Timmy-time-dashboard/skills/research/competitive_scan.md

name, type, typical_query_count, expected_output_length, cascade_tier, description

name	type	typical_query_count	expected_output_length	cascade_tier	description
Competitive Scan	research	3-5	800-1500 words	groq_preferred	Compare a project against its alternatives. Produces a feature matrix, strengths/weaknesses analysis, and positioning summary.

Competitive Scan: {project} vs Alternatives

Context

Compare {project} against {alternatives} (comma-separated list of competitors). The goal is to understand where {project} stands and identify differentiation opportunities.

Constraints

• Comparison date: {date}.
• Focus areas: {focus_areas} (e.g., features, pricing, community, performance).
• Perspective: {perspective} (user, developer, business).

Research Steps

1. Gather key facts about {project} (features, pricing, community size, release cadence).
2. Gather the same data for each alternative in {alternatives}.
3. Build a feature comparison matrix.
4. Identify strengths and weaknesses for each entry.
5. Summarize positioning and recommend next steps.

Output Format

Overview

One paragraph: what space does {project} compete in, and who are the main players?

Feature Matrix

Feature / Attribute	{project}	{alt_1}	{alt_2}	{alt_3}
{feature_1}	...	...	...	...
{feature_2}	...	...	...	...
Pricing	...	...	...	...
License	...	...	...	...
Community Size	...	...	...	...
Last Major Release	...	...	...	...

Strengths & Weaknesses

{project}

• Strengths: ...
• Weaknesses: ...

{alt_1}

• Strengths: ...
• Weaknesses: ...

(Repeat for each alternative)

Positioning Map

Describe where each project sits along the key dimensions (e.g., simplicity vs power, free vs paid, niche vs general).

Recommendations

Bullet list of actions based on the competitive landscape:

• Differentiate on: {differentiator}
• Watch out for: {threat}
• Consider adopting from {alt}: {feature_or_approach}