aico-pm-competitor-analysis_skill

Overview

This skill researches and analyzes competitors to produce a standardized, actionable competitor analysis document. It delivers a feature comparison matrix, strengths/weaknesses analysis for each rival, and prioritized recommendations to inform product and go-to-market decisions. The output is tailored for product managers, strategy teams, and founders needing clear differentiation opportunities.

How this skill works

The skill identifies direct and indirect competitors, gathers publicly available data (websites, docs, reviews, trials), and builds a structured feature matrix comparing capabilities side-by-side. It then profiles each competitor with strengths, weaknesses, and positioning, highlights market gaps, and generates concrete recommendations prioritized by impact and effort.

When to use it

• You ask “who are our competitors?” or “what do competitors do?”
• You need a product comparison or feature-level benchmarking
• Preparing a PRD or product roadmap and need market context
• Entering a new market or evaluating a new feature area
• Assessing differentiation and go-to-market strategy

Best practices

• Include both direct and indirect competitors for broad context
• Use multiple research sources: product docs, reviews, trials, and community feedback
• Standardize features and legend (✓/✗/-) for clear comparisons
• Document positioning and target users, not only features
• Prioritize recommendations by expected impact and implementation effort

Example use cases

• Compare your product against 3 competitors to inform a PRD
• Identify feature gaps before building a new module
• Validate positioning and messaging for a launch
• Decide whether to build, buy, or partner for a capability
• Prepare a competitive brief for investor or board meetings