{"kind":"Skill","metadata":{"namespace":"community","name":"competitive-analysis","version":"0.1.0"},"spec":{"description":"Framework for building competitive landscape decks — market positioning, competitor deep-dives, comparative analysis, strategic synthesis. Use when the user asks for a competitive landscape, competitor analysis, peer comparison, market positioning assessment, strategic review, or investment memo deck. Also triggers on \"who are the competitors to X\", \"benchmark X against peers\", \"build a market map\", or any request to systematically evaluate competitive dynamics across an industry.","files":{"SKILL.md":"---\nname: competitive-analysis\ndescription: Framework for building competitive landscape decks — market positioning, competitor deep-dives, comparative analysis, strategic synthesis. Use when the user asks for a competitive landscape, competitor analysis, peer comparison, market positioning assessment, strategic review, or investment memo deck. Also triggers on \"who are the competitors to X\", \"benchmark X against peers\", \"build a market map\", or any request to systematically evaluate competitive dynamics across an industry.\n---\n\n# Competitive Landscape Mapping\n\nBuild a complete competitive analysis deck. This is a two-phase process: gather requirements and get outline approval first, then build.\n\n## Environment check\n\nThis skill works in both the PowerPoint add-in and chat. Identify which you're in before starting — the mechanics differ, the workflow doesn't:\n\n- **Add-in** — the deck is open live; build slides directly into it.\n- **Chat** — generate a `.pptx` file (or build into one the user uploaded).\n\nEverything below applies in both.\n\n## Phase 1 — Scope the analysis\n\nCompetitive analysis means different things to different people. Before any research or slide-building, use `ask_user_question` to pin down what they actually want. Don't guess — a 20-slide peer benchmarking deck and a 5-slide market map are both \"competitive analysis\" and take completely different shapes.\n\nGather in one round if you can (the tool takes up to 4 questions):\n\n- **Scope** — Single target company with competitors around it? Or multi-company side-by-side with no protagonist?\n- **Competitor set** — Which companies are in scope? If the user names them, use exactly those. If they say \"the usual suspects,\" propose a set and confirm.\n- **Audience and depth** — Quick read for someone already in the space, or a full primer? This drives whether you need market sizing, industry economics, and history — or can skip to the comparison.\n- **Investment context** — Do they need bull/base/bear scenarios and signposts? That's Step 9 below; skip it if this is a strategic review rather than an investment thesis.\n\nIf they've uploaded an Excel/CSV with competitor data, confirm which columns map to which metrics before you start pulling numbers. Source-file fidelity matters: use values exactly as given, don't recalculate or re-round.\n\n## Phase 2 — Outline, approve, then build\n\n**Do not create slides until the outline is approved.** Propose slide titles and one-line content notes, present them to the user, get a yes. A competitive deck is 10-20 slides of interlocking content — rebuilding because slide 4 was wrong is expensive. The outline is the cheap iteration point.\n\nWhen proposing the outline, `ask_user_question` works well for the structural decisions: which positioning visualization (2×2 matrix / radar / tier diagram — Step 5 below), how to group competitors (by business model / segment / posture — Step 4). These are taste calls the user likely has an opinion on.\n\n---\n\n## Standards — apply throughout\n\n### Prompt fidelity\n\nWhen the user specifies something, that's a requirement, not a suggestion:\n- **Slide titles and section names** — exact wording. If they say \"Overview and Competitive Scope,\" don't swap in \"FY2024 Competitive Landscape.\"\n- **Chart vs. table** — not interchangeable. \"Embedded chart\" means a real chart object with data labels on the bars/slices, not a formatted table.\n- **Complete data series** — if they list 7 competitors, include all 7. If they show 2015-2025, include every year.\n- **Exact values and ratios** — \"surpasses DoorDash 4:1, Lyft 8:1\" means those ratios, not \"7.6x Lyft.\"\n\n### Source quality, when sources conflict\n\n1. 10-Ks / annual reports (audited)\n2. Earnings calls / investor presentations (management commentary)\n3. Sell-side research (analyst estimates, useful for private company sizing)\n4. Industry reports (McKinsey, Gartner — market sizing, trends)\n5. News (recent developments only; verify against primary sources)\n\n### Data comparability\n\n- All competitor metrics from the same fiscal year; flag exceptions explicitly (\"FY24\" vs \"H1 2024\")\n- Same metric definitions across competitors\n- Convert to USD for international; note the exchange rate and date\n- Missing data shows as \"-\" or \"N/A\" with an \"[E]\" flag for estimates — never blank\n- Every number has a citation: \"[Company] [Document] ([Date])\"\n\n### Design\n\n- **Slide titles are insights, not labels.