Map a Competitive Landscape

What it does

Takes a product or market space and produces a structured competitive analysis: who the players are, how they position themselves, where they overlap, and — most importantly — where the gaps are. Designed to surface strategic opportunities, not just list competitors.

The Prompt

Map the competitive landscape for the following product/market.

My product or market space: [DESCRIBE YOUR SPACE — what you do or want to do]

For the analysis:
1. PLAYERS: Identify 5-8 relevant competitors (direct and indirect). For each:
   - What they do (one sentence)
   - Who they serve (primary audience)
   - How they make money (business model)
   - Their key strength (what they do better than anyone else)

2. POSITIONING MAP: Place all players (including mine) on two axes:
   - X-axis: [suggest the most relevant spectrum for this market, e.g., simple↔complex, consumer↔enterprise, free↔premium]
   - Y-axis: [suggest a second differentiating spectrum]
   Explain why you chose these axes.

3. PATTERNS: What do most competitors have in common? What conventional wisdom does everyone follow?

4. GAPS: Where is the map empty? What customer need or positioning is underserved? Be specific — "there's no one doing X for Y audience at Z price point."

5. THREAT ASSESSMENT: Which competitor is most likely to move into my space, and why?

If my description is too vague to identify specific competitors, tell me what you need to narrow it down.

Usage Notes

• The AI’s competitor knowledge has a training cutoff. For fast-moving markets, use this prompt to build the framework, then validate names and details with current research.
• The positioning map axes matter more than the placements. If the AI picks good axes, it reveals how the market thinks about itself — and where to think differently.
• The “patterns” section often surfaces the most actionable insight: the thing everyone does that no one questions. That’s where disruption lives.
• For deeper analysis of a specific competitor, follow up with: “Deep-dive on [competitor]. What would I need to build to win their customers? What would make their customers never switch?”