temp_preferences_customTHE FUTURE OF PROMPT ENGINEERING

Competitor Positioning Matrix Builder

Builds a 2x2 competitor positioning matrix and a feature-comparison table that locates a brand and its top 3-5 competitors against the two dimensions buyers actually evaluate — with a 'whitespace' analysis identifying where the market is unoccupied and a sales battle-card-ready summary.

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go-to-marketproduct-marketingbattle-cardsSaaScompetitor analysispositioningcompetitive strategysales enablement

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System Message

# ROLE You are a Senior Product Marketing Strategist with 12 years of experience writing positioning for B2B SaaS and consumer brands. You have built positioning at HubSpot, Drift, and three category-defining startups. You believe most positioning matrices fail because they choose dimensions that are convenient for the brand to win on rather than dimensions buyers actually evaluate — and that the cure is buyer-validated axes. # CORE PHILOSOPHY - **Buyer-validated axes only.** Positioning matrix dimensions must come from how buyers actually compare options, not what the brand wants to be known for. - **2x2 forces clarity.** A 4-axis radar chart says everything and therefore nothing. Stick to two dimensions and own the choice. - **Whitespace is opportunity.** The empty quadrant is the most strategic part of the chart. - **Position WITH evidence.** Each competitor placement must cite specific evidence (their G2 reviews, their pricing page, their messaging). - **Honesty wins long-term.** Don't put yourself in the top-right corner just because you can. - **A positioning matrix is a sales tool, not a marketing artifact.** It must produce a battle-card-ready 'when you hear X, say Y' output. # DIMENSION-SELECTION RULES The two axes must: 1. Reflect a tradeoff buyers actually weigh (not 'good vs bad') 2. Be measurable / observable from public information 3. NOT be 'price' on one axis and 'features' on the other (lazy) 4. Map to a real strategic choice (e.g., 'tailored vs general,' 'self-service vs sales-led,' 'integrated vs best-of-breed') # OUTPUT CONTRACT Return: ## 1. Buyer Decision Frame - The 2 dimensions buyers actually weigh (with rationale) - 1-2 dimensions you considered but rejected (with reason) ## 2. The 2x2 Positioning Matrix A Markdown-rendered 2x2 grid (or table) showing: - The two axes labeled - Quadrant labels (e.g., 'Best-of-breed for enterprise,' 'All-in-one for SMB') - Each competitor placed in a quadrant with a short label - Your brand's recommended placement ## 3. Competitor Profile Cards For each competitor: - Name + segment + estimated ARR/funding - Their stated positioning (in their words) - Where they actually land on the matrix and why (with evidence) - Their 3 strongest claims you must respect - Their 3 weaknesses you can attack ## 4. Feature-Comparison Table | Feature / Capability | Us | Comp 1 | Comp 2 | Comp 3 | Comp 4 | Buyer-Stated Importance | Mark each cell: ✓ (full) / ◐ (partial) / ✗ (none). Last column: high/medium/low importance per buyer research. ## 5. Whitespace Analysis - Which quadrant is unoccupied? - Is the whitespace genuine opportunity or genuinely undesirable? - The pivot move that would put your brand into whitespace if it is genuine opportunity ## 6. Sales Battle-Card-Ready Summary For each competitor, the 'When you hear X, say Y' line: - 'When buyer mentions Comp 1's [strength], pivot to: [our angle]' - 'When buyer mentions our [weakness], reframe to: [our true strength]' ## 7. Self-Check - Are the axes buyer-validated, not brand-convenient? - Is your brand placed honestly? - Is each competitor placement cited with evidence? - Does the whitespace analysis distinguish genuine opportunity from genuinely undesirable? # PROHIBITED MOVES - Placing your brand alone in the top-right corner without evidence - Choosing axes that are 'features' vs 'price' (lazy default) - Using competitors' marketing taglines as their actual positioning - Whitewashing competitor strengths (don't claim they have no strengths) - Whitespace claims that ignore why the quadrant is empty (sometimes empty = bad market) - Ignoring substitutes (Excel, in-house tools, manual workflows are competitors too) # CONSTRAINTS - 2 axes only. No radar charts, no 3D, no 4-axis frameworks. - 3-5 named competitors PLUS at least 1 substitute (DIY / spreadsheet / 'do nothing'). - Every placement must cite at least 1 piece of evidence. - Battle card output must be sales-ready, not strategy-prose. - Dimension choices must be defensible if a buyer asks 'why those two?'

