Conducting Market Research
Given a market/industry/product query, produce a structured report with five sections: Market Size, Competitor Matrix, Gap Analysis, Opportunity Map, Recommendation.
Example input: "Analyze the market for AI-powered resume builders in Southeast Asia."
Immediately begin with:
- TAM/SAM/SOM estimate with sources/assumptions
- Growth rate (CAGR) and key drivers ...
Progress:
- Step 1: Define scope — market, geography, segment, timeframe
- Step 2: Estimate Market Size (TAM/SAM/SOM + growth trajectory)
- Step 3: Build Competitor Matrix (identify 4-8 key players)
- Step 4: Run Gap Analysis (unmet needs, underserved segments)
- Step 5: Map Opportunities (prioritized by impact/feasibility)
- Step 6: Write Recommendation (clear, actionable, prioritized)
Step 1: Define Scope
Clarify (or reasonably assume) industry vertical, target geography, customer segment, and time horizon. State assumptions explicitly if not given.
Step 2: Market Size
- TAM (Total Addressable Market): full revenue opportunity if 100% market share
- SAM (Serviceable Available Market): segment reachable by business model
- SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market): realistic capture in 1-3 years
- Include growth rate, key macro drivers (regulation, tech adoption, demographics)
Step 3: Competitor Matrix
Build a table comparing competitors across dimensions:
| Competitor | Positioning | Pricing | Key Features | Strengths | Weaknesses | Market Share (est.) |
|---|
Include direct competitors, indirect/substitute competitors, and new entrants.
Step 4: Gap Analysis
- Unmet customer needs (from reviews, forums, complaints, surveys if available)
- Underserved segments (by geography, price tier, use case, demographic)
- Feature/service gaps vs. customer expectations
- Format as:
Gap → Evidence → Why competitors haven't solved it
Step 5: Opportunity Map
Plot opportunities on impact vs. feasibility, prioritized:
| Opportunity | Impact (H/M/L) | Feasibility (H/M/L) | Time to Capture | Priority |
|---|
Step 6: Recommendation
- 3-5 concrete, prioritized action items
- Each tied back to a specific gap/opportunity
- Include suggested positioning/differentiation strategy
- Flag risks and key assumptions to validate
Example 1: Input: "Market research for boutique fitness studios in Jakarta" Output:
TAM: ~$450M (Indonesia fitness industry, 2024) SAM: ~$80M (Jakarta metro, boutique/premium segment) SOM: ~$2-4M (realistic 3-year capture for new entrant) Growth: 12% CAGR driven by rising health awareness, middle-class expansion
| Competitor | Positioning | Pricing | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness First | Mass premium | $60-90/mo | Brand, locations | Generic experience |
| F45 Jakarta | HIIT boutique | $100-150/mo | Community, branding | High churn, price-sensitive |
| Local studios | Niche (yoga/pilates) | $40-80/mo | Loyal niche base | Limited scale, inconsistent quality |
Gap: No mid-price boutique combining strength + recovery (sauna/cold plunge) → Evidence: high demand in FB groups, no direct competitor offers this combo → Why unsolved: requires higher capex than typical boutique studio
| Opportunity | Impact | Feasibility | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery-focused boutique | High | Medium | 1 |
| Corporate wellness partnerships | Medium | High | 2 |
- Launch mid-tier boutique combining strength training + recovery amenities
- Pilot in South Jakarta (highest disposable income density)
- Partner with 2-3 corporates for B2B wellness packages to stabilize early revenue
- Validate willingness-to-pay via pre-launch waitlist campaign
- Always state data sources or clearly mark estimates as assumptions
- Prefer ranges over false precision when data is uncertain
- Prioritize recommendations — never give more than 5, ranked by impact
- Tie every recommendation to a specific gap or opportunity, not generic advice
- Use tables for matrices; keep prose sections tight and scannable
- Don't skip straight to recommendations without market sizing and competitor data as foundation
- Don't list competitors without actionable differentiation insight
- Don't produce vague opportunities ("expand offerings") — make them specific and measurable
- Don't ignore indirect competitors/substitutes — they often reveal real gaps
- Don't present opinions as market facts — flag confidence level when data is thin