Competitive Analysis
Frameworks for analyzing competitive position and industry dynamics.
When to Use Porter's vs. SWOT
| Framework | Use When |
|---|---|
| Porter's Five Forces | Evaluating industry attractiveness; new market entry; strategic positioning |
| SWOT | Internal capability assessment; go/no-go decisions; strategy planning |
| Competitive Landscape Map | Visualizing whitespace; investor decks; positioning against specific competitors |
| Competitor Profiles | Battlecards for sales; feature gap analysis; threat assessment |
Use Porter's to understand the structural forces shaping the industry. Use SWOT to assess your specific position within it. Combine both for a complete picture.
Porter's Five Forces Template
markdown## Porter's Five Forces: [Industry/Market] ### 1. Competitive Rivalry — Intensity: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW | Factor | Assessment | |--------|------------| | Number of competitors | | | Industry growth rate | | | Product differentiation | | | Exit barriers | | ### 2. Threat of New Entrants — Threat Level: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW | Barrier | Strength | |---------|----------| | Economies of scale | | | Brand loyalty | | | Capital requirements | | | Network effects | | | Switching costs | | ### 3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers — Power: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW [Key suppliers, switching cost, concentration] ### 4. Bargaining Power of Buyers — Power: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW [Price sensitivity, alternatives available, buyer concentration] ### 5. Threat of Substitutes — Threat: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW [Alternative ways customers solve the same problem] ### Overall Industry Attractiveness: X/10 [Summary: which forces are most significant and why]
SWOT Analysis
+-------------------------+-------------------------+ | STRENGTHS | WEAKNESSES | | (Internal +) | (Internal -) | | * What we do well | * Where we lack | | * Unique resources | * Resource gaps | | * Competitive advantages| * Capability limits | +-------------------------+-------------------------+ | OPPORTUNITIES | THREATS | | (External +) | (External -) | | * Market trends | * Competitive pressure | | * Unmet needs | * Regulatory changes | | * Technology shifts | * Economic factors | +-------------------------+-------------------------+
TOWS Matrix (SWOT to Strategy)
| Strengths | Weaknesses | |
|---|---|---|
| Opportunities | SO: Use strengths to capture opportunities | WO: Fix weaknesses to unlock opportunities |
| Threats | ST: Use strengths to mitigate threats | WT: Minimize weaknesses, avoid threats |
Competitor Profile Template
markdown## Competitor: [Name] ### Overview - Founded: [Year] | Funding: $[Amount] | Employees: [N] - Target customer: [Segment] - Pricing: [Model and range] ### Strengths / Weaknesses + [Strength 1] + [Strength 2] - [Weakness 1] - [Weakness 2] ### Threat Assessment: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW - [Why this threat level] - [Our differentiation vs. this competitor]
Competitive Landscape Map
Plot competitors on two axes that matter most to buyers (e.g., price vs. features, ease of use vs. power):
HIGH PRICE | Premium Leaders | Luxury Niche +-------------+ | +-------------+ | [Comp A] | | | [Comp B] | +-------------+ | +-------------+ | LOW ────────────────────+──────────────────── HIGH FEATURES | FEATURES | +-------------+ | +-------------+ | [Comp C] | | | [US] | +-------------+ | +-------------+ Budget Options | Value Leaders | LOW PRICE
Identify whitespace — quadrants with no incumbents that align with unmet buyer needs.
GitHub Signals for Competitive Tracking
bash# Star count and momentum gh api repos/owner/repo --jq '{stars: .stargazers_count, forks: .forks_count}' # Shipping velocity (recent releases) gh release list --repo owner/repo --limit 5 # Community size gh api repos/owner/repo/contributors --jq 'length'
| Signal | Check Frequency |
|---|---|
| Star growth | Weekly |
| Release notes | Per release |
| Pricing changes | Monthly |
| Feature launches | Per announcement |
| Full analysis | Quarterly |
References
- Competitive Analysis Rules — Porter's, SWOT, landscape map, competitor profile templates
- Competitive Analysis Guide — Research methodology, data sources, update cadence
Related Skills
ork:market-sizing— Quantify opportunity size alongside competitive landscapeork:business-case— Build financial justification informed by competitive positionork:product-frameworks— Full product strategy toolkit (value prop, prioritization, OKRs)
Version: 1.0.0
