Frameworks for analyzing competitive position and industry dynamics.
When to Use Porter's vs. SWOT
| Framework | Use When |
|---|---|
| Porter's Five Forces | Evaluating industry attractiveness; new market entry; strategic positioning |
| SWOT | Internal capability assessment; go/no-go decisions; strategy planning |
| Competitive Landscape Map | Visualizing whitespace; investor decks; positioning against specific competitors |
| Competitor Profiles | Battlecards for sales; feature gap analysis; threat assessment |
Use Porter's to understand the structural forces shaping the industry. Use SWOT to assess your specific position within it. Combine both for a complete picture.
Porter's Five Forces Template
## Porter's Five Forces: [Industry/Market]
1. Competitive Rivalry — Intensity: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW
| Factor | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Number of competitors | |
| Industry growth rate | |
| Product differentiation | |
| Exit barriers |
2. Threat of New Entrants — Threat Level: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW
| Barrier | Strength |
|---|---|
| Economies of scale | |
| Brand loyalty | |
| Capital requirements | |
| Network effects | |
| Switching costs |
3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers — Power: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW
[Key suppliers, switching cost, concentration]
4. Bargaining Power of Buyers — Power: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW
[Price sensitivity, alternatives available, buyer concentration]
5. Threat of Substitutes — Threat: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW
[Alternative ways customers solve the same problem]
Overall Industry Attractiveness: X/10
[Summary: which forces are most significant and why]
## SWOT Analysis
+-------------------------+-------------------------+ | STRENGTHS | WEAKNESSES | | (Internal +) | (Internal -) | | * What we do well | * Where we lack | | * Unique resources | * Resource gaps | | * Competitive advantages| * Capability limits | +-------------------------+-------------------------+ | OPPORTUNITIES | THREATS | | (External +) | (External -) | | * Market trends | * Competitive pressure | | * Unmet needs | * Regulatory changes | | * Technology shifts | * Economic factors | +-------------------------+-------------------------+
### TOWS Matrix (SWOT to Strategy)
| | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|-----------|------------|
| **Opportunities** | SO: Use strengths to capture opportunities | WO: Fix weaknesses to unlock opportunities |
| **Threats** | ST: Use strengths to mitigate threats | WT: Minimize weaknesses, avoid threats |
## Competitor Profile Template
```markdown
## Competitor: [Name]
### Overview
- Founded: [Year] | Funding: $[Amount] | Employees: [N]
- Target customer: [Segment]
- Pricing: [Model and range]
### Strengths / Weaknesses
+ [Strength 1]
+ [Strength 2]
- [Weakness 1]
- [Weakness 2]
### Threat Assessment: HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW
- [Why this threat level]
- [Our differentiation vs. this competitor]
Competitive Landscape Map
Plot competitors on two axes that matter most to buyers (e.g., price vs. features, ease of use vs. power):
HIGH PRICE
|
Premium Leaders | Luxury Niche
+-------------+ | +-------------+
| [Comp A] | | | [Comp B] |
+-------------+ | +-------------+
|
LOW ────────────────────+──────────────────── HIGH
FEATURES | FEATURES
|
+-------------+ | +-------------+
| [Comp C] | | | [US] |
+-------------+ | +-------------+
Budget Options | Value Leaders
|
LOW PRICE
Identify whitespace — quadrants with no incumbents that align with unmet buyer needs.
GitHub Signals for Competitive Tracking
# Star count and momentum
gh api repos/owner/repo --jq '{stars: .stargazers_count, forks: .forks_count}'
# Shipping velocity (recent releases)
gh release list --repo owner/repo --limit 5
# Community size
gh api repos/owner/repo/contributors --jq 'length'
| Signal | Check Frequency |
|---|---|
| Star growth | Weekly |
| Release notes | Per release |
| Pricing changes | Monthly |
| Feature launches | Per announcement |
| Full analysis | Quarterly |
References
- Competitive Analysis Rules — Porter's, SWOT, landscape map, competitor profile templates
- Competitive Analysis Guide — Research methodology, data sources, update cadence
Related Skills
ork:market-sizing— Quantify opportunity size alongside competitive landscapeork:business-case— Build financial justification informed by competitive positionork:product-frameworks— Full product strategy toolkit (value prop, prioritization, OKRs)
Version: 1.0.0