** \"Scale leaders pulling away from niche players\" — not \"Competitive Analysis.\"\n- **Signposts are quantified.** \"Margin below 40%\" — not \"margins decline.\"\n- **Ratings show the actual.** \"●●● $160B\" — not just \"●●●.\"\n- **Charts are real chart objects** — not text tables dressed up to look like charts.\n\n**Typography** — set explicitly, don't rely on defaults:\n- Slide titles: 28-32pt bold\n- Section headers: 18-20pt bold\n- Body text: 14-16pt (never below 14pt)\n- Table text: 14pt\n- Sources/footnotes: 14pt, gray\n- Same element type = same size throughout the deck\n\n**Charts:**\n- Legend inside the chart boundary, not floating over the plot area\n- Right-side legend for pies (≤6 slices), bottom legend for line/bar (≤4 series)\n- More than 6 series → split into multiple charts or use a table\n- Pie charts show percentages on slices, not just in the legend\n\n**Tables:**\n- Light gray header row, bold\n- Right-align numbers, left-align text\n- Enough cell padding that text doesn't touch borders\n\n**Color:** 2-3 colors max. Muted — navy, gray, one accent. Same color meanings throughout.\n\n### What's strict vs. flexible\n\n| Always | Case-by-case |\n|---|---|\n| Exact titles/sections when user specifies | Creative titles when they don't |\n| Chart when user says chart; table when they say table | Visualization type when unspecified |\n| Every competitor/data point they list | Number of competitors when unspecified |\n| Exact values when specified | Rounding when precision unspecified |\n| Titles fit without overflow | Number of competitor categories |\n| No overlapping elements | Which dimensions to compare |\n\n---\n\n## Analysis workflow\n\n### Step 0 — Industry-defining metrics\n\nBefore anything else: what 3-5 metrics does this industry actually run on? Use these consistently across every competitor.\n\n| Industry | Key metrics |\n|---|---|\n| SaaS | ARR, NRR, CAC payback, LTV/CAC, Rule of 40 |\n| Payments | GPV, take rate, attach rate, transaction margin |\n| Marketplaces | GMV, take rate, buyer/seller ratio, repeat rate |\n| Retail | Same-store sales, inventory turns, sales per sq ft |\n| Logistics | Volume, cost per unit, on-time delivery %, capacity utilization |\n\nIndustry not listed — pick the metrics investors and operators benchmark on.\n\n### Step 1 — Market context\n\nSize, growth, drivers, headwinds. With sources.\n\nCorrect: \"Embedded payments is $80-100B in 2024, growing 20-25% CAGR (McKinsey 2024)\"\nWrong: \"The market is large and growing rapidly\"\n\n### Step 2 — Industry economics\n\nMap how value flows. Approach depends on industry structure:\n- **Vertically structured** — value chain layers, typical margin at each\n- **Platform/network** — ecosystem participants, value flows between them\n- **Fragmented** — consolidation dynamics, margin differences by scale\n\n### Step 3 — Target company profile\n\n```\n| Metric | Value |\n|---|---|\n| Revenue | $4.96B |\n| Growth | +26% YoY |\n| Gross Margin | 45% |\n| Profitability | $373M Adj. EBITDA |\n| Customers | 134K |\n| Retention | 92% |\n| Market Share | ~15% |\n```\n\nMulti-segment companies add a breakdown:\n\n```\n| Segment | Revenue | Rev YoY | Rev % | EBITDA | EBITDA YoY | Margin |\n|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\n| Seg A | $25.1B | +26% | 57% | $6.5B | +31% | 26% |\n| Seg B | $13.8B | +31% | 31% | $2.5B | +64% | 18% |\n| Seg C | $5.1B | -2% | 12% | -$74M | -16% | -1% |\n| Total | $44.0B | +18% | 100% | $6.5B* | - | 15% |\n```\n*Note corporate costs if applicable\n\n### Step 4 — Competitor mapping\n\nGroup by whichever lens fits (this is a good `ask_user_question` decision if the user hasn't specified):\n- By business model — platform / vertical / horizontal\n- By segment — enterprise / SMB / consumer\n- By posture — direct / adjacent / emerging\n- By origin — incumbent / disruptor / new entrant\n\n### Step 5 — Positioning visualization\n\n| Type | When |\n|---|---|\n| 2×2 matrix | Two dominant competitive factors |\n| Radar/spider | Multi-factor comparison |\n| Tier diagram | Natural clustering into strategic groups |\n| Value chain map | Vertical industries |\n| Ecosystem map | Platform markets |\n\nSee `references/frameworks.md` for 2×2 axis pairs by industry.\n\n### Step 6 — Competitor deep-dives\n\nTwo tables per competitor.