setup-competitors-md

Setup COMPETITORS.md

Overview

One-shot setup: identify who this product competes with (and what users do instead), then write a single root COMPETITORS.md for positioning, roadmap, and messaging decisions. Do not treat this as an ongoing maintenance skill unless the user explicitly asks to regenerate or update the file.

Output

• Write exactly one file: repo-root COMPETITORS.md.
• If COMPETITORS.md already exists, ask once whether to overwrite, merge/update, or abort. Do not silently overwrite.

Workflow

1. Ground in this product

Establish the category and differentiation claim from the repo:

• Root docs, landing/pricing/about copy, feature lists, comparison pages if any.
• Product surfaces and capabilities that imply a market (auth, billing plans, integrations).
• Existing competitor mentions in docs, issues, or marketing copy.
• What job the product claims to replace (spreadsheet, incumbent SaaS, manual process, OSS, etc.).

Prefer primary repo evidence over generic “everyone vs Notion” lists.

2. Research the landscape

Use configured research or web tools when available; otherwise search and open primary pages:

• Direct competitors (same job, same buyer).
• Adjacent alternatives (partial overlap).
• Indirect substitutes (status quo: spreadsheets, agencies, DIY, do-nothing).
• Pricing pages, feature matrices, positioning headlines, target customer language.
• Public reviews or changelogs only when they clarify real strengths/weaknesses.

For each notable player, capture URL, date checked, positioning one-liner, ICP hints, pricing shape, and standout strengths/weaknesses. Separate observed facts from inferences.

Aim for a useful set (often 4–8 named competitors plus substitutes), not an exhaustive industry census.

3. Interview the user (only gaps)

Ask only what research cannot settle. Batch questions. Cover when missing:

• Who they consider the real rivals (and who is a false peer).
• Wins/losses anecdotes and why deals closed or churned.
• Features they refuse to copy vs must match for parity.
• Category they want to own vs categories they reject.
• Geographic or segment limits on the competitive set.

If the user declines interview, proceed with labeled assumptions and confidence.

4. Synthesize differentiation

• Classify each entry: direct / adjacent / substitute.
• Call out primary rivals (usually 2–4) vs watchlist.
• State our wedge: why a customer picks this product instead.
• Note parity gaps, table-stakes features, and deliberate non-goals vs competitors.
• Flag stale-risk: pricing and feature claims change; date the research.

5. Write COMPETITORS.md

Use references/template.md. Fill applicable sections; omit empty ones. Quality bar:

• Specific to this product’s competitive set, not a generic market essay.
• Actionable for messaging (“say X, don’t claim Y”) and roadmap (“parity vs differentiate”).
• Includes substitutes and anti-peers so agents do not over-compare.
• Cites sources with URLs and check dates; does not invent fake pricing.
• Short profiles beat long dumps; link out for depth.

6. Link from AGENTS.md (conditional)

After COMPETITORS.md exists:

1. Check for root AGENTS.md only.
2. If it does not exist, skip linking. Do not create AGENTS.md.
3. If it exists, add a clear pointer to COMPETITORS.md if missing:
   • Prefer an existing Index / Docs / Related docs section.
   • Otherwise add a short section such as ## Project docs with a bullet: - [COMPETITORS.md](COMPETITORS.md) — competitive landscape and differentiation
   • Do not duplicate the full competitive analysis into AGENTS.md.
   • Preserve unrelated AGENTS.md content.

7. Deliver

• Confirm path written.
• Brief summary: primary rivals, our wedge in one sentence, and whether AGENTS.md was updated or skipped.
• Do not commit unless the user asks.

Isolation

This skill stands alone. Do not mention, link to, or depend on other skills. Reference only repo files, external sources, user input, and this skill's references/.

Out of Scope

• Full market research reports, TAM/SAM/SOM modeling, or sales battlecards libraries.
• Rewriting marketing or pricing pages (unless separately requested).
• Creating AGENTS.md when missing.
• Recurring competitive audits unless the user asks to run setup again.