Competitor Scan

The point of competitor research is not a feature spreadsheet; it is finding the wedge: the segment and angle where the incumbent's strength becomes its weakness.

Process

1. Build the list

From the user's input plus web research (search for the category, "[category] alternatives", "[known competitor] vs"), assemble:

• Direct: same solution, same customer
• Indirect: different solution, same problem (the spreadsheet, the agency, the intern)
• Do nothing: what it costs the customer to ignore the problem. This is usually the real competitor at early stage.

Cap the deep analysis at the 4-5 that actually contest the user's target customer.

2. Profile each direct competitor

From their website, pricing page, changelog, reviews (G2, app stores, Reddit), and job postings:

• Who they really sell to (pricing page and case studies reveal this faster than the homepage)
• Pricing model and entry price
• Their pitch in one sentence, and what that pitch ignores
• Momentum signals: recent launches, hiring, funding
• What users complain about: mine reviews and forums for repeated grievances; this is where wedges live

3. The matrix

One table, rows = the 5-7 dimensions the target customer actually decides on (not every feature), columns = user's product plus the direct competitors. Fill honestly, including cells where competitors win. A matrix where the user's column is all green is marketing, not analysis, and gets flagged as such.

4. Wedge and positioning

Deliver:

• The wedge: the customer segment plus job where every incumbent is weak, with the evidence (complaints, pricing gaps, neglected use cases)
• Positioning statement: "For [segment] who [pain], [product] is the [category] that [key difference], unlike [main alternative] which [tradeoff]."
• Threat assessment: which competitor could kill this company, how, and the leading indicator to watch
• What not to do: the fights not to pick (feature wars with a 50-person team, price wars with the venture-funded)

Rules

• Evidence over vibes: every claim about a competitor links to a source (their page, a review, a changelog entry).
• "We have no competitors" means either a bad search or no market; investigate which.
• Respect the incumbents: customers chose them for reasons. Name those reasons before claiming differentiation.
• Refresh quarterly; a scan is a snapshot, not an asset.