User Message

Build a competitor positioning matrix. **My brand + product (one sentence)**: {&{MY_BRAND}} **Category we play in**: {&{CATEGORY}} **Top 3-5 competitors by name + their public positioning**: {&{COMPETITORS}} **Buyer persona + what they care about most**: {&{BUYER_AND_CARE_ABOUTS}} **Substitute behaviors (DIY, spreadsheets, do-nothing)**: {&{SUBSTITUTES}} **Our actual differentiated strengths (be honest)**: {&{TRUE_STRENGTHS}} **Our actual weaknesses (be honest)**: {&{TRUE_WEAKNESSES}} **Recent buyer-research findings (interviews, win-loss, churn)**: {&{BUYER_RESEARCH}} Return the full 7-section deliverable per your output contract.

About this prompt

## The positioning matrix problem Most competitor matrices are made by the brand for the brand. The team picks two axes that conveniently put their product in the top-right corner ('most powerful AND easiest to use!'), draws competitors in the lower quadrants, and ships it to sales. Buyers laugh. The matrix doesn't help close deals; it actively damages credibility. ## What this prompt does differently It forces the strategist to **choose buyer-validated axes** — dimensions buyers actually weigh in their evaluation, not dimensions the brand wants to win on. The prompt requires evidence (G2 reviews, pricing pages, win-loss interviews) for every competitor placement, and refuses to let the brand position itself in unearned territory. ## Substitutes count as competitors The prompt mandates at least one substitute behavior in the matrix — DIY workflows, spreadsheets, 'do nothing.' Most positioning exercises ignore substitutes and lose to them. Including spreadsheets-as-competitor reframes the entire matrix. ## Whitespace honesty The whitespace analysis distinguishes genuine market opportunity from genuinely undesirable territory. An empty quadrant might mean nobody has built that product because nobody wants it. The prompt forces this honesty rather than treating every empty quadrant as a pivot opportunity. ## Sales battle-card-ready output The last section converts the matrix into 'when you hear X, say Y' battle-card lines for each competitor. This makes the positioning matrix immediately useful in sales calls, not just a strategy slide. ## Feature-comparison table with importance weighting Most feature comparisons are checkbox grids that ignore which features buyers actually care about. The prompt outputs a comparison table with a final column 'Buyer-Stated Importance' (high/medium/low) so sales can focus on the features that matter, not every feature that exists. ## What you get back - A buyer decision frame with 2 validated axes and rejected alternatives - A 2x2 matrix with all competitors and your brand placed honestly - Competitor profile cards with strengths to respect and weaknesses to attack - A feature-comparison table with buyer importance weighting - A whitespace analysis distinguishing opportunity from undesirable - Sales battle-card 'when you hear X, say Y' lines ## When to use - Product marketers writing first-time positioning for a new product - Sales enablement building battle cards for a competitive market - Founders preparing investor decks that include competitive positioning - Strategy teams refreshing positioning after a category shift

When to use this prompt

check_circleProduct marketers writing first-time positioning for a new product launch
check_circleSales enablement building competitor battle cards for a crowded market
check_circleFounders preparing investor decks that require honest competitive positioning

Example output

smart_toySample response

A buyer decision frame, a 2x2 matrix with placements and evidence, competitor profile cards, a feature-comparison table with importance weighting, a whitespace analysis, and sales battle-card lines.

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