Skill: 1kalin/afrexai-competitive-intel (version 1.0.0)

--- name: afrexai-competitive-intel description: Complete competitive intelligence system — market mapping, product teardowns, pricing intel, win/loss analysis, battlecards, and strategic monitoring. Goes far beyond SEO to cover the full business landscape. --- # Competitive Intelligence Engine A complete system for understanding, tracking, and outmaneuvering competitors. Covers market mapping, product analysis, pricing intelligence, sales battlecards, win/loss analysis, and ongoing monitoring. ## When to Use - Entering a new market or launching a product - Losing deals to competitors and need to understand why - Quarterly strategy reviews - Pricing decisions (new product or adjustment) - Sales team needs competitive talking points - M&A due diligence on a target or acquirer - Investor pitch prep (show you understand the landscape) - Content strategy informed by competitor gaps --- ## Phase 1: Market Mapping ### 1.1 Competitor Identification Classify every competitor into one of four tiers: | Tier | Definition | Example | Monitoring Frequency | |------|-----------|---------|---------------------| | **Direct** | Same product, same buyer | Your closest rivals | Weekly | | **Adjacent** | Different product, overlapping buyer | Platform expanding into your space | Bi-weekly | | **Indirect** | Different solution to same problem | Spreadsheets replacing your SaaS | Monthly | | **Emerging** | Early-stage, same vision | YC startups in your category | Monthly | ### Discovery Methods Search these sources systematically: 1. **Google**: "[your category] software/tool/service" — note top 10 organic + ads 2. **G2/Capterra/TrustRadius**: Your category page — note top 10 by reviews 3. **Product Hunt**: Search your keywords — sort by votes 4. **Crunchbase**: Search your category — filter funded companies 5. **LinkedIn**: "[competitor name]" company pages — note employee count trends 6. **Reddit/HN**: "alternative to [leader]" or "[category] recommendations" 7. **Customer interviews**: "Who else did you evaluate?" 8. **Lost deal notes**: Who did you lose to and why? ### Market Map YAML ```yaml market_map: category: "[Your Category]" date: "YYYY-MM-DD" total_addressable_market: "$XB" competitors: - name: "Competitor A" tier: "direct" website: "https://..." founded: 2019 funding: "$50M Series B" estimated_revenue: "$10-20M ARR" employee_count: 150 employee_trend: "growing" # growing | stable | shrinking hq: "San Francisco, CA" key_customers: ["Customer 1", "Customer 2"] primary_market: "mid-market" # smb | mid-market | enterprise positioning: "All-in-one platform for X" strengths: ["Feature A", "Strong brand"] weaknesses: ["Expensive", "Slow support"] threat_level: "high" # low | medium | high | critical notes: "" ``` --- ## Phase 2: Product Teardown ### 2.1 Feature Matrix For each direct competitor, build a feature comparison: ```yaml feature_matrix: last_updated: "YYYY-MM-DD" categories: - name: "Core Features" features: - name: "Feature X" us: "full" # none | partial | full | superior competitor_a: "full" competitor_b: "partial" weight: 5 # 1-5 importance to buyer notes: "We have deeper customization" - name: "Feature Y" us: "none" competitor_a: "full" competitor_b: "full" weight: 3 notes: "On our roadmap for Q3" - name: "Integrations" features: - name: "Salesforce" us: "full" competitor_a: "partial" weight: 4 ``` ### 2.2 Product Teardown Template For each major competitor, conduct a structured teardown: ```markdown ## [Competitor Name] Product Teardown **Date:** YYYY-MM-DD **Analyst:** [name] ### First Impressions (0-5 min) - Homepage messaging: What problem do they lead with? - Sign-up friction: How many steps? What info required? - Time to value: How fast can you DO something? - Design quality: Modern, dated, cluttered, clean? ### Onboarding (5-30 min) - Guided tour? Checklist? Video? Nothing? - Sample data provided? Sandbox mode? - How quickly did you feel competent? - What confused you? ### Core Workflow - Complete their primary use case end-to-end - Note: steps required, clicks per task, speed, error handling - Screenshot key screens ### Differentiators - What can they do that we can't? (be honest) - What's their "magic moment"? - What do their happiest customers praise? (check G2 reviews) ### Weaknesses - Where did you get stuck? - What felt missing or half-baked? - What do their angriest customers complain about? (check G2 1-2 star reviews) ### Pricing vs Value - What plan would a typical customer