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aico-pm-competitor-analysis skill

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/.codex/skills/aico-pm-competitor-analysis

This skill delivers a structured competitor analysis with feature matrices, strengths/weaknesses, and actionable recommendations to guide product strategy.

npx playbooks add skill yellinzero/aico --skill aico-pm-competitor-analysis

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: aico-pm-competitor-analysis
description: |
  Research and analyze competitors with STRUCTURED output: feature comparison matrix, strengths/weaknesses analysis, and actionable recommendations.

  UNIQUE VALUE: Creates standardized competitor analysis document with feature matrix and strategic recommendations.

  Use this skill when:
  - User asks "what do competitors do?", "who are our competitors?"
  - User mentions competitor names or asks for product comparison
  - User asks for "competitor analysis", "market research", "competitive landscape"
  - Entering new market, feature area, or evaluating product direction
  - Need to understand competitive landscape before making product decisions
  - Writing PRD and need market context or differentiation strategy

  Output format: Feature comparison matrix + Strengths/Weaknesses + Actionable recommendations
---

# Competitor Analysis

## Language Configuration

Before generating any content, check `aico.json` in project root for `language` field to determine the output language. If not set, default to English.

## Process

1. **Identify competitors**: Direct and indirect
2. **Create feature matrix**: Compare capabilities
3. **Analyze each competitor**: Strengths, weaknesses, positioning
4. **Identify market gaps**: Opportunities for differentiation
5. **Develop recommendations**: Actionable strategies

## Analysis Document Template

```markdown
# Competitor Analysis: [Product Area]

## Executive Summary

[2-3 sentence overview of findings]

## Competitors Overview

| Competitor | Type     | Target Users | Key Strength |
| ---------- | -------- | ------------ | ------------ |
| [Name]     | Direct   | [Users]      | [Strength]   |
| [Name]     | Indirect | [Users]      | [Strength]   |

## Feature Comparison

| Feature     | Us    | Competitor A | Competitor B |
| ----------- | ----- | ------------ | ------------ |
| [Feature 1] | ✓/✗/- | ✓/✗/-        | ✓/✗/-        |

Legend: ✓ Has / ✗ Doesn't have / - Partial

## Detailed Analysis

### [Competitor Name]

- **Strengths**: [What they do well]
- **Weaknesses**: [Where they fall short]
- **Positioning**: [How they position themselves]

## Opportunities

### Gaps in Market

- [Gap 1]: [How we can address]

### Differentiation Strategies

- [Strategy 1]

## Recommendations

- [Actionable recommendation based on analysis]
```

## Research Sources

- Product websites and documentation
- User reviews (G2, Capterra, etc.)
- Social media and community feedback
- Direct product trials

## Key Rules

- ALWAYS include both direct and indirect competitors
- MUST create feature comparison matrix
- ALWAYS end with actionable recommendations
- Include positioning and strategy, not just features

## Common Mistakes

- ❌ Only direct competitors → ✅ Include indirect/adjacent
- ❌ Feature-only focus → ✅ Include positioning/strategy
- ❌ No recommendations → ✅ Always end with actions

Overview

This skill researches and analyzes competitors to produce a standardized, actionable competitor analysis document. It delivers a feature comparison matrix, strengths/weaknesses analysis for each rival, and prioritized recommendations to inform product and go-to-market decisions. The output is tailored for product managers, strategy teams, and founders needing clear differentiation opportunities.

How this skill works

The skill identifies direct and indirect competitors, gathers publicly available data (websites, docs, reviews, trials), and builds a structured feature matrix comparing capabilities side-by-side. It then profiles each competitor with strengths, weaknesses, and positioning, highlights market gaps, and generates concrete recommendations prioritized by impact and effort.

When to use it

You ask “who are our competitors?” or “what do competitors do?”
You need a product comparison or feature-level benchmarking
Preparing a PRD or product roadmap and need market context
Entering a new market or evaluating a new feature area
Assessing differentiation and go-to-market strategy

Best practices

Include both direct and indirect competitors for broad context
Use multiple research sources: product docs, reviews, trials, and community feedback
Standardize features and legend (✓/✗/-) for clear comparisons
Document positioning and target users, not only features
Prioritize recommendations by expected impact and implementation effort

Example use cases

Compare your product against 3 competitors to inform a PRD
Identify feature gaps before building a new module
Validate positioning and messaging for a launch
Decide whether to build, buy, or partner for a capability
Prepare a competitive brief for investor or board meetings

FAQ

What deliverables does the skill produce?

A competitor overview, feature comparison matrix, detailed strengths/weaknesses for each competitor, market gaps, differentiation strategies, and prioritized recommendations.

How comprehensive is the research?

Research combines product sites, documentation, user reviews, and optional hands-on trials; depth depends on available public information and user-provided competitor names.