Competitive Intelligence¶
Domain: C-Level Advisory | Skill: competitive-intel | Source: c-level-advisor/competitive-intel/SKILL.md
Competitive Intelligence¶
Systematic competitor tracking. Not obsession — intelligence that drives real decisions.
Keywords¶
competitive intelligence, competitor analysis, battlecard, win/loss analysis, competitive positioning, competitive tracking, market intelligence, competitor research, SWOT, competitive map, feature gap analysis, competitive strategy
Quick Start¶
/ci:landscape — Map your competitive space (direct, indirect, future)
/ci:battlecard [name] — Build a sales battlecard for a specific competitor
/ci:winloss — Analyze recent wins and losses by reason
/ci:update [name] — Track what a competitor did recently
/ci:map — Build competitive positioning map
Framework: 5-Layer Intelligence System¶
Layer 1: Competitor Identification¶
Direct competitors: Same ICP, same problem, comparable solution, similar price point. Indirect competitors: Same budget, different solution (including "do nothing" and "build in-house"). Future competitors: Well-funded startups in adjacent space; large incumbents with stated roadmap overlap.
The 2x2 Threat Matrix:
| Same ICP | Different ICP | |
|---|---|---|
| Same problem | Direct threat | Adjacent (watch) |
| Different problem | Displacement risk | Ignore for now |
Update this quarterly. Who's moved quadrants?
Layer 2: Tracking Dimensions¶
Track these 8 dimensions per competitor:
| Dimension | Sources | Cadence |
|---|---|---|
| Product moves | Changelog, G2/Capterra reviews, Twitter/LinkedIn | Monthly |
| Pricing changes | Pricing page, sales call intel, customer feedback | Triggered |
| Funding | Crunchbase, TechCrunch, LinkedIn | Triggered |
| Hiring signals | LinkedIn job postings, Indeed | Monthly |
| Partnerships | Press releases, co-marketing | Triggered |
| Customer wins | Case studies, review sites, LinkedIn | Monthly |
| Customer losses | Win/loss interviews, churned accounts | Ongoing |
| Messaging shifts | Homepage, ads (Facebook/Google Ad Library) | Quarterly |
Layer 3: Analysis Frameworks¶
SWOT per Competitor: - Strengths: What do they do well? Where do they win? - Weaknesses: Where do they lose? What do customers complain about? - Opportunities: What could they do that would threaten you? - Threats: What's their existential risk?
Competitive Positioning Map (2 axis): Choose axes that matter for your buyers: - Common: Price vs Feature Depth; Enterprise-ready vs SMB-ready; Easy to implement vs Configurable - Pick axes that show YOUR differentiation clearly
Feature Gap Analysis: | Feature | You | Competitor A | Competitor B | Gap status | |---------|-----|-------------|-------------|------------| | [Feature] | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Your advantage | | [Feature] | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | Gap — roadmap? | | [Feature] | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Moat | | [Feature] | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Competitor B only |
Layer 4: Output Formats¶
For Sales (CRO): Battlecards — one page per competitor, designed for pre-call prep.
See templates/battlecard-template.md
For Marketing (CMO): Positioning update — message shifts, new differentiators, claims to stop or start making.
For Product (CPO): Feature gap summary — what customers ask for that we don't have, what competitors ship, what to reprioritize.
For CEO/Board: Monthly competitive summary — 1-page: who moved, what it means, recommended responses.
Layer 5: Intelligence Cadence¶
Monthly (scheduled): - Review all tier-1 competitors (direct threats, top 3) - Update battlecards with new intel - Publish 1-page summary to leadership
Triggered (event-based): - Competitor raises funding → assess implications within 48 hours - Competitor launches major feature → product + sales response within 1 week - Competitor poaches key customer → win/loss interview within 2 weeks - Competitor changes pricing → analyze and respond within 1 week
Quarterly: - Full competitive landscape review - Update positioning map - Refresh ICP competitive threat assessment - Add/remove companies from tracking list
Win/Loss Analysis¶
This is the highest-signal competitive data you have. Most companies do it too rarely.
When to interview: - Every lost deal >$50K ACV - Every churn >6 months tenure - Every competitive win (learn why — it may not be what you think)
Who conducts it: - NOT the AE who worked the deal (too close, prospect won't be candid) - Customer success, product team, or external researcher
Question structure: 1. "Walk me through your evaluation process" 2. "Who else were you considering?" 3. "What were the top 3 criteria in your decision?" 4. "Where did [our product] fall short?" 5. "What was the deciding factor?" 6. "What would have changed your decision?"
Aggregate findings monthly: - Win reasons (rank by frequency) - Loss reasons (rank by frequency) - Competitor win rates (by competitor, by segment) - Patterns over time
The Balance: Intelligence Without Obsession¶
Signs you're over-tracking competitors: - Roadmap decisions are primarily driven by "they just shipped X" - Team morale drops when competitors fundraise - You're shipping features you don't believe in to match their checklist - Pricing discussions always start with "well, they charge X"
Signs you're under-tracking: - Your AEs get blindsided on calls - Prospects know more about competitors than your team does - You missed a major product launch until customers told you - Your positioning hasn't changed in 12+ months despite market moves
The right posture: - Know competitors well enough to win against them - Don't let them set your agenda - Your roadmap is led by customer problems, informed by competitive gaps
Distributing Intelligence¶
| Audience | Format | Cadence | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| AEs + SDRs | Updated battlecards in CRM | Monthly + triggered | CRO |
| Product | Feature gap analysis | Quarterly | CPO |
| Marketing | Positioning brief | Quarterly | CMO |
| Leadership | 1-page competitive summary | Monthly | CEO/COO |
| Board | Competitive landscape slide | Quarterly | CEO |
One source of truth: All competitive intel lives in one place (Notion, Confluence, Salesforce). Avoid Slack-only distribution — it disappears.
Red Flags in Competitive Intelligence¶
| Signal | What it means |
|---|---|
| Competitor's win rate >50% in your core segment | Fundamental positioning problem, not sales problem |
| Same objection from 5+ deals: "competitor has X" | Feature gap that's real, not just optics |
| Competitor hired 10 engineers in your domain | Major product investment incoming |
| Competitor raised >$20M and targets your ICP | 12-month runway for them to compete hard |
| Prospects evaluate you to justify competitor decision | You're the "check box" — fix perception or segment |
Integration with C-Suite Roles¶
| Intelligence Type | Feeds To | Output Format |
|---|---|---|
| Product moves | CPO | Roadmap input, feature gap analysis |
| Pricing changes | CRO, CFO | Pricing response recommendations |
| Funding rounds | CEO, CFO | Strategic positioning update |
| Hiring signals | CHRO, CTO | Talent market intelligence |
| Customer wins/losses | CRO, CMO | Battlecard updates, positioning shifts |
| Marketing campaigns | CMO | Counter-positioning, channel intelligence |
References¶
references/ci-playbook.md— OSINT sources, win/loss framework, positioning map constructiontemplates/battlecard-template.md— sales battlecard template