need? - Price per user/month at that tier? - Any hidden costs (implementation, support, integrations)? - Free trial? Freemium? Money-back guarantee? ### Technical Assessment - Stack: (check Wappalyzer, BuiltWith, job postings) - API: Public? REST/GraphQL? Rate limits? Docs quality? - Mobile: Native app? Responsive web? PWA? - Performance: Page load speed, UI responsiveness - Uptime: Status page? Historical incidents? ``` ### 2.3 UX Scoring Rubric Score each competitor's product (0-10 per dimension): | Dimension | What to Evaluate | Weight | |-----------|-----------------|--------| | **Ease of Setup** | Time to first value, onboarding friction | 15% | | **Core UX** | Primary workflow efficiency, intuitiveness | 25% | | **Feature Depth** | Covers edge cases, power user needs | 20% | | **Reliability** | Uptime, bugs encountered, error handling | 15% | | **Integrations** | Ecosystem breadth, API quality | 10% | | **Support** | Response time, quality, self-serve resources | 10% | | **Mobile** | Native quality, feature parity | 5% | **Total = weighted sum. Compare across competitors.** --- ## Phase 3: Pricing Intelligence ### 3.1 Pricing Comparison Table ```yaml pricing_intel: date: "YYYY-MM-DD" competitors: - name: "Us" model: "per-seat" # per-seat | usage | flat | hybrid | freemium entry_price: "$29/user/mo" mid_price: "$79/user/mo" enterprise_price: "Custom" free_tier: true free_limits: "5 users, 1000 records" annual_discount: "20%" contract_required: false implementation_fee: "$0" hidden_costs: [] - name: "Competitor A" model: "per-seat" entry_price: "$49/user/mo" mid_price: "$99/user/mo" enterprise_price: "Custom ($150+/user)" free_tier: false annual_discount: "15%" contract_required: true # annual minimum implementation_fee: "$5,000" hidden_costs: ["API access on enterprise only", "SSO $50/user extra"] ``` ### 3.2 Price Positioning Analysis Answer these questions: 1. **Where do we sit?** Map all competitors on a 2x2: Price (low→high) vs Feature depth (basic→advanced) 2. **Who's cheapest?** At 10 users? 50 users? 200 users? (pricing often crosses over at scale) 3. **Total Cost of Ownership**: Include implementation, training, migration, hidden fees 4. **Value ratio**: Features-per-dollar compared to each competitor 5. **Pricing trend**: Are competitors raising prices? (check Wayback Machine on /pricing) 6. **Discount behavior**: Do they discount aggressively in deals? (ask sales team, check G2 reviews mentioning price) ### 3.3 Pricing Strategy Recommendations Based on analysis, recommend one of: | Strategy | When to Use | Risk | |----------|------------|------| | **Premium** | Clearly superior product + brand | Losing price-sensitive deals | | **Parity** | Similar product, compete on other axes | Race to bottom | | **Penetration** | New entrant, need market share fast | Perception of low quality | | **Value** | Better product at lower price | Margin pressure if costs rise | | **Niche** | Specialized for segment competitors ignore | Small TAM | --- ## Phase 4: Sales Battlecards ### 4.1 Battlecard Template Create one per direct competitor: ```markdown # 🏆 Battlecard: Us vs [Competitor] **Last Updated:** YYYY-MM-DD | **Confidence:** High/Medium/Low ## Quick Stats | Metric | Us | Them | |--------|-----|------| | Founded | | | | Funding | | | | Est. Revenue | | | | Employees | | | | G2 Rating | | | | Gartner Position | | | ## Their Pitch (in their words) "[Their homepage headline or elevator pitch]" ## Why Customers Choose Us Over Them 1. **[Reason 1]**: [Specific proof point — customer quote, metric, demo moment] 2. **[Reason 2]**: [Specific proof point] 3. **[Reason 3]**: [Specific proof point] ## Why Customers Choose Them Over Us (be honest) 1. **[Reason 1]**: [And how to counter it] 2. **[Reason 2]**: [And how to counter it] ## Landmines to Plant 🧨 Questions to ask the prospect that expose competitor weaknesses: 1. "Ask them how they handle [weakness area] — you'll find it requires [workaround]" 2. "Request a demo of [specific feature] — it's not as deep as it looks" 3. "Ask about [hidden cost] — it's not on the pricing page" ## Objection Handling **"[Competitor] is cheaper"** > Response: "At first glance, yes. But when you factor in [hidden cost 1], [hidden cost 2], and [limitation requiring workaround], the total cost is actually [higher/comparable]. Plus, [our unique value] saves you [X hours/dollars] per [period]." **"[Competitor] has [feature we lack]"** > Response: "[Acknowledge honestly]. Here's why our customers find that [our approach] actually works