by ProductColab | 2025

🏁 How to Use

<aside> Read the full guide: This template is a companion to the The Scrappy Startup Guide to Competitive Analysis **from the ProductColab Newsletter.

Make a copy: make a copy of this Notion page and follow the checklist below.

Start researching: As you research add competitors to the table below and fill out their profiles to build your competitor library.

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:untitled--logo-: About ProductColab

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ProductColab is an AI forward innovation lab that focuses on helping founders, builders and entrepreneurs grow and build community collaboratively.

After spending over a decade in early-stage startups, we've become comfortable with the ambiguity, the constant shifts between high-level strategy and getting our hands dirty in the day-to-day work. Now we are here to share what we’ve learned and grow together.

👀 Follow us on LinkedIn or BlueSky

💬 Join our Discord Community here

✉️ Subscribe for our regular newsletter here

🧰 Get our help building with advising or consulting here

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✅ Competitive Analysis Checklist

Step 1: Identify Your Competitors

• [ ] Perform basic Google searches using keywords related to your industry and solution.
• [ ] Explore platforms like G2 to identify competitors in your product category.
• [ ] Utilize LinkedIn and other social media for insights on industry players.
• [ ] Engage in communities where your audience hangs out (e.g., Slack, Reddit, Meetups).
• [ ] Use AI with web search capabilities like Claude or ChatGPT to help scan and double check your research.

Step 2: Gather Foundational Information

• [ ] Analyze competitors' websites, press releases, blogs, and public profiles.
• [ ] Check Crunchbase for funding, founding dates, and company size.
• [ ] Use tools like SimilarWeb for insights into competitors' web traffic.
• [ ] Attend industry webinars for trends and key player insights.
• [ ] Prioritize direct competitors or those frequently encountered.

Step 3: Analyze Products and Services

• [ ] Review competitors' website for product messaging and packaging.
• [ ] Note the frequency of feature updates and top value propositions.