Context Slice Competitor Analysis
Output format:
# Competitor Analysis: [Focus Area]
**Research Date:** [Date]
**Suggested Refresh:** Quarterly (pricing changes frequently)
## TL;DR
- [Key finding 1 with metric]
- [Key finding 2 with metric]
- [Key finding 3 with metric]
- **Bottom line:** [One-sentence recommendation]
## Competitors Analyzed
1. [Competitor 1]
2. [Competitor 2]
3. [Competitor 3]
## Comparison Matrix
| Dimension | [Competitor 1] | [Competitor 2] | [Competitor 3] | Your Product |
|-----------|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------|
| Target User | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] | [Current] |
| Pricing Model | [Model] | [Model] | [Model] | [Current] |
| Key Differentiator | [Description] | [Description] | [Description] | [Current] |
| Onboarding | [Approach] | [Approach] | [Approach] | [Current] |
| Free Tier | [Yes/No + details] | [Yes/No + details] | [Yes/No + details] | [Current] |
## Detailed Analysis
### [Competitor 1]
**Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low] — [brief rationale, e.g., "3 recent sources with pricing data"]
**Positioning:** [How they position themselves]
**Onboarding Flow:**
- Step 1: [Description]
- Step 2: [Description]
- Points of friction: [What's clunky]
- Points of delight: [What's good]
**Pricing:**
- Model: [Freemium/Trial/Usage/Seat]
- Tiers: [Tier breakdown]
- Feature gating: [What's locked behind paywalls]
- Upsell triggers: [When they push upgrades]
**Strengths:**
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]
**Weaknesses:**
- [Weakness 1]
- [Weakness 2]
### [Competitor 2]
**Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low] — [brief rationale]
...
## Opportunities
1. [Gap in the market you could fill]
2. [Weakness you could exploit]
3. [Underserved segment]
## Threats
1. [Competitor advantage to watch]
2. [Trend that could disrupt]
## Sources
- [Source 1 with link]
- [Source 2 with link]Market Trends & PLG Research
Output format:
# Market Research: [Topic]
**Research Date:** [Date]
**Suggested Refresh:** 6 months
## TL;DR
- [Key finding 1 with metric]
- [Key finding 2 with metric]
- [Key finding 3 with metric]
- **Bottom line:** [One-sentence recommendation]
## Key Trends
### Trend 1: [Name]
**Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low]
- **What:** [Description]
- **Why it matters:** [Impact on product strategy]
- **Companies doing this:** [Examples]
- **Measurable impact:** [Metrics if available]
- **Source:** [Link]
### Trend 2: [Name]
**Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low]
...
## Product-Led Growth Tactics
| Rank | Tactic | Example Company | Success Metric | Source |
|------|--------|-----------------|----------------|--------|
| 1 | [Tactic] | [Company] | [Result] | [Link] |
| 2 | [Tactic] | [Company] | [Result] | [Link] |
| 3 | [Tactic] | [Company] | [Result] | [Link] |
## Tactic Deep Dives
### [Tactic 1]
**How it works:** [Mechanism]
**Implementation:** [What's required]
**Example:** [Company + specific implementation]
**Results:** [Metrics achieved]
### [Tactic 2]
...
## Recommendations for Your Product
1. [Recommendation with rationale]
2. [Recommendation with rationale]
3. [Recommendation with rationale]
## Sources
- [Source 1 with link]
- [Source 2 with link]Tech Stack Comparison
Output format:
# Tech Stack Comparison: [Tool A] vs [Tool B]
**Research Date:** [Date]
**Suggested Refresh:** 6-12 months (or when major versions release)
## TL;DR
- [Key finding 1 with metric]
- [Key finding 2 with metric]
- [Key finding 3 with metric]
- **Bottom line:** [One-sentence recommendation]
## Overview
| Criteria | [Tool A] | [Tool B] |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Primary Use Case | [Description] | [Description] |
| Pricing | [Model + range] | [Model + range] |
| Scalability | [Rating + notes] | [Rating + notes] |
| Developer Experience | [Rating + notes] | [Rating + notes] |
| Support Quality | [Rating + notes] | [Rating + notes] |
| Community Size | [Size + activity] | [Size + activity] |
## Detailed Comparison
### Scalability
**[Tool A]:** [Analysis with specifics]
**[Tool B]:** [Analysis with specifics]
**Winner:** [Tool] — [Why]
### Cost
**[Tool A]:** [Pricing breakdown]
**[Tool B]:** [Pricing breakdown]
**Winner:** [Tool] — [Why]
### Developer Experience
**[Tool A]:** [DX analysis]
**[Tool B]:** [DX analysis]
**Winner:** [Tool] — [Why]
### Support & Documentation
**[Tool A]:** [Support analysis]
**[Tool B]:** [Support analysis]
**Winner:** [Tool] — [Why]
## When to Choose [Tool A]
- [Scenario 1]
- [Scenario 2]
## When to Choose [Tool B]
- [Scenario 1]
- [Scenario 2]
## Recommendation for Your Context
**Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low] — [rationale based on source quality and relevance to user's context]
[Specific recommendation based on their product/stage/needs]
## Sources
- [Source 1 with link]
- [Source 2 with link]Regulatory Landscape
Output format:
# Regulatory Analysis: [Feature] in [Industry]
**Research Date:** [Date]
**Suggested Refresh:** 6 months (or when major regulations change)
## TL;DR
- [Key finding 1 with metric]
- [Key finding 2 with metric]
- [Key finding 3 with metric]
- **Bottom line:** [One-sentence recommendation]
## Summary
[One paragraph executive summary of key regulatory considerations]
## By Region
### United States
**Relevant Regulations:**
- [Regulation 1]: [Brief description]
- [Regulation 2]: [Brief description]
**Key Requirements:**
- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]
**Recent Guidance:**
- [Recent ruling/guidance with date and link]
**Risk Level:** [Low/Medium/High]
**Data Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low]
### European Union
**Relevant Regulations:**
- [Regulation 1]: [Brief description]
- [Regulation 2]: [Brief description]
**Key Requirements:**
- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]
**Recent Guidance:**
- [Recent ruling/guidance with date and link]
**Risk Level:** [Low/Medium/High]
**Data Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low]
### United Kingdom
**Risk Level:** [Low/Medium/High]
**Data Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low]
...
## Comparison Table
| Requirement | US | EU | UK |
|-------------|-----|-----|-----|
| [Requirement 1] | [Status] | [Status] | [Status] |
| [Requirement 2] | [Status] | [Status] | [Status] |
| [Requirement 3] | [Status] | [Status] | [Status] |
## Product Design Implications
1. [Design consideration based on regulations]
2. [Design consideration based on regulations]
3. [Design consideration based on regulations]
## Items for Legal Review
- [ ] [Item 1]
- [ ] [Item 2]
- [ ] [Item 3]
## Sources
- [Source 1 with link]
- [Source 2 with link]Research Guidelines
See Research Guidelines for complete principles. Key points for product research:
- Product-specific sources: G2, Capterra reviews; ProductLed, OpenView for PLG tactics; Lenny's Newsletter, First Round Review for strategy
- Competitive intelligence: Note when information is inferred from job postings, reviews, or indirect sources vs. official company data
- Pricing caution: SaaS pricing changes frequently; always note when pricing data was last verified