better for [their use case]: [specific reasoning]. [Customer name] evaluated both and chose us specifically because [reason]." **"We're already using [Competitor]"** > Response: "That makes sense — they're solid at [genuine strength]. The customers who switch to us typically hit a wall with [specific limitation]. Are you experiencing [common pain point with that competitor]?" ## Trap Plays (When to Walk Away) - If prospect needs [specific capability we truly lack], acknowledge it honestly - If they're deeply embedded in [competitor ecosystem], switching cost may be too high - If deal size is below $[X], cost of competing isn't worth it ## Win Stories - **[Customer A]**: Switched from [Competitor] because [reason]. Result: [metric improvement] - **[Customer B]**: Evaluated both, chose us because [reason]. Quote: "[testimonial]" ## Recent Intel - [Date]: [Competitor] announced [product change/funding/hire] - [Date]: [Customer feedback about competitor] ``` ### 4.2 Quick Objection Matrix For the sales team's daily use: | Objection | Short Response | Proof Point | |-----------|---------------|-------------| | "Too expensive" | [Value reframe] | [ROI stat or customer quote] | | "Never heard of you" | [Social proof] | [Customer logos, G2 rank] | | "Missing [feature]" | [Alternative or roadmap] | [Workaround or timeline] | | "Happy with current tool" | [Trigger question] | [Common pain with incumbent] | | "Need enterprise features" | [What we have] | [Enterprise customer reference] | --- ## Phase 5: Win/Loss Analysis ### 5.1 Win/Loss Interview Framework After every significant deal (won or lost), capture: ```yaml win_loss: deal: "[Company Name]" date: "YYYY-MM-DD" outcome: "won" # won | lost | no-decision deal_size: "$X ARR" sales_cycle_days: 45 competitors_evaluated: ["Competitor A", "Competitor B"] decision_factors: - factor: "Ease of use" importance: 5 # 1-5 our_score: 4 # 1-5 winner_score: 3 notes: "Demo experience was decisive" - factor: "Price" importance: 4 our_score: 3 winner_score: 4 notes: "We were 20% more expensive but justified by ROI" - factor: "Integration with Salesforce" importance: 5 our_score: 5 winner_score: 2 notes: "They required middleware; we're native" champion: "VP of Sales" decision_maker: "CRO" buying_trigger: "Previous tool couldn't scale past 50 users" key_quote: "Your Salesforce integration sealed the deal" lessons: - "Lead with integration story for Salesforce-heavy orgs" - "ROI calculator was critical for justifying premium price" ``` ### 5.2 Win/Loss Trend Dashboard Track quarterly: ```markdown ## Q[X] Win/Loss Summary ### Win Rate by Competitor | Competitor | Wins | Losses | Win Rate | Trend | |-----------|------|--------|----------|-------| | Competitor A | 12 | 8 | 60% | ↑ (was 50%) | | Competitor B | 5 | 15 | 25% | ↓ (was 35%) | | No competition | 20 | 3 | 87% | → | ### Top Win Reasons (ranked by frequency) 1. Ease of use (mentioned in 65% of wins) 2. Integration depth (55%) 3. Customer support (40%) ### Top Loss Reasons (ranked by frequency) 1. Price (mentioned in 70% of losses) 2. Missing [specific feature] (45%) 3. Incumbent relationship (30%) ### Action Items from This Quarter's Losses 1. [Feature gap] → Product team building for Q[X+1] 2. [Price objection] → New ROI calculator + case study 3. [Competitor strength] → Invest in [counter-strategy] ``` --- ## Phase 6: Ongoing Monitoring ### 6.1 Competitor Signal Tracking Set up monitoring for each direct competitor: | Signal | Source | Frequency | What to Look For | |--------|--------|-----------|-----------------| | **Product changes** | Their changelog/blog | Weekly | New features, deprecations | | **Pricing changes** | /pricing page + Wayback | Monthly | Price increases, new tiers, model changes | | **Hiring** | LinkedIn Jobs | Bi-weekly | Engineering surge = new product. Sales surge = growth push | | **Funding** | Crunchbase, TechCrunch | As it happens | New round = aggressive expansion coming | | **Leadership** | LinkedIn, press | As it happens | New CEO/CRO = strategy shift likely | | **Reviews** | G2, Capterra | Monthly | Sentiment shifts, recurring complaints | | **Content** | Their blog, social | Weekly | Messaging changes, new positioning | | **Customers** | Press releases, case studies | Monthly | Logos gained, industries targeted | | **Community** | Reddit, HN, Twitter | Weekly | Complaints, praise, feature requests | ### 6.2 Weekly Intel Brief Template ```markdown ## Competitive Intel Brief — Week of [Date] ### 🔴 Critical (action needed) - [Competitor X] launched [feature] that directly competes with our [feature] - Impact: [assessment] - Recommended response: [action] ### 🟡 Notable (monitor) - [Competitor Y] raised Series C ($40M) — expect aggressive hiring/marketing - [Competitor Z] changed pricing model from per-seat to usage-based ### 🟢 Informational - [Competitor X] published blog post about [topic] - [Competitor Y] hiring 3 new enterprise AEs in EMEA ### Win/Loss This Week - Won [Deal] vs [Competitor] — reason: [X] - Lost [Deal] to [Competitor] — reason: [X] ``` ### 6.3 Quarterly Competitive Review Agenda 1. **Market map update** (15 min): Any new entrants? Any exits? Tier changes? 