\n\n**Metrics:**\n```\n| Metric | Value |\n|---|---|\n| Revenue | $X.XB |\n| Growth | +XX% YoY |\n| Gross Margin | XX% |\n| Market Cap | $X.XB |\n| Profitability | $XXXM EBITDA |\n| Customers | XXK |\n| Retention | XX% |\n| Market Share | ~XX% |\n```\n\n**Qualitative:**\n```\n| Category | Assessment |\n|---|---|\n| Business | What they do (1 sentence) |\n| Strengths | 2-3 bullets |\n| Weaknesses | 2-3 bullets |\n| Strategy | Current priorities |\n```\n\n### Step 7 — Comparative analysis\n\n```\n| Dimension | Company A | Company B | Company C |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Scale | ●●● $160B | ●●○ $45B | ●○○ $8B |\n| Growth | ●●○ +26% | ●●● +35% | ●●○ +22% |\n| Margins | ●●○ 7.5% | ●○○ 3.2% | ●●● 15% |\n```\n\n### Step 8 — Strategic context\n\nM\u0026A transactions (multiples, rationale), partnership trends, capital raising patterns, regulatory developments. See `references/schemas.md` for the M\u0026A transaction table format.\n\n### Step 9 — Synthesis\n\n**Moat assessment** — rate each competitor Strong / Moderate / Weak on:\n\n| Moat | What to assess |\n|---|---|\n| Network effects | User/supplier flywheel strength; cross-side vs same-side |\n| Switching costs | Technical integration depth, contractual lock-in, behavioral habits |\n| Scale economies | Unit cost advantages at volume; minimum efficient scale |\n| Intangible assets | Brand, proprietary data, regulatory licenses, patents |\n\n**Required synthesis elements:**\n- Durable advantages (hard to replicate) — map to moat categories\n- Structural vulnerabilities (hard to fix)\n- Current state vs. trajectory\n\n**For investment contexts** (skip if the Phase 1 scoping said no):\n\n```\n| Scenario | Probability | Key driver |\n|---|---|---|\n| Bull | 30% | Market share gains, margin expansion |\n| Base | 50% | Current trajectory continues |\n| Bear | 20% | Competitive pressure, margin compression |\n```\n\n---\n\n## Quality checklist\n\nBefore finishing:\n\n**Prompt fidelity**\n- Slide titles match what the user specified, verbatim\n- Charts where they said chart; tables where they said table\n- Every competitor/year/data point they listed is present\n- Exact values and formats as specified\n\n**Data consistency**\n- Source-file values extracted directly, not recalculated\n- Same metric shows the same value on every slide it appears\n- Same decimal precision as the source\n\n**Layout**\n- Titles fit without overflow\n- No overlapping elements\n- All text within containers, no clipping\n\n**Content**\n- Every number has a citation\n- All metrics from the same fiscal period (or flagged)\n- Slide titles state insights, not topics\n- Charts are real chart objects\n\nRun standard visual verification checks on every slide — this catches overlaps, overflow, and low-contrast text that don't show up when you're reading back the XML.\n","references/frameworks.md":"# Frameworks Reference\n\n## 2x2 Matrix: Common Axis Pairs by Industry\n\n*Technology/SaaS:* Product breadth × Customer segment, Integration depth × Geographic reach\n\n*Consumer/Retail:* Price point × Product range, Online × Offline presence\n\n*Financial Services:* Product complexity × Customer sophistication, Scale × Specialization\n\n*Healthcare:* Care setting × Payer mix, Technology enablement × Service breadth\n\n*Industrial:* Customization × Scale, Geographic scope × Vertical focus\n","references/schemas.md":"# Schemas Reference\n\nAdditional table formats not shown in main SKILL.md.\n\n## M\u0026A Transaction Table\n\n| Acquirer | Target | Date | Deal Value | Multiple | Rationale |\n|----------|--------|------|------------|----------|-----------|\n| Company A | Company B | MMM YYYY | $X.XB | X.Xx EV/Rev | [Strategic logic] |\n\nState multiple methodology: \"X.Xx EV/Revenue\" or \"X.Xx EV/EBITDA\"\n\n## Scenario Analysis Table\n\n| Scenario | Probability | Valuation | Key Assumptions |\n|----------|-------------|-----------|-----------------|\n| Bull | XX% | $XXB | [Specific, quantified] |\n| Base | XX% | $XXB | [Specific, quantified] |\n| Bear | XX% | $XXB | [Specific, quantified] |\n\n## Slide Structure\n\n```\n┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐\n│ [Insight headline, not topic]                               │\n├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤\n│                                                             │\n│                     [Main Content]                          │\n│                                                             │\n├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤\n│ Source: [Citation] ([Date])                                 │\n└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘\n```\n"},"import":{"commit_sha":"9affc6e683bbaf66361058117027cf5a50bf1861","imported_at":"2026-05-18T20:09:40Z","license_text":"\n                                 Apache License\n                           Version 2.0, January 2004\n                        http://www.apache.org/licenses/\n\n   TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE, REPRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION\n\n   1. 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