Work / Case study / Founder work / 2026
A living competitive picture, not a one-off teardown
A structured competitive-intelligence program for an emerging consumer-AI category: comparable deep dives, a positioning map, an interactive dashboard, and a weekly scan that keeps it current.
The problem
A fast-moving category with well-funded entrants and no settled positioning. The company needed a rigorous, independently sourced read of the landscape, and a way to keep it current, to decide where to differentiate rather than where to match.
The approach
A structured competitive-intelligence program rather than a one-off scan.
- Shortlist discipline. A defined set of competitors, each chosen to stress-test the positioning thesis from a different angle: direct analog, best-funded peer, adjacent category, wildcard.
- Structured deep dives. Each competitor analyzed on a consistent frame (buyer, wedge, funding, technology approach, defensibility) so they were comparable, not anecdotal.
- Positioning map. Defined the axes that actually separated the field and placed every player on them, exposing the unoccupied position.
- Interactive dashboard so the analysis was navigable and reusable by the team, not a static slide.
- Ongoing monitoring. A weekly news-scan cadence so the picture stayed live as competitors raised, launched, and pivoted.
The outcome
A living competitive picture that turned a noisy field into a clear, defensible wedge and an ongoing intelligence cadence, used to align the team and prioritize where to compete.
What it demonstrates
- Designing a repeatable competitive-intelligence method, not a one-off teardown.
- Building comparable, structured analysis and a navigable dashboard from messy market signal.
- Translating landscape analysis into a positioning thesis and prioritized moves.
Method-only. Competitor names, strategic conclusions, threat assessments, and partner targets removed. Focus is the analysis method.