2. **Feature gap review** (20 min): What did competitors ship? What should we respond to? 3. **Win/loss trends** (15 min): Are we gaining or losing ground? Against whom? 4. **Pricing check** (10 min): Any pricing changes? Is our positioning still right? 5. **Battlecard refresh** (15 min): Update all active battlecards 6. **Strategic decisions** (15 min): Based on all intel, what should we invest in / deprioritize? --- ## Phase 7: Strategic Frameworks ### 7.1 Competitive Moat Assessment Rate your moat and each competitor's (1-5): | Moat Type | Description | Us | Comp A | Comp B | |-----------|------------|-----|--------|--------| | **Network Effects** | Product gets better with more users | | | | | **Switching Costs** | Pain of leaving increases over time | | | | | **Data Advantage** | Proprietary data that improves product | | | | | **Brand** | Trust, recognition, preference | | | | | **Scale Economies** | Cost advantages from size | | | | | **Regulatory** | Licenses, certifications, compliance | | | | | **Technology** | Patents, proprietary tech, speed | | | | | **Ecosystem** | Integrations, partnerships, marketplace | | | | **Total moat score = sum. Higher = harder to displace.** ### 7.2 Competitor Response Prediction For each major competitor move, predict their likely response to YOUR moves: ```markdown **If we [action]...** - Competitor A will likely: [response] because [reasoning] - Competitor B will likely: [response] because [reasoning] - Timeline: [how fast they'll respond] - Our counter-move: [what we do next] ``` ### 7.3 Blue Ocean Opportunities After mapping all competitors, look for: 1. **Underserved segments**: Customer types everyone ignores (too small? too niche? too complex?) 2. **Unmet needs**: Features/capabilities no one offers that customers actually want 3. **Experience gaps**: The workflow everyone does poorly 4. **Business model innovation**: Could you win by charging differently? (usage vs seat vs outcome-based) 5. **Channel gaps**: Where are customers NOT being reached? (vertical communities, specific geographies, languages) --- ## Edge Cases & Advanced Techniques ### Stealth Competitors - Monitor patent filings in your space (Google Patents) - Watch YC/Techstars demo days for category entrants - Track job postings at big tech for [your category] keywords — could signal internal build ### International Competitors - Search in target language for your category - Check local review sites (Capterra has country-specific) - Different markets have different leaders — map per region ### Platform Risk - If you build on a platform (Salesforce, Shopify, etc.), monitor the platform itself - Platforms often build features that commoditize plugins - Track platform's acquisition history in your space ### Competitor Intelligence Ethics - ✅ Public information (websites, press, job postings, reviews, patents) - ✅ Customer feedback about competitors (win/loss interviews) - ✅ Product trials and demos (sign up normally) - ❌ Fake identities to access gated content - ❌ Poaching employees for intel - ❌ Accessing confidential documents - ❌ Reverse engineering protected code --- ## Natural Language Commands | Command | What It Does | |---------|-------------| | "Map my competitive landscape" | Full Phase 1 market mapping | | "Tear down [competitor]" | Product teardown (Phase 2) | | "Compare pricing with [competitors]" | Pricing intelligence (Phase 3) | | "Build battlecard for [competitor]" | Sales battlecard (Phase 4) | | "Analyze our win/loss data" | Win/loss patterns (Phase 5) | | "Weekly competitive brief" | Monitoring summary (Phase 6) | | "Assess our competitive moat" | Strategic analysis (Phase 7) | | "Find blue ocean opportunities" | Gap analysis (Phase 7.3) | | "How should we respond to [competitor move]?" | Response prediction (Phase 7.2) | | "Full competitive review" | All phases, comprehensive output |

