wage rates x hours |
| **Overhead** | Industry benchmarks |
| **Margin** | Price - cost |

## Output

```
## Reverse Cost Analysis: [Product/Competitor]

### Cost Breakdown

| Component | Our Cost | Est. Competitor | Difference |
|-----------|----------|-----------------|------------|
| Materials | $50 | $45 | +$5 |
| Labor | $20 | $15 | +$5 |
| Overhead | $15 | $12 | +$3 |
| **Total Cost** | **$85** | **$72** | **+$13** |

### Margin Analysis

| Metric | Us | Competitor |
|--------|-----|------------|
| Price | $120 | $110 |
| Cost | $85 | $72 |
| Margin | $35 | $38 |
| Margin % | 29% | 35% |

### Key Findings

1. **Cost Gap**: Competitor is $13 cheaper to produce
2. **Margin Gap**: Despite lower price, competitor has higher margin
3. **Drivers**: Lower labor and material costs

### Recommendations

1. [Recommendation 1]
2. [Recommendation 2]
```

## Tips
- Use industry benchmarks
- Validate with multiple sources
- Consider scale advantages