Researching Markets

This skill performs comprehensive market research to help understand industries, competitors, trends, customer behavior, and market dynamics.

When to Use This Skill

Invoke this skill when the user:

• Requests market research for an industry or sector
• Wants to understand market trends and dynamics
• Asks for competitor analysis or competitive intelligence
• Needs customer insights or buyer persona research
• Mentions industry analysis, market sizing, or market validation
• Requests regulatory or compliance landscape analysis

Core Research Areas

Industry Analysis

Conduct comprehensive industry research covering:

Steps:

1. Define the industry scope and boundaries (sub-sectors, related industries)
2. Research industry size, growth rates, and historical trends
3. Identify key industry players (leaders, challengers, niche players)
4. Analyze industry structure using Porter's Five Forces
5. Examine value chain and business models
6. Research regulatory environment and compliance requirements
7. Identify technology trends and disruptions

Expected Output:

• Industry overview with size and growth metrics
• Market structure and competitive dynamics
• Key trends, drivers, and challenges
• Regulatory landscape summary
• Technology and innovation trends

Competitor Analysis

Research and analyze competitors systematically:

Steps:

1. Identify direct and indirect competitors
2. Research each competitor's products/services, pricing, positioning
3. Analyze competitor strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT)
4. Examine market share and competitive positioning
5. Review competitor strategies (pricing, marketing, distribution)
6. Analyze customer reviews and sentiment
7. Identify competitive advantages and differentiators

Expected Output:

• Competitor profiles with key information
• SWOT analysis for major competitors
• Competitive positioning map
• Market share distribution
• Competitive insights and implications

Market Trends Analysis

Identify and analyze market trends:

Steps:

1. Research emerging trends using web search and industry reports
2. Analyze macro trends (economic, technological, social, regulatory)
3. Identify micro trends specific to the industry
4. Assess trend impact and timeline
5. Evaluate trend sustainability and potential disruptions
6. Connect trends to business opportunities and threats

Expected Output:

• Trend identification and description
• Impact assessment (high/medium/low)
• Timeline and adoption curve
• Strategic implications

Customer and Market Insights

Gather customer intelligence:

Steps:

1. Define target customer segments
2. Research customer demographics and psychographics
3. Analyze customer needs, pain points, and preferences
4. Examine buying behavior and decision-making process
5. Identify customer sentiment and brand perception
6. Review customer reviews, forums, and social media discussions
7. Develop buyer personas

Expected Output:

• Customer segment profiles
• Buyer personas with key characteristics
• Customer journey maps
• Pain points and unmet needs
• Sentiment analysis summary

Research Methods

Method 1: Web Research

• When to use: Initial research, trend identification, news and updates
• Tools: WebSearch for current information, industry publications, company websites
• Approach: Start broad, then narrow down to specific topics
• Sources: Industry reports, news articles, company websites, trade publications

Method 2: Competitive Intelligence

• When to use: Understanding competitor strategies and positioning
• Tools: WebSearch, WebFetch for competitor websites
• Approach: Systematic competitor profiling, feature comparison
• Sources: Competitor websites, reviews, press releases, third-party analyses

Method 3: Data Analysis

• When to use: When quantitative data is available
• Tools: Web sources with market data, industry databases
• Approach: Collect data points, analyze trends, calculate metrics
• Sources: Market research firms, government data, industry associations

Common Research Patterns

Pattern 1: Industry Deep Dive

• When to use: Understanding a new industry or market
• Approach:
  1. Start with industry overview and definitions
  2. Research market size and growth
  3. Identify key players and their market positions
  4. Analyze industry structure and dynamics
  5. Examine trends and future outlook
• Example: Researching the SaaS cybersecurity market

Pattern 2: Competitive Landscape Mapping

• When to use: Understanding competitive dynamics
• Approach:
  1. Identify all relevant competitors
  2. Categorize by type (direct, indirect, emerging)
  3. Profile each competitor systematically
  4. Create competitive positioning map
  5. Identify white space opportunities
• Example: Mapping competitors in the project management software space

Pattern 3: Trend Spotting and Analysis

• When to use: Identifying market opportunities or threats
• Approach:
  1. Monitor industry news and publications
  2. Identify recurring themes and patterns
  3. Assess trend strength and momentum
  4. Evaluate business implications
  5. Develop strategic recommendations
• Example: Analyzing AI adoption trends in healthcare