path: README.md
content: # AfrexAI Competitive Intelligence Engine

Complete competitive intelligence system for your AI agent — market mapping, product teardowns, pricing intel, sales battlecards, win/loss analysis, and strategic monitoring.

## Install

```bash
clawhub install afrexai-competitive-intel
```

## What It Does

Most "competitor analysis" skills stop at SEO keywords. This one covers the **full business intelligence stack**:

| Phase | What You Get |
|-------|-------------|
| **Market Mapping** | 4-tier competitor classification with YAML templates |
| **Product Teardown** | Structured teardown process + UX scoring rubric |
| **Pricing Intelligence** | Total cost comparison + positioning strategy |
| **Sales Battlecards** | Ready-to-use templates with objection handling |
| **Win/Loss Analysis** | Interview framework + trend dashboard |
| **Ongoing Monitoring** | Signal tracking + weekly brief template |
| **Strategic Frameworks** | Moat assessment, response prediction, blue ocean analysis |

## Quick Start

```
"Map my competitive landscape for [your industry]"
"Build a battlecard for [competitor name]"
"Compare our pricing against [competitor 1] and [competitor 2]"
```

## ⚡ Level Up

Want industry-specific competitive frameworks with pre-built battlecards, pricing benchmarks, and market maps?

**[AfrexAI Context Packs — $47](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/context-packs/)** include competitive intelligence tailored to your vertical: SaaS, Fintech, Healthcare, Legal, Construction, Ecommerce, Real Estate, Recruitment, Manufacturing, and Professional Services.

## 🔗 More Free Skills by AfrexAI

- [afrexai-lead-hunter](https://clawhub.com/skills/afrexai-lead-hunter) — ICP-driven prospecting engine
- [afrexai-pricing-strategy](https://clawhub.com/skills/afrexai-pricing-strategy) — Full pricing system
- [afrexai-proposal-engine](https://clawhub.com/skills/afrexai-proposal-engine) — Deal-winning proposals
- [afrexai-data-analyst](https://clawhub.com/skills/afrexai-data-analyst) — DICE analysis framework
- [afrexai-seo-content-engine](https://clawhub.com/skills/afrexai-seo-content-engine) — Content that ranks

**[Browse all AfrexAI skills →](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/context-packs/)**


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: clean (LOW)