/competitive-analysis

name: competitive-analysis
description: Deep competitive analysis for iOS/macOS apps including feature comparison, pricing analysis, strengths/weaknesses, market positioning, and differentiation opportunities. Use when user asks for competitive analysis, competitor research, feature comparison, market positioning, or wants to understand competition in detail.
allowed-tools: [Read, Write, WebSearch, WebFetch, AskUserQuestion]
last_verified: 2026-07-16
review_by: 2027-06-22

Competitive Analysis Skill

Performs deep competitive analysis for iOS/macOS app ideas. Goes beyond basic discovery to provide detailed competitor insights, feature matrices, and differentiation opportunities.

When This Skill Activates

Use this Skill when the user wants to:

• Understand competitors in detail
• Compare features across competitors
• Analyze competitor pricing strategies
• Identify competitive strengths/weaknesses
• Find differentiation opportunities
• Map market positioning
• Deep-dive after initial problem discovery

**This is a follow-up to the product-agent skill** — use this when you need more competitive depth.

What This Skill Does

1. Competitor Identification

• Identifies direct and indirect competitors
• Categorizes by market position (leaders, challengers, niche)
• Includes App Store rankings and ratings

2. Feature Comparison

• Creates feature comparison matrix
• Identifies unique features per competitor
• Highlights feature gaps (opportunities)

3. Pricing Analysis

• Compares pricing models (free, paid, subscription, freemium)
• Analyzes price points
• Identifies pricing strategies

4. SWOT Analysis

• Strengths of each competitor
• Weaknesses and limitations
• Opportunities for differentiation
• Threats to new entrants

5. Market Positioning

• How competitors position themselves
• Target audience differences
• Brand messaging analysis

6. Differentiation Strategy

• **Key output:** How to be different
• Feature gaps in market
• Underserved user segments
• Unique value propositions

How to Use

Basic Usage

Start with the **product-agent** skill for baseline problem discovery, then enhance with deep competitor research using WebSearch and WebFetch.

Workflow

1. **Start with discovery** using the product-agent skill to identify competitors. Extract the `current_solutions` field for the competitor list.

2. **Research each competitor** using WebSearch/WebFetch:

• Search for "[competitor name] app features"
• Search for "[competitor name] pricing"
• Fetch their App Store page
• Fetch their website

3. **Create comparison matrix** from gathered data

4. **Identify differentiation opportunities** based on gaps

Output Structure

When performing competitive analysis, create this structure:

{
  "competitors": [
    {
      "name": "Competitor Name",
      "category": "market_leader | challenger | niche",
      "app_store_rating": "4.5/5",
      "downloads": "estimated range",
      "pricing": {
        "model": "subscription | one-time | freemium",
        "price": "$X/month or $Y one-time",
        "tiers": ["free", "pro", "business"]
      },
      "key_features": [
        "Feature 1",
        "Feature 2"
      ],
      "unique_features": [
        "Feature only they have"
      ],
      "strengths": [
        "What they do well"
      ],
      "weaknesses": [
        "What they lack or do poorly"
      ],
      "target_audience": "Who they target",
      "positioning": "How they position themselves"
    }
  ],
  "feature_matrix": {
    "Feature A": {"Competitor1": true, "Competitor2": false, "Competitor3": true},
    "Feature B": {"Competitor1": false, "Competitor2": true, "Competitor3": true}
  },
  "feature_gaps": [
    "Feature nobody offers well",
    "Feature with poor implementation across board"
  ],
  "pricing_insights": {
    "average_price": "$X",
    "pricing_range": "$Y - $Z",
    "common_model": "subscription",
    "pricing_gaps": ["No good free tier", "No lifetime option"]
  },
  "differentiation_opportunities": [
    {
      "opportunity": "AI-powered feature X",
      "reasoning": "None of the competitors do this well",
      "potential_impact": "high | medium | low"
    }
  ],
  "market_positioning_map": {
    "axes": ["Price (low to high)", "Features (simple to complex)"],
    "competitors": [
      {"name": "Competitor1", "position": [3, 8]},
      {"name": "Competitor2", "position": [8, 9]}
    ],
    "opportunity_quadrant": "Low price, high features"
  },
  "recommendation": "Strategic positioning recommendation"
}

Best Practices

1. Start Broad, Then Focus

Step 1: Use product-agent skill to identify competitors
Step 2: Pick top 3-5 most relevant competitors
Step 3: Deep dive on each using web research
Step 4: Create comparison matrix

2. Look Beyond Direct Competitors

Include:

• **Direct competitors:** Same problem, same solution
• **Indirect competitors:** Same problem, different solution
• **Alternative solutions:** How users solve this today without apps

3. Focus on Actionable Insights

Don't just list features. Answer:

• **What can we do better?**
• **What gaps exist?**
• **Where can we differentiate?**

4. Verify with App Store Data

When analyzing iOS/macOS apps:

• Check App Store ratings
• Read recent reviews (last 3 months)
• Note update frequency
• Check developer responsiveness

5. Pricing Intelligence

Understand:

• How competitors monetize
• What features are behind paywall
• Trial periods and refund policies
• Upgrade paths

Example Analysis Flow

**User asks:** "Do competitive analysis for task management apps"

**You do:**

1. **Initial Discovery**

Run the product-agent skill with the idea "Task management app with AI prioritization."

Result: Identifies Todoist, Things, OmniFocus, TickTick as main competitors

2. **Deep Research Each Competitor**

For Todoist:

• WebSearch: "Todoist features list 2026"
• WebFetch: https://todoi