market-gap-analysis

Identify market gaps by combining direct research (customer interviews, support tickets, feature requests) with indirect signals (job postings, forum workarounds, Stack Overflow questions). Classify findings into feature, segment, price, integration, quality, or geography gaps, then score each opportunity.

ICE scores opportunities as the average of Impact, Confidence, and Ease ratings from 1-10. RICE calculates (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort, making it better when you have reach estimates and effort measured in person-months.

TAM is the total addressable market with its size and growth rate from cited sources. SAM narrows this to the segment you can reach given geographic or technical constraints. SOM is your realistic capture based on market share assumptions and conversion rates.

Use a feature matrix to compare specific capabilities across competitors with full, partial, or no support indicators. Use a positioning map to visualize strategic placement along two dimensions like price and innovation, revealing open market territory.

Common anti-patterns include analysis paralysis, obsessing over competitors instead of customer needs, confirmation bias, treating analysis as static, ignoring indirect competitors like spreadsheets and manual processes, and pursuing feature parity instead of differentiation.