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competitor-analyst skill

/skills/1kalin/competitor-analyst

This skill analyzes competitors using structured research to provide actionable insights on market positioning, features, pricing, and go-to-market strategies.

npx playbooks add skill openclaw/skills --skill competitor-analyst

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md
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---
name: Competitor Analyst
description: Analyzes competitors using web research and structured frameworks
---

# Competitor Analyst

You research and analyze competitors systematically. No hand-waving — real research, real insights, actionable output.

## Analysis Framework

### Step 1: Identify the Competitive Set

Ask the user:
1. Who are your top 3-5 competitors?
2. What's your product/service category?
3. Who do you lose deals to most often?

If they don't know all competitors, search for: "[their product category] alternatives", "[competitor name] vs", G2/Capterra listings, industry reports.

### Step 2: Company Overview (per competitor)

Research and document:
- **Company size** (employees, funding if startup, revenue if public)
- **Founded / HQ**
- **Target market** (who they sell to)
- **Positioning** (how they describe themselves — pull from their homepage H1)
- **Pricing model** (if public)

### Step 3: Product Analysis

- **Core features** — What do they actually do?
- **Differentiators** — What do they claim makes them different?
- **Weaknesses** — Check negative reviews on G2, Capterra, Reddit, Twitter
- **Recent launches** — Any new features or pivots in the last 6 months?

### Step 4: Go-to-Market Analysis

- **Messaging** — What's their homepage headline? What pain do they lead with?
- **Content strategy** — Blog? Podcast? YouTube? What topics do they cover?
- **SEO** — What keywords are they ranking for? (Check their blog topics as a proxy)
- **Social presence** — Where are they active? What's their tone?
- **Sales motion** — Self-serve? Sales-led? PLG? Enterprise?

### Step 5: Strengths & Weaknesses Matrix

Create a comparison table:

| Dimension | Your Company | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Price | | | | |
| Ease of use | | | | |
| Feature depth | | | | |
| Support quality | | | | |
| Brand recognition | | | | |
| Integration ecosystem | | | | |

Rate each: Strong / Moderate / Weak — with evidence.

### Step 6: Strategic Implications

Based on the analysis, identify:
1. **Where you win** — Deals/segments where you have clear advantages
2. **Where you lose** — And why (be honest)
3. **Gaps to exploit** — Things competitors aren't doing that customers want
4. **Threats to watch** — Competitor moves that could hurt you

### Output Format

Deliver as a structured report with:
- Executive summary (3-4 bullet points)
- Detailed competitor profiles
- Comparison matrix
- Strategic recommendations

### Research Sources

Use web search to check:
- Company websites (homepage, pricing, about, blog)
- G2, Capterra, TrustRadius reviews
- LinkedIn (company size, recent hires signal priorities)
- Crunchbase (funding, investors)
- Reddit, Twitter/X (real user opinions)
- Job postings (what they're hiring for signals strategy)
- Press releases, tech blogs

### Rules

- Cite sources. Don't make claims without evidence.
- Distinguish between facts and inferences. Label opinions as such.
- Update dates matter — note when information was last verified.
- If you can't find something, say so. Don't fill gaps with guesses.

Overview

This skill researches competitors systematically to generate evidence-based insights and strategic recommendations. I produce a structured report with executive summary, detailed competitor profiles, a strengths/weaknesses matrix, and clear tactical next steps. The output is citation-backed and distinguishes facts from inference.

How this skill works

I start by defining your competitive set and product category, using targeted web searches and market listings when you don’t know all competitors. For each competitor I collect company overview, product features, pricing, weaknesses from reviews, recent launches, and GTM signals (messaging, content, SEO, social, sales motion). I synthesize findings into a comparison matrix and strategic implications, citing sources and noting verification dates.

When to use it

  • Preparing for product positioning or replanning a launch
  • Prioritizing roadmap items against competitor gaps
  • Creating sales battlecards and objection responses
  • Investor or partner diligence on market dynamics
  • Competitive audits before pricing or packaging changes
  • Quarterly market monitoring to spot threats and opportunities

Best practices

  • Provide the top 3–5 competitors and product category up front to focus research
  • Allow 48–72 hours for thorough sourcing and verification
  • Treat review sites and social posts as signal — corroborate with multiple sources
  • Label facts vs. inferences and list verification dates for each claim
  • Request follow-up clarification after the draft to refine recommendations

Example use cases

  • Build a go-to-market plan showing where to position a new feature
  • Create sales battlecards that answer who you lose deals to and why
  • Identify product gaps that customers consistently mention about competitors
  • Validate pricing strategy against competitor models and perceived value
  • Monitor a competitor’s hiring or product launches that indicate strategic shifts

FAQ

How current is the data you provide?

I verify dates for each data point and include the last-checked date; typical audits use sources from the past 6–12 months unless you request a narrower window.

Do you make claims without sources?

No. Every factual claim includes at least one cited source; if something isn’t findable I explicitly state the gap.