Here’s a ready-to-use market landscape analysis template structured for immediate execution. Work through each section sequentially—treat this as your project workbook.

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Phase 1: Market Definition & Sizing

Goal: Prove the prize is worth the effort

1.1 Market Boundaries

• Primary Market Definition: (One sentence: "We serve [X] who need [Y] to solve [Z]")
• Adjacent Markets: (3-5 related markets you might expand into)
• Excluded Markets: (Explicitly define what you're NOT analyzing to maintain focus)

1.2 TAM-SAM-SOM Calculation

Action Step: Validate with 3 independent sources. If variance is >30%, dig deeper.

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Phase 2: Competitive Ecosystem Mapping

Goal: Know exactly who you’re fighting for share with

2.1 Competitor Categorization

Create a Magic Quadrant or ** perceptual map** using these axes:

• X-Axis: Price (Low → High) or Feature Breadth (Niche → Full-Stack)
• Y-Axis: Target Customer (SMB → Enterprise) or Innovation Speed (Legacy → Disruptor)

Plot these players:

2.2 Competitive Feature Matrix

Action Step: Mystery-shop your top 2 competitors. Document their onboarding flow and pricing page screenshots.

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Phase 3: Customer Segmentation Deep-Dive

Goal: Identify who actually buys and why

3.1 Segment Attractiveness Scoring

Score each segment (1-5 scale):

3.2 Jobs-to-be-Done Analysis

For your top 2 segments:

• Functional Job: (What task they hire your product for)
• Emotional Job: (How they want to feel: "in control," "cutting-edge," "safe")
• Current Workarounds: (What they do today without you—spreadsheets, manual labor, competitors)

Action Step: Conduct 5 customer discovery interviews per segment. Ask: "What caused you to look for a solution on the day you started searching?"

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Phase 4: Market Trends & Disruption Forces

Goal: Predict where the puck is going

4.1 PESTLE Analysis

4.2 Value Chain Disruption

Map the current workflow:

[Supplier] → [Distribution] → [Customer Acquisition] → [Usage] → [Support]

Ask: Which step is most inefficient? Where is margin pooling? Where could tech eliminate friction?

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Phase 5: Strategic Positioning & Gaps

Goal: Define your wedge into the market

5.1 White Space Analysis

List 3 underserved niches you've identified:

1. ________________ (Why neglected: ________________)
2. ________________ (Why neglected: ________________)
3. ________________ (Why neglected: ________________)

5.2 SWOT Summary

5.3 Strategic Hypotheses

Based on this analysis, what are your 3 bets?

1. Hypothesis: If we build [X], segment [Y] will pay [Z] because [insight from Section 3].
2. Hypothesis: We can outcompete [Competitor A] on [dimension] because [trend from Section 4].
3. Hypothesis: The market will shift toward [trend] within [timeline], requiring us to [action].

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Phase 6: Go-to-Market Implications

Goal: Turn analysis into revenue

6.1 Entry Strategy Decision

Select your approach:

• Beachhead: Dominate one micro-segment first, then expand
• Flanking: Attack a leader's weakness (e.g., price/complexity)
• Big Bang: Go broad immediately (requires major capital)

6.2 90-Day Action Plan

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Data Sources Toolkit

Where to fill the template:

• Sizing: Statista, IBISWorld, Census data, industry association reports, LinkedIn Sales Navigator (for counting companies)
• Competitive Intel: Crunchbase (funding signals), SEMrush (traffic/keywords), G2/Capterra reviews (pain points), job postings (growth areas)
• Trends: Google Trends, industry newsletters, earnings call transcripts (competitors' public companies), patent filings

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Ready to dive deeper? To customize this template for your specific situation, tell me:

1. What industry/market are you analyzing? (B2B SaaS, DTC consumer goods, healthcare, etc.)
2. What's your goal with this analysis? (Raising funding, launching a product, pivoting strategy, or competitive intelligence?)
3. What's your biggest unknown right now? (Market size, who the real competitors are, or customer willingness to pay?)

I can then expand the relevant sections with industry-specific metrics and benchmarks.

A market landscape analysis is more than just a list of competitors; it is a strategic map that helps you identify where you fit and where you can win.

Follow this step-by-step guide and template to build a comprehensive analysis that you can immediately turn into a business strategy.

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Step 1: Define Your Market Size (TAM, SAM, SOM)

Before diving into details, you need to understand the scale of the opportunity.

• TAM (Total Addressable Market): The total worldwide demand for your product/service.
• SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market): The portion of the TAM that fits your specific geography and business model.
• SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market): The realistic percentage of the SAM you can capture in the next 1–3 years.

Actionable Tip: Use industry reports (Gartner, Forrester, Statista) or "bottom-up" calculations (number of potential customers x average annual deal size).

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Step 2: Customer Segmentation & Personas

Who is actually buying? Group your market into distinct segments based on behavior, needs, or demographics.

• Segment Name: (e.g., "Small Business Owners," "Enterprise Tech Leads")
• Top 3 Pain Points: What keeps them up at night?
• Buying Criteria: Is it price, reliability, ease of use, or status?
• Channels: Where do they spend their time (LinkedIn, Trade Shows, Reddit)?

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Step 3: Competitor Mapping Matrix

Don't just list names. Categorize them to see the "white space" in the market.

Actionable Tip: Create a Perceptual Map. Draw an X and Y axis (e.g., Price vs. Quality or Innovation vs. Ease of Use) and plot your competitors. Look for the empty quadrant—that is your potential market gap.

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Step 4: PESTEL Analysis (External Forces)

Understand the external factors that could disrupt or boost your business.

• Political: Trade policies, tax laws, stability.
• Economic: Inflation, consumer spending power, interest rates.
• Social: Cultural trends, demographic shifts, lifestyle changes.
• Technological: Emerging AI, automation, infrastructure changes.
• Environmental: Sustainability regulations, climate impact.
• Legal: Industry-specific regulations (GDPR, HIPAA), labor laws.

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Step 5: Market Trends & Growth Drivers

Identify the "tailwinds" (helping you) and "headwinds" (slowing you down).

• Current Trends: What is everyone talking about right now?
• Emerging Trends: What will be standard in 24 months?
• Barriers to Entry: High capital costs? Brand loyalty to incumbents? Patent protections?

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Step 6: Synthesis (The "So What?")

Summarize your findings into a mini-SWOT focused specifically on the Market Opportunity.

• The Gap: Based on the competitor map, what is missing in the market?
• The Advantage: Why are we better positioned to fill that gap than anyone else?
• The Risk: What is the single biggest external threat to our entry?

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How to get started today:

1. Time-box your research: Spend 2 hours on Google/LinkedIn/Reddit to fill out the Competitor Matrix.
2. Talk to one customer: Validate one "Pain Point" from Step 2.
3. Draft your Perceptual Map: See if your perceived "unique value" actually looks unique compared to others.

To provide you with a more tailored template, could you tell me:

1. What industry are you in? (The factors for SaaS are very different from Retail or Manufacturing).
2. What is the primary goal of this analysis? (e.g., Pitching investors, launching a new product, or defensive planning against a new rival?)
3. Who is the target audience for this report? (Internal stakeholders, external partners, or yourself?)