foundations-market-intelligence

Market Intelligence Agent

Overview

The Market Intelligence Agent provides comprehensive market analysis for startup decision-making. This agent merges four specialized capabilities: Context Mapping, Opportunity Evaluation, Segment Profiling, and Competitor Intelligence into a unified workflow that produces actionable market insights.

Primary Use Cases: Market discovery, TAM/SAM/SOM analysis, competitive assessment, customer segmentation, opportunity scoring, market timing evaluation.

Lifecycle Phases: Discovery (primary), quarterly reviews, major pivots, expansion planning.

Core Functions

1. Market Sizing & Segmentation

Calculate addressable market using rigorous bottom-up and top-down methodologies.

Workflow:

1. Define Market Boundaries
2. Establish geographic scope (countries, regions, cities)
3. Identify industry vertical(s) and sub-segments
4. Clarify product/service category definition

1. Calculate TAM (Total Addressable Market)
2. Top-Down Method: Industry reports × applicable percentage
3. Bottom-Up Method: Target customer count × average revenue per customer × adoption rate
4. Value Theory Method: Problem cost × affected population × solution value capture
5. Cross-validate all three methods; use conservative estimates

1. Calculate SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market)
2. Apply geographic constraints
3. Apply channel access limitations
4. Apply regulatory or compliance filters
5. SAM = TAM × (serviceable percentage)

1. Calculate SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market)
2. Assess realistic market share in 1-3 years
3. Factor in competitive intensity
4. Account for GTM capacity constraints
5. SOM = SAM × (obtainable market share %)

1. Segment the Market
2. Demographic Segmentation: Age, income, company size, industry
3. Psychographic Segmentation: Values, attitudes, lifestyle, culture
4. Jobs-to-be-Done Segmentation: Functional jobs, emotional jobs, social jobs
5. Identify 3-5 distinct segments with unique characteristics

1. Validate Segment Viability
2. Willingness to Pay: Evidence of budget allocation for similar solutions
3. Urgency Score: How critical is solving this problem (1-5 scale)
4. Accessible Channels: Can you reach this segment cost-effectively?
5. Rank segments by: size × urgency × accessibility

Output Template:

Market Size Analysis
├── TAM: $XXM - $XXXM (methodology: top-down + bottom-up)
├── SAM: $XXM - $XXM (X% of TAM, constraints: geography, channels)
├── SOM (Year 1-3): $XM - $XXM (X% market share assumption)
└── Confidence Level: High/Medium/Low (rationale)

Top 3 Segments (prioritized):
1. [Segment Name]
   - Size: X customers / $XXM market
   - Pain Severity: X/5
   - Urgency: X/5
   - Accessibility: [channels]
   - Willingness to Pay: $X-$X per [unit]

2. [Segment Name]...
3. [Segment Name]...

Penetration Strategy:
- Entry segment: [Segment 1]
- Expansion path: [Segment 1] → [Segment 2] → [Segment 3]
- Rationale: [why this sequence]

2. Competitive Analysis

Map the competitive landscape to identify differentiation opportunities and strategic positioning.

Workflow:

1. Identify Competitors
2. Direct Competitors: Same solution, same target customer
3. Indirect Competitors: Different solution, same job-to-be-done
4. Future Threats: Adjacent players who could enter, tech disruption
5. Limit to top 5 most relevant competitors for focus

1. Analyze Competitive Positioning
2. Value proposition and messaging
3. Target customer segments
4. Pricing strategy and business model
5. Brand perception and market position

1. Map Feature Gaps
2. Core features they offer
3. Notable omissions or weaknesses
4. User complaints and pain points (review mining)
5. Technical limitations or debt

1. Assess Go-to-Market Strategies
2. Primary acquisition channels
3. Sales model (self-serve, sales-led, hybrid)
4. Partnership ecosystem
5. Content and thought leadership

1. Track Strategic Activity
2. Recent funding rounds and amounts
3. Product releases and roadmap signals
4. Pricing changes and promotional tactics
5. Acquisitions, partnerships, leadership changes

1. Identify Differentiation Opportunities
2. Unserved or underserved segments
3. Feature gaps with high customer demand
4. Business model innovations (pricing, packaging)
5. Channel or GTM advantages

Output Template:

Competitive Matrix

| Competitor | Positioning | Strengths | Weaknesses | Pricing | Funding |
|------------|-------------|-----------|------------|---------|---------|
| [Name 1]   | [1 line]    | [3 max]   | [3 max]    | $X/mo   | $XM     |
| [Name 2]   | [1 line]    | [3 max]   | [3 max]    | $X/mo   | $XM     |
| ...        |             |           |            |         |         |

Differentiation Opportunities:
1. [Opportunity]: [Description + rationale]
2. [Opportunity]: [Description + rationale]
3. [Opportunity]: [Description + rationale]

Competitive Threats:
- Immediate: [threat + mitigation strategy]
- Medium-term: [threat + monitoring plan]
- Long-term: [threat + strategic positioning]

Recommended Positioning:
[1-2 sentences describing unique strategic position]

3. Customer Intelligence

Deep research into target customer problems, buying behavior, and decision criteria.

Workflow:

1. Research Pain Points
2. Primary Research: Customer interviews (minimum 10-15 for validity)
3. Secondary Research: Reviews, forums, support tickets, social media
4. Jobs-to-be-Done Analysis: Functional, emotional, and social jobs
5. Quantify: frequency, severity, current workarounds

1. Define Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
2. Firmographics (B2B): Company size, industry, revenue, growth stage
3. Demographics (B2C): Age, income, location, education, occupation
4. Behavioral: Tech adoption curve, buying triggers, budget authority
5. Psychographic: Values, motivations, fears, aspirations

1. Create Personas
2. 2-3 primary personas (avoid over-proliferation)
3. Include: role, goals, challenges, information sources, objections
4. Map buying journey: awareness → consideration → decision → retention
5. Define anti-personas (who NOT to target)

1. Quantify Problem & Solution Value
2. Problem Severity: Cost of status quo (time, money, opportunity cost)
3. Solution Value: ROI or value delivery in measurable terms
4. Switching Costs: Effort required to adopt (time, training, migration)
5. Calculate value-to-cost ratio for prioritization

1. Map Buying Process
2. Decision-maker vs. influencers vs. users
3. Evaluation criteria and deal-breakers
4. Typical sales cycle length
5. Budget cycles and procurement processes

Output Template:

Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
[B2B Example]
├── Company Size: X-X employees
├── Revenue: $XM-$XM ARR
├── Industry: [primary], [secondary]
├── Growth Stage: [seed/series A/B/growth]
├── Tech Stack: [key technologies]
└── Buying Authority: [role/title]

Primary Persona: [Name/Title]
├── Goals: [3 key objectives]
├── Challenges: [3 main pain points]
├── Daily Context: [typical day/workflow]
├── Information Sources: [where they learn]
├── Objections: [typical concerns]
└── Success Metrics: [how they measure results]

Anti-Persona: [Who NOT to target]
- [Profile]: [reason to avoid]

Customer Acquisition Strategy:
├── Entry Point: [specific pain point to lead with]
├── Value Proof: [how to demonstrate value quickly]
├── Buying Triggers: [events that create urgency]
└── First Purchase: [initial offering to convert]

Problem-Solution Economics:
├── Annual Cost of Problem: $X per customer
├── Solution Value Delivery: $X per customer per year
├── Value-to-Price Ratio: Xx (target: >10x for early stage)
└── Payback Period: X months

4. Market Dynamics

Assess market growth, trends, and timing to evaluat