Competitive Landscape and Differentiation Map
Market Research
Pre-Seed
KEY OUTCOMES
A detailed competitive analysis and differentiation strategy that ensures a clear, compelling market position, helping startups refine messaging, uncover market gaps, and stand out from competitors.
CREATED BY
Kendra Garagan
Founder
@
Kenergy
1-3 HOURS
TO COMPLETE
THE OVERVIEW
This template helps founders map out their competitive landscape, analyze how competitors serve the market, and define their unique differentiation strategy. It ensures that startups develop a clear, compelling positioning strategy that makes them stand out in a crowded market.
WHAT PROBLEM IT SOLVES
Many startups fail to properly assess their competition and end up building products that do not stand out. Founders often overestimate their uniqueness or misunderstand how customers compare alternatives. Without a structured competitive analysis, startups risk poor differentiation, weak positioning, and misaligned messaging. This template provides a clear framework to identify competitors, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and carve out a distinct market position.
WHAT'S INSIDE
Competitive Feature Comparison: A structured way to analyze strengths, weaknesses, and gaps Market Positioning Map: Visualize how your startup compares across key dimensions Customer Needs vs. Competitor Solutions: Identify where competitors fall short and how you can position your startup Differentiation Strategy Builder: Framework to craft your unique value proposition based on real market insights
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Gather existing competitor research, customer insights, and market data to ensure your analysis is grounded in real observations rather than assumptions.
IDEAL FOR
Early-stage founders looking to define their unique market position Startups preparing for fundraising or go-to-market strategy Founders pivoting and reassessing their competitive advantage
THE BENEFITS
Provides a structured way to analyze competitors beyond surface-level comparisons Helps founders identify true market gaps and underserved needs Ensures the startup’s positioning and messaging resonate with customers Prevents founders from competing on features alone and instead focuses on differentiated value
CREATOR TIP
Do not just focus on direct competitors—consider alternatives, substitutes, and manual workarounds customers use today.
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