Market Research & Analysis
Expert market research skill — from market sizing and competitive analysis through consumer research and professional consulting-grade reports with LaTeX formatting and visual generation.
Quick Start
Choose your workflow:
- Market Sizing — TAM/SAM/SOM calculations
- Competitive Analysis — Landscape mapping and positioning
- Consumer Research — Surveys, interviews, behavior analysis
- Professional Report — 50+ page consulting-style report with LaTeX + visuals
Market Sizing (TAM → SAM → SOM)
Step 1: Define Scope
- Product/service being analyzed
- Geography (target regions)
- Customer segment (who specifically)
- Time frame (current year or 5-year projection)
Step 2: Calculate TAM (Top-Down)
TAM = Total market demand at 100% market share
= (Total potential customer base) × (avg contract value)
Data sources: Gartner, Forrester, IBISWorld, government statistics, trade associations
Step 3: Calculate SAM
SAM = Portion of TAM you can realistically serve
Apply filters: geographic constraints, product limitations, customer size constraints
Typically 5-20% of TAM
Step 4: Calculate SOM
SOM = Realistic near-term market share (1-3 years)
Conservative benchmarks:
Year 1: 0.1-0.5% of SAM
Year 2: 0.5-2% of SAM
Year 3: 1-5% of SAM
Step 5: Bottom-Up Validation
Bottom-up = (realistic target customers) × (conversion rate) × (ACV)
If top-down SOM / bottom-up > 3x → revisit top-down assumptions
Competitive Landscape Analysis
Competitor Categories
| Type |
Definition |
Example |
| Direct |
Same product, same customer |
Asana vs Monday.com |
| Indirect |
Different product, same problem |
Asana vs Excel |
| Substitute |
Alternative way to address need |
Asana vs consultants |
| Potential |
Could enter market easily |
Microsoft, Google |
Competitive Intelligence Sources
- Company websites (pricing, features, positioning)
- App store reviews (G2, Capterra — look for "appears X times" keywords)
- Crunchbase (funding, valuation, growth trajectory)
- Job postings (what they're investing in)
- LinkedIn (employee count trends, key hires)
- Gartner Magic Quadrant (market positioning)
Positioning Map Template
Create a 2D matrix:
- X-axis: Price (Low → High)
- Y-axis: Feature complexity / target segment (Simple → Advanced)
Plot all competitors. Look for gaps — unserved or underserved quadrants = market opportunity.
Core Analysis Frameworks
Porter's Five Forces (rate each High / Medium / Low)
- Threat of New Entrants — Barriers to entry, capital requirements, brand loyalty
- Supplier Power — Concentration, switching costs, substitute inputs
- Buyer Power — Concentration, price sensitivity, switching costs
- Threat of Substitutes — Alternatives, switching costs, price/performance tradeoff
- Competitive Rivalry — Number of competitors, industry growth, differentiation
PESTLE Analysis
| Dimension |
Key Questions |
| Political |
Regulatory environment, trade policies |
| Economic |
Growth rates, inflation, currency risks |
| Social |
Demographics, consumer behavior shifts |
| Technological |
Disruptive technologies, R&D activity |
| Legal |
Compliance requirements, IP landscape |
| Environmental |
Sustainability trends, regulations |
SWOT + BCG Matrix
For competitive landscape: map competitors on BCG Matrix (market growth vs market share) to identify Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks, Dogs.
Consumer Research
Survey Design
Van Westendorp Pricing:
Ask customers 4 questions to find optimal price point:
- At what price is this too expensive to consider?
- At what price is this so cheap you doubt the quality?
- At what price does this start to feel expensive (but not off the table)?
- At what price is this a great value/bargain?
Plot cumulative % — OPP (Optimal Price Point) = intersection of "too expensive" and "too cheap."
Anti-pattern: Never use leading questions ("Don't you think our innovative product..."). Always include negative response options.
