market-research

Market research combines top-down estimates from reports or public datasets with bottom-up sanity checks based on realistic customer acquisition assumptions. Every leap in logic should state its assumptions explicitly, and findings should end in a decision, not just a summary.

Competitive analysis collects product reality rather than marketing copy, funding and investor history if public, traction metrics, distribution and pricing clues, and positioning gaps. Each competitor profile should include strengths, weaknesses, and contrarian evidence.

Investor diligence covers fund size, stage, typical check size, relevant portfolio companies, public thesis, recent activity, and reasons the fund is or is not a fit. It should also flag obvious red flags or mismatches before outreach.

Market sizing uses top-down estimates from industry reports or public datasets combined with bottom-up checks from realistic customer acquisition assumptions. All numbers must be sourced or explicitly labeled as estimates, and stale data should be flagged.

Research quality depends on the availability and recency of public sources, so private company financials and non-public traction metrics may be unavailable. Findings should separate fact, inference, and recommendation, and old data must be flagged rather than presented as current.