Process
1. Define the Comparison Set
- Direct competitors — Same problem, same audience
- Indirect competitors — Same audience, different approach
- Aspirational references — Different category, similar quality bar
2. Experience the Product (don't just screenshot it)
- Complete the onboarding flow
- Try the core use case end-to-end
- Hit an error state
- Try to cancel/delete/undo
- Use it on mobile
- Read their support docs
3. Analyze Systematically
UX Patterns
| Pattern | Competitor A | Competitor B | Our Product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onboarding | ... | ... | ... |
| Navigation | ... | ... | ... |
| Core action | ... | ... | ... |
| Empty states | ... | ... | ... |
| Error handling | ... | ... | ... |
Design Quality
- Visual hierarchy clarity (1-5)
- Typography quality (1-5)
- Color system coherence (1-5)
- Interaction feedback (1-5)
- Accessibility (1-5)
- Mobile experience (1-5)
- Loading/performance (1-5)
Positioning
- What do they claim to be?
- What are they actually?
- Who are they really serving?
- What's their pricing strategy?
- How do they differentiate?
4. Identify Opportunities
Gaps — What do all competitors do poorly? Conventions — What patterns are consistent (probably necessary)? Differentiators — Where could we be meaningfully different? Risks — What are competitors doing that we should worry about?
Output Format
## Competitive Teardown: [Category]
### Landscape Summary
[2-3 sentences on the competitive landscape]
### Competitor Profiles
[One paragraph per competitor: who they are, what they do well, where they're weak]
### Pattern Comparison Matrix
[Table comparing key UX patterns across competitors]
### Design Quality Scores
[Radar chart or scored table]
### Opportunities
[Ranked list of opportunities based on gap analysis]
### Strategic Recommendations
[2-3 specific recommendations with rationale]