Interview Framework
For qualitative research:
- Define clear research objectives first
- Minimum 5-10 interviews for directional insight, 15-20 for patterns
- Focus on jobs to be done and pain points, not feature preferences
- Capture verbatim language — exact phrases are more valuable than summaries
Quality Checklist
Professional Market Research Reports
Generates consulting-grade reports (50+ pages) modeled on McKinsey, BCG, Gartner deliverables.
Report Structure (~66 pages target)
Front Matter (~5 pages): Cover page · Table of Contents · Executive Summary (investment thesis, key findings, top 5 recommendations)
Core Analysis (~35 pages):
| Chapter |
Pages |
Key Frameworks |
| Market Overview & Definition |
4-5 |
Industry structure |
| Market Size & Growth |
6-8 |
TAM/SAM/SOM, regional breakdown |
| Industry Drivers & Trends |
5-6 |
PESTLE, driver impact matrix |
| Competitive Landscape |
6-8 |
Porter's Five Forces, positioning matrix |
| Customer Analysis |
4-5 |
Segmentation, customer journey |
| Technology & Innovation |
4-5 |
Technology roadmap, adoption curve |
| Regulatory & Policy |
3-4 |
Regulatory timeline |
| Risk Analysis |
3-4 |
Risk heatmap, mitigation matrix |
Strategic Recommendations (~10 pages): Opportunity matrix · Implementation roadmap · Investment thesis
Back Matter (~5 pages): Methodology · Data tables · Company profiles · Bibliography
Visual Generation (generate 6 priority visuals first)
python scripts/generate_market_visuals.py \
--topic "[MARKET NAME]" --output-dir figures/
| Priority |
Visual |
Tool |
| 1 |
Market growth trajectory |
scientific-schematics |
| 2 |
TAM/SAM/SOM concentric circles |
scientific-schematics |
| 3 |
Porter's Five Forces |
scientific-schematics |
| 4 |
Competitive positioning matrix (2×2) |
scientific-schematics |
| 5 |
Risk heatmap |
scientific-schematics |
| 6 |
Executive summary infographic |
generate-image |
LaTeX Compilation
writing_outputs/YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_market_report_[topic]/
├── drafts/v1_market_report.tex ← use assets/market_report_template.tex as base
├── figures/
├── references/references.bib
└── final/
cd drafts/
xelatex v1_market_report.tex && bibtex v1_market_report
xelatex v1_market_report.tex && xelatex v1_market_report.tex
Use \usepackage{market_research} (from assets/market_research.sty).
Colored box environments:
\begin{keyinsightbox}[Key Finding]...\end{keyinsightbox}
\begin{marketdatabox}[Market Snapshot]...\end{marketdatabox}
\begin{riskbox}[Critical Risk]...\end{riskbox}
\begin{recommendationbox}[Recommendation]...\end{recommendationbox}
See assets/FORMATTING_GUIDE.md for complete LaTeX reference.
See assets/market_report_template.tex for the full report template.
Report Quality Standards
- Data: No older than 2 years; all statistics attributed; projections state assumptions
- Writing: Specific numbers over vague qualifiers; insights first, then data; active voice
- Visuals: 300 DPI minimum; colorblind-friendly palette; all axes/legends labeled; sources in captions
- Length: 50+ pages — if under, expand appendix data tables and add regional breakdowns
Pre-Submission Checklist
References & Assets
scripts/generate_market_visuals.py — Batch visual generation for reportsassets/market_research.sty — LaTeX style packageassets/market_report_template.tex — Full report templateassets/FORMATTING_GUIDE.md — Complete LaTeX formatting referencereferences/report_structure_guide.md — Detailed chapter-by-chapter guidancereferences/data_analysis_patterns.md — Analysis patterns and common calculationsreferences/visual_generation_guide.md — Visual creation workflows
Related Skills
product-strategy-and-marketing — Market opportunity within product strategygo-to-market-strategy — Applying market research to launch planningpricing-strategy — Using market research for pricing decisions
