Startup Competitive Analysis

Use this skill to produce decision-oriented competitive intelligence: define the competitive set, collect evidence, synthesize match / ignore / bet decisions, and ship practical artifacts teams can use (briefs, landscapes, battlecards, win/loss).

Operating Principles (2026)

• Prefer decisions over inventories: make explicit match / ignore / bet calls with rationale and owner.
• Treat competitor claims as hypotheses: validate with buyer reality and current evidence.
• Date-stamp key claims and keep an evidence trail (link + capture month).
• Triangulate important facts across sources (at least two).
• Stay ethical: respect ToS; don’t scrape behind auth/paywalls; don’t misrepresent identity.

Intake Checklist (Ask First)

• Objective: sales enablement, positioning, strategy, fundraising, churn reduction
• Market: category, geography, segment (ICP), and time horizon (now vs 6–12 months)
• Known competitors and “do nothing” alternative (status quo / DIY / services)
• Constraints: available sources, web access, internal docs, legal/compliance requirements