Who This Helps
This is for product managers stuck in endless 'what if' meetings. You know your idea is good, but you need a clear, visual way to prove it. The Strategy Basics: Competitive Map course gives you that exact framework. It turns your gut feeling into a boardroom-ready case.
Mini Case
Your team is debating whether to build a new social sharing feature. One camp says it's essential; another says it's a waste of time. You spend 2 weeks in meetings with no decision. Sound familiar? Let's fix that.
You map the top 5 competitors. You find 3 of them have strong sharing tools, but they all focus on public networks. Your data shows 40% of your power users want to share privately within small teams—a gap no one is filling. You present this map. The debate ends. The feature gets approved in one meeting.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- List Your Real Competitors. Don't just name the big guys. Include 3-5 alternatives your customers actually consider.
- Pick Two Key Dimensions. Think about what users value most. Is it price vs. ease of use? Depth of features vs. speed? Keep it simple.
- Plot Everyone on a Grid. Get out of the slide deck. Use a whiteboard or a simple spreadsheet. Seeing it visually changes everything.
- Find the Empty Space. Look for the quadrant where no one is playing. That's your potential opportunity. Is it a high-quality, low-cost corner? A niche use case?
- Sketch Your Move. Draw a dot showing where your new feature or product would sit. Can you own that space? Your map is now your story.
Avoid These Traps
- Mapping Too Many Things. Stick to two clear axes. If you try to compare on 7 dimensions, you'll confuse everyone, including yourself.
- Ignoring Niche Players. The small, fast competitor might reveal the trend the big guys are missing. They matter.
- Forgetting the Customer. The map isn't about your internal opinion. It's about how customers perceive the market. Test your axes with a quick user call.
- Letting It Get Stale. Markets move. Revisit your map every quarter. A competitor's new launch could change the whole board.
Your Win by Friday
Your goal isn't a perfect map. It's a clear one. By Friday, have a single slide with your 2x2 grid, competitors plotted, and a big circle around the open space you can own. Walk into your next stakeholder sync and show it. You'll pivot the conversation from 'Should we?' to 'How do we?'
That's the power of a simple map. It turns opinion into strategy. Now go find your open space. The coffee can wait.