Imported from organvm-iv-taxis/a-i--skills (
skills/data/market-gap-analysis/SKILL.md). Install upstream withnpx skills add organvm-iv-taxis/a-i--skills --skill market-gap-analysis. Copyright stays with the author (MIT).
Market Gap Analysis
Identify underserved markets and competitive positioning opportunities through systematic analysis.
Analysis Framework
Market Scan → Competitor Map → Gap Identification → Opportunity Scoring → Strategy
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ └─ Positioning
│ │ │ └─ Prioritized gaps
│ │ └─ Unserved/underserved areas
│ └─ Feature/capability matrix
└─ Total landscape understanding
Market Scanning
TAM/SAM/SOM Analysis
## Market Size
### Total Addressable Market (TAM)
- Market: {broad market definition}
- Size: ${amount} ({year})
- Growth: {CAGR}%
- Source: {citation}
### Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM)
- Segment: {specific segment you can reach}
- Size: ${amount}
- Criteria: {geographic, demographic, or technical constraints}
### Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM)
- Realistic capture: ${amount} over {timeframe}
- Assumptions: {market share %, conversion rates}
Market Segmentation
| Segment | Size | Growth | Competition | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | $2B | 12% | High | Medium |
| SMB | $800M | 18% | Medium | High |
| Developer tools | $500M | 25% | Low | High |
| Education | $300M | 8% | Low | Medium |
Competitive Landscape
Feature Matrix
| Capability | Us | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|------------|:--:|:-----------:|:-----------:|:-----------:|
| Core feature 1 | ● | ● | ◐ | ○ |
| Core feature 2 | ● | ○ | ● | ● |
| Feature 3 | ◐ | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Feature 4 | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Integration X | ● | ◐ | ● | ○ |
● = Full support ◐ = Partial ○ = None
Positioning Map
High Price
│
Enterprise │ Premium
Solutions │ Tools
│
Low ────────┼──────── High
Innovation │ Innovation
│
Legacy │ Open Source /
Tools │ Community
│
Low Price
Competitor Profiles
## {Competitor Name}
**Positioning:** {one-sentence positioning}
**Target:** {primary customer segment}
**Pricing:** {model and range}
**Strengths:** {2-3 key strengths}
**Weaknesses:** {2-3 key weaknesses}
**Recent moves:** {latest product/market changes}
**Threat level:** High / Medium / Low
Gap Identification
Gap Types
| Gap Type | Description | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Feature gap | Missing capability | Feature requests, workarounds |
| Segment gap | Unserved customer type | Forums, job boards, community |
| Price gap | No option at price point | Customer complaints, DIY solutions |
| Integration gap | Missing connection | Stack compatibility issues |
| Quality gap | Poor existing solutions | Low satisfaction, high churn |
| Geography gap | Unserved region | Language/compliance gaps |
Gap Discovery Methods
### Direct Research
- Customer interviews (5-10 per segment)
- Support ticket analysis (top 20 requests)
- Feature request boards (competitor and own)
- App store reviews (1-star and 3-star)
### Indirect Research
- Job postings (what tools are companies hiring for?)
- Stack Overflow questions (what problems remain unsolved?)
- Reddit/community forums (what workarounds exist?)
- Conference talks (what problems are speakers addressing?)
Opportunity Scoring
ICE Framework
| Opportunity | Impact (1-10) | Confidence (1-10) | Ease (1-10) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developer API | 9 | 7 | 5 | 7.0 |
| Mobile app | 6 | 8 | 3 | 5.7 |
| Enterprise SSO | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8.0 |
| Free tier | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7.0 |
Score = (Impact + Confidence + Ease) / 3
RICE Framework
| Opportunity | Reach | Impact | Confidence | Effort | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developer API | 500 | 3 | 80% | 3 months | 400 |
| Mobile app | 2000 | 1 | 60% | 6 months | 200 |
Score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort
Positioning Strategy
Positioning Statement Template
For {target customer}
who {need/problem},
{product name} is a {category}
that {key benefit}.
Unlike {primary competitor},
we {key differentiator}.
Strategic Options
| Strategy | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Head-to-head | Strong differentiator | Better UX than market leader |
| Niche focus | Underserved segment | "Built specifically for..." |
| Blue ocean | Category creation | New category definition |
| Platform play | Ecosystem potential | Extensibility as moat |
| Price disruption | Overpriced market | Free/open-source alternative |
SWOT Analysis
| | Positive | Negative |
|---|---------|----------|
| **Internal** | **Strengths** | **Weaknesses** |
| | • {strength 1} | • {weakness 1} |
| | • {strength 2} | • {weakness 2} |
| **External** | **Opportunities** | **Threats** |
| | • {opportunity 1} | • {threat 1} |
| | • {opportunity 2} | • {threat 2} |
Anti-Patterns
- Analysis paralysis — Set a time-box; analysis that delays action costs more than imperfect analysis
- Competitor obsession — Focus on customer needs, not competitor features
- Confirmation bias — Seek disconfirming evidence, not just supporting data
- Static analysis — Markets change; revisit quarterly
- Ignoring indirect competitors — Spreadsheets, manual processes, and "do nothing" are competitors
- Feature parity as strategy — Matching competitors feature-for-feature is not differentiation