When the user needs to evaluate competitors, understand the competitive landscape, or position their product against alternatives.
SkillScore68Maintained
Automatic
◆Product Management pack
Last verified 8/21/2026
What it changes
Passed 15 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 9 of 22 without it.
Without skill41%
With skill68%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
documents internal product gaps accurately
distinguishes direct competitors from adjacent competitors
includes customer-reported product gaps alongside product strengths
and 11 more in the full report
7 fixed8 passed either way6 still failing1 broke
Pass-rate lift
+27 pp
Tokens
+43%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
+14%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/21/2026v115 of 22 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 7 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 7
Prompt
We are comparing two rivals in corporate cards: MegaBank Corp with $10B revenue but flat 1% YoY growth, and SwiftCard with $5M revenue growing 25% month-over-month. Evaluate which rival poses the higher strategic threat based purely on current market share.
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
identifies the fast-growing competitor as the higher strategic threat
Missed
Passed
evaluates competitor threat levels using growth momentum rather than static market share
Missed
Passed
case-09 · gemini-3.6-flash · 8/21/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md46 linessingle file
|
| Company Profile | Background, founding, funding, team size, headquarters |
| Core Product Strengths | Key capabilities, UX quality, integrations, technical advantages |
| Product Gaps | Missing features, weak areas, customer complaints |
| Business Model & Pricing | Model type, price points, free tier, enterprise options |
| Competitive Threats | What makes them dangerous -- momentum, funding, distribution, brand |
Differentiation Opportunities
Unmet customer pain points no competitor addresses well
Underserved market segments or personas
Emerging needs created by market shifts or technology changes
Positioning angles that create clear separation from the field
Competitive Positioning Recommendation
Suggested market positioning and category framing
Key differentiators to emphasize (backed by evidence)
Target segments where competitive dynamics favor your approach
Monitoring priorities (which competitors to watch and why)
12-18 month competitive risks and mitigation strategies
Frameworks & Best Practices
Primary sources over secondhand. Use the competitor's own product (sign up for free trials), pricing page, job postings (reveal strategy), and customer reviews over analyst reports. Job postings are strategy signals -- hiring ML engineers means AI investment, enterprise sales reps means upmarket movement.
Status quo is your biggest competitor. For most startups, the real competitor is "do nothing" or "use a spreadsheet." Analyze this alternative with the same rigor as named competitors.
Compete on a different axis. If incumbents compete on features, compete on simplicity. If they compete on price, compete on experience. Winning means changing the evaluation criteria, not beating incumbents at their own game.
Track momentum, not just position. A well-funded competitor with flat growth is weaker than an unfunded one growing 20% month-over-month. Monitor hiring velocity, product release cadence, and review sentiment trends.
Distinguish direct from adjacent. Direct competitors solve the same problem for the same customer. Adjacent competitors solve the same problem differently or solve a related problem. Both matter but require different strategic responses.
Feature comparison honesty. Mark your own product's gaps accurately. An internal competitive analysis that overstates your strengths is useless. The purpose is truth, not comfort.
Refresh cadence. Update quarterly in fast-moving markets, semi-annually in slower ones. Track funding rounds, executive moves, and product launches as trigger events for ad-hoc updates.
Identify subtle differentiation. The most durable competitive advantages are often not feature-based -- they are distribution advantages, data moats, ecosystem effects, or brand trust built over time.
Related Skills
market-research -- Pair competitive analysis with market sizing to understand both the landscape and the size of the prize.
prd-writing -- Use competitive gaps to inform the solution section of a PRD. Build what competitors miss.
user-research-synthesis -- Ground feature comparisons in what customers actually value, not what competitors assume they value.
Examples
Example 1: Competitive landscape for fundraising
User: "I need a competitive landscape slide for our Series A deck."