108 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
108 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
# Competitive Analysis Frameworks
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This reference provides practical frameworks for evaluating competitors and positioning decisions.
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## Porter's Five Forces
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Assess the competitive intensity of your market:
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1. Threat of new entrants
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- Barriers to entry (capital, regulation, network effects)
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- Speed of competitor replication
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2. Bargaining power of suppliers
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- Dependency on core infrastructure vendors
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- Concentration of key technical providers
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3. Bargaining power of buyers
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- Customer switching costs
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- Procurement complexity and contract leverage
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4. Threat of substitutes
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- Adjacent alternatives solving the same job
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- DIY and internal build options
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5. Rivalry among existing competitors
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- Number and similarity of competitors
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- Price competition and differentiation pressure
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### Five Forces Template
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| Force | Current Pressure (Low/Med/High) | Evidence | Strategic Response |
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| New Entrants | | | |
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| Supplier Power | | | |
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| Buyer Power | | | |
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| Substitutes | | | |
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| Rivalry | | | |
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## SWOT Analysis
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Use SWOT to map internal and external context quickly.
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### SWOT Template
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| Strengths (Internal) | Weaknesses (Internal) |
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| What we do better than alternatives | Where competitors outperform us |
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| Unique capabilities or assets | Known product or go-to-market gaps |
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| Opportunities (External) | Threats (External) |
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| Market trends we can exploit | Competitor moves or macro risks |
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| Unserved segments and use cases | Regulatory, platform, or pricing pressure |
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### SWOT Quality Checklist
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- Base every point on evidence, not assumptions.
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- Separate observations from conclusions.
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- Prioritize top 3 items per quadrant.
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## Feature Comparison Matrix
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Compare products on meaningful buying criteria, not vanity features.
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### Feature Matrix Template
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| Dimension | Weight | Your Product | Competitor A | Competitor B | Notes |
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|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---|
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| Core workflow coverage | 25% | | | | |
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| Ease of implementation | 15% | | | | |
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| Performance / reliability | 15% | | | | |
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| Integrations / ecosystem | 15% | | | | |
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| Security / compliance | 15% | | | | |
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| Pricing / TCO | 15% | | | | |
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Scoring scale recommendation: 1-5 (weak to strong).
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## Competitive Positioning Map
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Create a 2-axis map showing market whitespace and crowding.
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### Positioning Map Steps
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1. Select two high-signal dimensions customers care about.
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2. Place each competitor based on evidence (pricing pages, reviews, demos).
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3. Mark clusters where products are undifferentiated.
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4. Identify white space where demand exists but options are weak.
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Example axes:
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- X-axis: Ease of use
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- Y-axis: Enterprise readiness
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## Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas
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Use a strategy canvas to decide where to raise, reduce, eliminate, or create factors.
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### ERRC Grid (Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create)
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| Eliminate | Reduce | Raise | Create |
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| Commodity table-stakes not valued by target users | Costly features with weak adoption | Differentiators tied to target job-to-be-done | New value dimensions competitors ignore |
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### Strategy Canvas Checklist
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- Compare value curves between your product and top competitors.
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- Ensure target segment is explicit.
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- Tie every strategic choice to measurable outcome.
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