Competitive Intelligence Skill

Build a deep, research-backed competitive analysis document and write it to the client's competitive.md file in ~/Obsidian/01-Clients/[ClientName]/competitive.md.

What This Produces

A living competitive intelligence document covering:

1. Market Landscape Overview
2. Competitor Index (quick-reference table)
3. Feature / Capability Matrix
4. Per-Competitor Deep Dives
5. Pricing & Packaging Analysis
6. Win / Loss Themes
7. Differentiation Map
8. Positioning Opportunities
9. Battle Cards (one per Tier 1 competitor)
10. Intel Refresh Log

Step 1: Gather Inputs

Required minimum inputs:

• Client name (to locate their folder at ~/Obsidian/01-Clients/[ClientName]/)
• Client website URL
• Client LinkedIn company page URL

Optional inputs (use if provided):

• Known competitor list (names and/or URLs)
• Win/loss context, sales call themes, Gong insights
• Specific competitors to focus on or deprioritize
• Any other relevant context

Always read the client's existing context files first:

~/Obsidian/01-Clients/[ClientName]/CLAUDE.md
~/Obsidian/01-Clients/[ClientName]/context.md
~/Obsidian/01-Clients/[ClientName]/positioning.md  (if exists)
~/Obsidian/01-Clients/[ClientName]/icp.md          (if exists)
~/Obsidian/01-Clients/[ClientName]/messaging.md    (if exists)

Extract from these files: ICP, ACV, GTM motion, positioning claims, known competitors already mentioned, tech stack, PMF level.

Step 2: Identify Competitors

If the user provided a competitor list: Proceed to Step 3. Confirm the list with a quick "I'll research these X competitors: [list]. Anything to add or remove before I start?"

If no competitor list was provided:

1. Research competitors using web search. Search for:
   • "[client company] competitors" and "[client company] alternatives"
   • "[product category] software comparison" on G2, Capterra, TrustRadius
   • site:g2.com "[client company]" to find their G2 profile and the "Alternatives" tab
   • LinkedIn for companies in the same category
   • Crunchbase for funding-stage peers in the same space
2. Build a proposed list of 5–8 candidates, organized by tier:
   • Tier 1 (Direct): Same ICP, same problem, same GTM motion — head-to-head competition
   • Tier 2 (Adjacent): Overlapping ICP or overlapping capability, but not identical
   • Tier 3 (Indirect): "Do nothing / status quo" or category-adjacent tools that lose deals to
3. Present the list to the user for verification before proceeding. Format:

   Here are the competitors I found. Please confirm, add, or remove before I research them:
   
   **Tier 1 (Direct):**
   - CompanyA (companya.com) — [one-line description]
   - CompanyB (companyb.com) — [one-line description]
   
   **Tier 2 (Adjacent):**
   - CompanyC — [one-line description]
   
   **Tier 3 / Indirect:**
   - Status quo / spreadsheets
   - [other]

4. Wait for user confirmation before proceeding to research.

Step 3: Research Each Competitor

For each confirmed competitor, conduct deep web research. Cover all of the following:

Primary Research Sources

• Company website: Homepage, product pages, pricing page (if public), about/team page
• G2 / Capterra / TrustRadius: Star ratings, review themes, pros/cons, user segments, feature ratings
• LinkedIn: Company size, headcount growth (are they scaling?), recent job postings (signals roadmap/priorities), executive team
• Crunchbase / PitchBook: Funding history, investors, last round amount and date
• Pricing page: Tiers, packaging logic, what's gated, trial/freemium availability
• Case studies / customer stories: Who they serve, outcomes they claim, logos they display
• Recent news: Acquisitions, product launches, executive hires/departures, layoffs
• Reddit / community forums: What real users say, complaints, switching reasons

Per-Competitor Research Checklist

For each competitor, capture:

• Company overview (founded, funding, headcount, HQ)
• Core product positioning (tagline, hero claim, primary use case)
• ICP they target (industry, company size, buyer role)
• ACV signals (pricing tier ranges, deal sizes mentioned in reviews)
• GTM motion (PLG, SLG, channel, partner-led)
• Pricing model (per seat, usage-based, flat, tiered)
• Pricing ranges (if public or estimable from reviews)
• Key differentiators they claim
• Feature highlights and gaps vs. client
• Common praise themes from reviews
• Common complaints / weaknesses from reviews
• Recent strategic moves (last 90–180 days)
• Sales tactics observed (free trials, demos, aggressive outbound, etc.)

Step 4: Synthesize and Write the Document

Write the full competitive.md file using the template in references/competitive-template.md.

Synthesis guidelines:

• Be honest and specific — avoid vague claims like "Company X has strong features." Name the features.
• For differentiation, apply April Dunford's framework: only count something as a differentiator if competitors genuinely lack it or are meaningfully weaker. Shared strengths are table stakes, not differentiators.
• For pricing, triangulate: pricing page + G2 reviews mentioning price + Glassdoor AE comp signals + deal size references in case studies.
• For battle cards, think like a sales rep: what does a rep need in a 30-second hallway conversation before a demo?
• Win/loss themes should reflect what's actually in context files, call notes, or client-provided intel — flag clearly if speculative.
• Positioning opportunities should be whitespace: claims no competitor is owning that align with the client's actual strengths.

Step 5: Write the File

Write the completed document to:

~/Obsidian/01-Clients/[ClientName]/competitive.md

Overwrite if file exists (it may be empty or a stub). After writing, confirm the file path and give the user a quick summary:

• Number of competitors analyzed
• Top 2–3 differentiation opportunities identified
• Most dangerous competitor and why
• Recommended next step (e.g., share battle cards with sales, validate win/loss themes with Gong)

Quality Standards

Every competitive.md should pass these checks before writing:

• Every competitor claim is sourced (from web research, reviews, or client-provided intel) — not invented
• Differentiators are genuine, not just features the client also has
• Battle cards are specific enough for a sales rep to use immediately
• Pricing section includes a clear "So what does this mean for how we price/position?" synthesis
• Intel Refresh Log has a concrete cadence and specific signals to watch
• "Do nothing / status quo" is represented as a competitive alternative
• The document reads as a strategic asset, not a feature spreadsheet

Notes on Tone

This document is used for:

• Brandon's own strategic analysis and client advisory
• Feeding positioning and messaging work
• Briefing client sales teams

Write with precision and strategic clarity. Be direct about where the client is weaker than competitors — surface the truth, because hiding it doesn't help. Flag anything speculative clearly with [ESTIMATED] or [UNVERIFIED].