Competitive Intel
Research competitors via live web search and produce structured intelligence reports and comparison matrices.
What Does Competitive Intelligence Research Do?
The Competitive Intel namespace gives you two commands that turn a company name into actionable competitive intelligence. The research command produces a deep-dive report on a single competitor covering pricing, features, customer reviews, positioning, and recent news. The matrix command compares two or more competitors side by side across seven standardized dimensions.
Both commands execute fresh web searches every time they run -- no stale caches, no recycled data. Searches target high-quality sources directly: official product websites, G2, Capterra, ProductHunt, TechCrunch, and Crunchbase. Pricing is normalized to per-user-per-month format, review scores are combined to a /5.0 scale, and features are categorized into core, differentiating, and gap categories so you can scan the output quickly.
When you provide the --your-product flag, both commands add a self-comparison column that highlights where you win, where competitors win, and where market whitespace exists. Strategic recommendations are grounded in specific research findings, not generic advice.
Required Tools
| Tool | Required | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Web Search | Yes | Execute targeted searches across pricing, features, reviews, positioning, and news dimensions |
| Filesystem | No | Save reports and matrices to local files |
| Notion CLI | No | Track research records in the Research database with Company relations |
Commands
/founder-os:compete:research
What it does -- Researches a single competitor across five dimensions (pricing, features, customer reviews, positioning and messaging, recent news) and produces a structured competitive intelligence report. Includes a SWOT analysis, positioning archetype classification, and 3-5 actionable strategic recommendations.
Usage:
/founder-os:compete:research [company] --your-product="description" --output=PATH
Example scenario:
You are building a project management tool for agencies and want to understand how Linear positions itself. You run
/founder-os:compete:research Linear --your-product="Project management tool for agencies, $49/month flat"and receive a full report: Linear's pricing tiers normalized to per-user-per-month, their differentiating features (cycles, triage, roadmaps), a 4.6/5.0 composite review score, their "built by builders" developer-first positioning, recent funding news, and a head-to-head comparison showing your flat pricing as an advantage for small agency teams.
What you get back:
A structured report displayed in chat and saved to a local file, covering:
- Executive Summary -- 2-3 sentence overview of the competitor's market position
- Pricing -- Normalized plan table with pricing model, free tier status, and billing details
- Key Features -- Categorized into core, differentiating, and gaps
- Positioning and Messaging -- Archetype classification (Enterprise Leader, SMB Friendly, Developer-First, Non-Technical Founder, Vertical Specialist, or Challenger), primary message, target audience, and tone
- Customer Reviews -- Composite score, top praise themes, top complaint themes
- Recent News -- Last 90 days of funding, launches, partnerships, and leadership changes
- vs. You (when
--your-productis provided) -- Feature-by-feature comparison with win/lose/tie assessment and differentiation opportunities - Strategic Recommendations -- 3-5 specific, evidence-grounded actions
If Notion is connected, the research is also saved to your Research database with Type set to "Competitive Analysis" and linked to a Company record in your CRM.
Flags:
--your-product="description"-- Add a self-comparison section showing where you win, where they win, and positioning whitespace--output=PATH-- Output file path (default:competitive-intel/[company-slug]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md)
/founder-os:compete:matrix
What it does -- Researches two or more competitors and builds a structured comparison matrix. What dimensions does competitive research cover? The matrix evaluates seven key dimensions: pricing, target market, key features, positioning, review score, strengths, and weaknesses. Every run executes fresh searches -- nothing is cached or reused from previous research.
Usage:
/founder-os:compete:matrix [company1] [company2] ... --your-product="description" --output=PATH
Example scenario:
You are evaluating the competitive space for a new note-taking app. You run
/founder-os:compete:matrix Notion Coda Obsidian --your-product="Note-taking app with AI, free tier"and get a normalized comparison table. The matrix reveals that no competitor targets non-technical founders with AI-first positioning and a free tier -- a whitespace opportunity for your product. The strategic recommendations section suggests leading with "AI-powered notes for founders" messaging since no competitor owns that positioning.
What you get back:
A comparison matrix displayed in chat and saved to a local file, containing:
- Comparison Table -- Companies as columns, seven dimensions as rows, with normalized values for direct comparison
- "You" Column (when
--your-productis provided) -- Your product assessed alongside competitors, with advantage markers and whitespace indicators - Market Overview -- 1-2 sentences on the competitive market
- Key Differentiators -- What makes each competitor distinct
- Whitespace Opportunities -- Underserved positions and unmet needs not covered by any competitor
- Strategic Recommendations (when
--your-productis provided) -- 3-5 prioritized actions based on matrix findings
Each company researched is also saved as an individual record in your Notion Research database if Notion is connected, with Company relations resolved automatically.
Flags:
--your-product="description"-- Add a "You" column to the matrix with advantage markers and a positioning opportunity row--output=PATH-- Output file path (default:competitive-intel/matrix-[YYYY-MM-DD].md)
What Dimensions Does Competitive Research Cover?
Both commands research competitors across five core dimensions: pricing (normalized to per-user-per-month), key features (categorized as core, differentiating, or gap), customer reviews (composite score from G2, Capterra, ProductHunt), positioning and messaging (archetype classification and target audience), and recent news (funding, launches, partnerships in the last 90 days). The matrix command adds two more for side-by-side comparison: target market and strengths/weaknesses.
Tips & Patterns
- Start with
researchfor depth, usematrixfor breadth: When you need a deep understanding of one competitor's pricing, reviews, and recent moves, useresearch. When you need a bird's-eye view of the market to inform your positioning, usematrix. - Always include
--your-product: The self-comparison analysis is where the most actionable insights come from. Even a short description like "CRM for freelancers, $15/month" gives the system enough to identify your advantages and gaps. - Run
matrixquarterly: Competitive markets shift. A quarterly matrix run catches pricing changes, new features, and positioning pivots before they become surprises. The output file is date-stamped, so you build a natural history of how your market evolves. - Use company URLs for disambiguation: If a company name is common (like "Mercury"), pass the URL instead (e.g.,
https://mercury.com) to ensure the research targets the right company. - Data is never fabricated: If a web search returns no results for a particular dimension, the report notes it as "unable to gather data" rather than guessing. Pricing, features, and review scores are always sourced from actual search results.