Competitor Analysis (Porter)

Analyze competitors using Porter's four-component model.

When to Use

When you need to understand a competitor's strategy, capabilities, and likely moves.

The Framework

Porter's four components:

Component	Questions
Objectives	What are they trying to achieve? (growth, profit, share, positioning)
Current Strategy	How are they competing? (segments, pricing, channels, roadmap)
Assumptions	What do they believe about the market, themselves, and rivals?
Capabilities	What can they actually do? (resources, competencies, gaps)

The Process

1. Objectives (Future Goals)

• Economic goals (growth, profitability, market share)
• Strategic goals (positioning, tech leadership, ecosystem)
• Timeframes and indicators
• Priority ranking

2. Current Strategy

• Target segments and value proposition
• Pricing and monetization
• Go-to-market (channels, partnerships)
• Product roadmap themes
• Geographic posture

3. Assumptions

• About the industry (demand, regulation, tech trajectory)
• About themselves (core competencies, cost position)
• About you and other rivals
• Implicit beliefs inferred from behavior

4. Capabilities

• Tangible: cost structure, capacity, balance sheet
• Intangible: brand, IP, data, culture, talent
• Activities across value chain
• Notable gaps and constraints

5. Synthesize: Likely Moves

Based on the four components:

• What will they respond to quickly vs. ignore?
• Probable near-term moves (ranked by likelihood)
• Expected response speed by move type

6. Implications for Us

• Risks to monitor
• Opportunities to exploit
• Recommended counter-moves
• "If they do X, we do Y" mapping

Output

• Executive snapshot
• Four components analysis
• Likely moves and response profile
• Implications and recommendations
• Evidence sources
• Unknowns and validation plan

When Not to Use

Do not use this skill when the request is unrelated, low-stakes, or better handled by a simpler direct response.