Conduct competitor research for [COMPANY OR PRODUCT] in [MARKET OR CATEGORY]. Our target customer is [TARGET CUSTOMER], and the decision this research must inform is [DECISION TO MAKE]. Analyze these known competitors and alternatives: [COMPETITOR LIST]. Use only information from [APPROVED SOURCES OR RESEARCH NOTES]. If browsing or source access is unavailable, say so and analyze only the material provided; do not fill gaps with plausible-sounding claims. Start by define the comparison frame: the customer job, buying context, category boundaries, and the difference between direct competitors, indirect alternatives, and “do nothing.” Then create a competitor matrix with one row per competitor and these columns: target segment, core promise, primary offer, pricing or packaging if verified, proof used, acquisition channels or content patterns if evidenced, onboarding or buying friction, strengths, weaknesses, and source links or note references. Next, identify 3-5 meaningful patterns and 2-4 whitespace opportunities. A whitespace opportunity must be a customer need that is underserved, commercially relevant, and credible for us to pursue; it cannot merely be an absent slogan or feature. For each opportunity, explain the evidence, likely downside, and what validation would reduce uncertainty. End with a recommendation memo of 300-500 words: what we should maintain, change, test, and explicitly avoid. Rank tests by expected learning value and effort. Distinguish observed facts, reasonable inferences, and unanswered questions throughout. Before answering, check that every competitive claim has a cited source or is marked unverified. Check that the recommendation responds to [DECISION TO MAKE], not just the most visible competitor.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [COMPANY OR PRODUCT] | Enter your company or product and a short description of what you sell. | Ledger Lane, bookkeeping software with monthly expert review for independent design studios |
| [MARKET OR CATEGORY] | Enter the category, geography, or market segment being researched. | US bookkeeping tools and services for creative businesses with 2-20 employees |
| [TARGET CUSTOMER] | Describe the target buyer, their context, and the problem they are trying to solve. | owners of small design studios who need clean books and project profitability without becoming accounting experts |
| [DECISION TO MAKE] | Enter the specific strategy, product, pricing, positioning, or marketing decision this research should support. | whether to position the product around project profitability or hands-off bookkeeping support |
| [COMPETITOR LIST] | List known direct competitors, indirect alternatives, and relevant substitutes. | LedgerNest, Tallyhouse, two mainstream accounting apps, and local bookkeeping firms |
| [APPROVED SOURCES OR RESEARCH NOTES] | Paste source links, product pages, reviews, interview notes, pricing captures, or research documents the AI may use. | LedgerNest pricing page and customer stories; Tallyhouse services page; two accounting-app product pages; 12 customer interview notes; three local firm websites |
How to use
- Define one decision before collecting sources; competitor research without a decision usually becomes an unfocused inventory.
- Paste source links or notes and label their date, especially for pricing, product features, and positioning.
- Check the matrix for unsupported claims and separate what competitors say from what customers independently report.
- Follow up with: “Turn the top two opportunities into validation experiments with a hypothesis, method, sample, success threshold, and owner.”
Variations
Positioning comparison
Use this when you need a sharper messaging direction.
Compare the positioning of [OUR COMPANY] against [COMPETITORS] for [TARGET SEGMENT]. Use these sources: [SOURCES]. Create a message map showing each company’s audience, problem framing, promise, proof, language patterns, and category label. Then recommend one positioning territory for us, including a draft value proposition, three proof requirements, and two risks of choosing it. Separate stated claims from your inference. Do not recommend a territory simply because competitors do not use the same words.
Pricing research
Use this before changing packaging or price architecture.
Analyze pricing and packaging for [OUR OFFER] against [COMPETITORS] in [MARKET]. Use only [SOURCES AND DATES]. Return a table of verified plans, billing unit, included limits, trial or guarantee, add-ons, discounting, and stated target customer. Identify where comparison is impossible because scope differs. Then propose 2-3 pricing hypotheses for us, each with customer rationale, margin or operational questions to answer, and a validation method. Do not invent competitor prices or infer margins from public pages.
Content gap audit
Use this to find useful content opportunities from competitor publishing.
Audit the public content from [COMPETITORS] across [CHANNELS] for [TARGET AUDIENCE]. Review this material: [CONTENT LINKS OR NOTES]. Categorize themes by customer journey stage, format, recurring claim, proof type, and engagement signal if supplied. Identify content gaps based on customer questions, weak explanations, or missing proof, not merely unused keywords. Deliver ten content opportunities with intended audience, angle, source evidence, format, and CTA. Flag any topic requiring expert review or substantiation before publication.
Tips
- Include indirect alternatives and doing nothing; customers often compare your offer with a spreadsheet, internal staff time, or a service provider rather than only named software rivals.
- Capture dates with every source because pricing pages, feature sets, and campaigns change quickly.
- Treat a competitor’s homepage as a statement of positioning, not evidence that customers believe the promise.
- Validate whitespace with customer interviews, search behavior, or a small offer test before building a major product or campaign around it.
FAQ
Can AI research competitors without web access?
It can organize and analyze the sources you provide, but it cannot verify current facts it cannot access. Ask it to label the resulting gaps clearly.
How many competitors should I include?
Start with three to seven relevant options plus indirect alternatives. More rows are useful only if they inform the decision you named.
Is public competitor information enough for strategy?
It is a starting point. Pair it with customer interviews, win-loss notes, sales objections, and evidence about your own capabilities before committing to a direction.