Pattern 4: Voice of Customer Research

• When to use: Understanding customer needs and perceptions
• Approach:
  1. Identify customer communication channels
  2. Analyze reviews, forums, social media
  3. Extract common themes and pain points
  4. Quantify sentiment and satisfaction
  5. Develop actionable insights
• Example: Analyzing customer reviews for competing products

Research Structure Template

Use this structure for comprehensive market research:

# Market Research Report: [Industry/Topic]

## Executive Summary
- Key findings (3-5 bullet points)
- Strategic implications
- Recommendations

## 1. Industry Overview
- Industry definition and scope
- Market size and growth
- Industry lifecycle stage
- Key segments

## 2. Market Structure
- Competitive landscape
- Market concentration
- Entry barriers
- Buyer/supplier power

## 3. Competitor Analysis
- Major players and market share
- Competitive positioning
- SWOT analysis
- Competitive strategies

## 4. Market Trends
- Current trends
- Emerging trends
- Disruptive forces
- Technology impact

## 5. Customer Insights
- Target segments
- Customer needs and pain points
- Buying behavior
- Sentiment analysis

## 6. Regulatory Environment
- Key regulations
- Compliance requirements
- Policy trends
- Regulatory risks

## 7. Opportunities and Threats
- Market opportunities
- Key threats and challenges
- White space identification
- Risk assessment

## 8. Strategic Recommendations
- Market entry/expansion strategies
- Positioning recommendations
- Priority actions

Information Sources

Primary Research (when possible):

• Customer interviews or surveys
• Expert interviews
• Direct observation
• User testing

Secondary Research (via web search):

• Industry reports (Gartner, Forrester, IDC)
• Market research firms (Statista, IBISWorld)
• Trade associations and publications
• Government databases and statistics
• Company reports and filings
• News and media coverage
• Academic research

Validation Checklist

Before completing research:

• Industry scope clearly defined
• Market size and growth data sourced
• Key competitors identified and profiled
• Major trends identified and assessed
• Customer insights gathered
• Regulatory landscape examined
• Sources cited and credible
• Data cross-validated from multiple sources
• Insights actionable and relevant
• Strategic implications identified

Research Depth Options

Quick Research (15-30 min):

• High-level industry overview
• Top competitors identified
• Major trends listed
• Key findings only

Standard Research (1-2 hours):

• Comprehensive industry analysis
• Detailed competitor profiles
• Trend analysis with implications
• Customer insights included
• Structured report format

Deep Research (2+ hours):

• Multi-source validation
• Quantitative data analysis
• Detailed SWOT and positioning
• Comprehensive trend analysis
• Full customer research
• Strategic recommendations

Ask the user for their preferred depth if unclear.

Examples

Example 1: SaaS Project Management Market Research

Input: "Research the SaaS project management software market"

Process:

1. Define industry scope (cloud-based project management tools)
2. Search for market size data and growth rates
3. Identify major players (Asana, Monday.com, Jira, Trello, etc.)
4. Analyze competitive positioning and differentiation
5. Research trends (AI integration, automation, remote work impact)
6. Gather customer insights from reviews and forums
7. Compile findings into structured report

Output: Comprehensive market research report with industry overview, competitive landscape, trend analysis, and strategic insights

Example 2: Electric Vehicle Market Trends

Input: "What are the key trends in the electric vehicle market?"

Process:

1. Search for recent EV market news and reports
2. Identify technology trends (battery tech, charging infrastructure)
3. Analyze regulatory trends (emissions standards, incentives)
4. Examine consumer adoption patterns
5. Research competitive dynamics (Tesla, traditional OEMs, new entrants)
6. Assess market implications and timeline

Output: Trend analysis report with key trends, impact assessment, timeline, and strategic implications

Additional Notes

• Always cite sources for data and claims
• Cross-validate important findings from multiple sources
• Use WebSearch for current information beyond the knowledge cutoff
• Focus on actionable insights, not just data collection
• Tailor research depth to user's specific needs and time constraints
• Present data visually when possible (tables, comparisons, frameworks)
• Highlight contradictions or uncertainties in the data