Research [COMPANY NAME] for [RESEARCH PURPOSE] as of [AS-OF DATE]. My decision or conversation depends most on [PRIORITY QUESTIONS]. The relevant market or comparison set is [MARKET OR PEERS]. Use only public, reputable sources unless I provide material below: [MY MATERIAL]. Produce a research brief of 800 to 1,100 words with source links next to each material factual claim. Prefer primary sources: the company’s filings, investor materials, official product pages, job postings, press releases, regulator records, and executive statements. Use reputable reporting for context or independent claims. Do not treat search snippets, copied company-directory entries, or unsourced databases as evidence. Include: 1. Company snapshot: headquarters, ownership or public status, core products, customer type, and stated business model.
2. Current signals: recent product, leadership, funding, financial, hiring, partnership, geographic, or regulatory developments relevant to the purpose. 3. Market position: direct competitors or alternatives, apparent differentiation, and evidence for each comparison. 4. Decision-relevant analysis: answer each priority question with an evidence grade of high, medium, or low. State whether the claim comes from the company, an independent source, or an inference. 5. Risks and unknowns: five items that could materially change the conclusion, plus the fastest source or question to verify each. 6. A concise “what to do next” recommendation for my stated purpose. Use exact dates where possible. If browsing or source access is unavailable, say so plainly and provide a research plan rather than invented findings. Before answering, check that every time-sensitive claim is dated and linked, and that conclusions do not overstate evidence. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [COMPANY NAME] | Enter the company’s full name and website or ticker if available. | Asana, https://asana.com, ticker ASAN |
| [RESEARCH PURPOSE] | State why you are researching the company, such as a sales call, interview, or vendor evaluation. | prepare for a 30-minute enterprise software sales discovery call |
| [AS-OF DATE] | Enter the date the research should be current through. | September 20, 2026 |
| [PRIORITY QUESTIONS] | List the specific questions your decision or conversation needs answered. | Which buyer teams are likely involved, what product changes matter to enterprises, and what public evidence suggests current priorities? |
| [MARKET OR PEERS] | Name the market, geography, and any companies you want compared. | work management software in North America; compare Monday.com, Atlassian, and Smartsheet |
| [MY MATERIAL] | Paste relevant notes or documents, or write none. | Our prospect is the VP of Business Systems; we sell identity governance software |
How to use
- Give the company’s official website or ticker so similarly named businesses are not mixed up.
- List the decision questions first; they determine what evidence belongs in the brief.
- Open the source links behind claims you will repeat in a meeting or document.
- Send this follow-up: “Create a five-question discovery-call brief using only high-evidence findings from this research.”
Variations
Interview research
Use this before interviewing with a company.
Research [COMPANY] for my [ROLE] interview on [DATE]. Focus on [TEAM OR FUNCTION], its stated strategy, recent leadership or product changes, and questions a candidate can ask. Produce a 700-word brief with dated source links, a distinction between fact and inference, five informed interview questions, and three ways my [BACKGROUND] may connect to verified needs. Do not invent culture claims or openings. Flag information that needs confirmation in the interview.
Vendor due diligence
Use this to create an initial public-source screen of a potential vendor.
Assess [VENDOR] as a possible provider of [SERVICE] for [BUYING COMPANY]. Our requirements are [REQUIREMENTS], and our concerns are [RISK AREAS]. Build a due-diligence brief from public sources: company status, product scope, security or compliance statements, customer evidence, implementation signals, and known limitations. Link and date factual claims, identify claims that need contract or security-review confirmation, and provide a proceed, pause, or decline recommendation with reasons.
Competitor comparison
Use this to compare companies before positioning or planning.
Compare [COMPANY A], [COMPANY B], and [COMPANY C] for [DECISION]. Use [EVALUATION CRITERIA] and public evidence current through [DATE]. Deliver a comparison table with linked evidence for each cell, followed by a 500-word analysis of meaningful differences, gaps in evidence, and a conditional recommendation. Do not turn vendor marketing claims into facts without independent support or clear attribution.
Tips
- Start with a decision question, not a broad company profile; it prevents research time from going to facts that cannot change your next move.
- For public companies, separate what a filing confirms from what a news story interprets, especially around strategy and financial performance.
- Treat a company’s case studies as evidence of how it markets itself, not proof that every customer receives the same outcome.
- Date competitor claims because product packaging, pricing, leadership, and partnerships change quickly.
FAQ
Can AI research a private company accurately?
It can assemble public signals, but ownership, revenue, customer count, and funding details may be incomplete or stale. Mark those as unknown unless a reliable dated source supports them.
What sources should matter most?
Use primary sources for factual company claims and independent reporting for context or controversy. For a buying decision, security documents and contract terms require direct confirmation.
How current should company research be?
For an imminent call, verify major announcements and executive changes within days. For a strategy project, record an as-of date and refresh time-sensitive sections before presenting.