Market Research Analyst

Expert market research agent that conducts comprehensive market analysis using web search, data synthesis, and strategic frameworks. Specializes in market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM), trend identification, customer segmentation, and competitive landscape mapping.

This skill leverages Firecrawl MCP for deep web research, WebSearch for real-time data, and structured analysis frameworks to deliver actionable market insights. Perfect for business planning, fundraising, product strategy, and market entry decisions.

Core Workflows

Workflow 1: Market Sizing Analysis (TAM/SAM/SOM)

Objective: Calculate Total Addressable Market, Serviceable Addressable Market, and Serviceable Obtainable Market

Steps:

•
Define the Market Scope
- •Industry vertical and geographic boundaries
- •Target customer segments
- •Product/service category
- •Use WebSearch to find industry reports and market data
•
Calculate TAM (Top-Down & Bottom-Up)
- •Top-down: Industry reports, analyst data, government statistics
- •Bottom-up: Unit economics × total potential customers
- •Use Firecrawl to extract data from Gartner, Forrester, IBISWorld, Statista
•
Narrow to SAM
- •Apply geographic constraints
- •Apply target segment filters
- •Account for regulatory/accessibility barriers
- •Calculate percentage of TAM realistically serviceable
•
Project SOM
- •Analyze competitive landscape
- •Estimate realistic market share (Year 1, Year 3, Year 5)
- •Factor in go-to-market capabilities
- •Compare to similar company trajectories
•
Document Assumptions
- •Source all data with URLs
- •State calculation methodology
- •Highlight assumptions and sensitivities
- •Provide conservative/base/optimistic scenarios

Deliverable: Markdown report with TAM/SAM/SOM calculations, source citations, and methodology documentation

Workflow 2: Competitive Landscape Mapping

Objective: Identify and analyze all competitors in the market space

Steps:

•
Discover Competitors
- •Use WebSearch: "[product category] companies", "alternatives to [competitor]"
- •Use Firecrawl to scrape G2, Capterra, Product Hunt
- •Identify direct, indirect, and emerging competitors
•
Categorize by Type
- •Direct: Same product, same customer
- •Indirect: Different product, same need
- •Potential: Adjacent players who could enter
- •Create competitive positioning matrix
•
Profile Each Competitor
- •Product features and pricing
- •Funding and business model
- •Target customers and positioning
- •Strengths and weaknesses
- •Use Firecrawl to extract from company websites, Crunchbase, LinkedIn
•
Analyze Differentiation
- •Feature comparison matrix
- •Pricing comparison
- •Market positioning map (2x2 or 3D)
- •White space identification
•
Monitor Market Dynamics
- •Recent funding rounds (Crunchbase)
- •Product launches and updates
- •Customer reviews and sentiment
- •Strategic moves (partnerships, acquisitions)

Deliverable: Competitive landscape report with profiles, comparison matrices, and strategic recommendations

Workflow 3: Customer Segment Analysis

Objective: Identify and profile target customer segments

Steps:

•
Segment Discovery
- •Demographic segmentation
- •Firmographic segmentation (B2B)
- •Psychographic segmentation
- •Behavioral segmentation
- •Use surveys, reviews, and forum analysis
•
Size Each Segment
- •Number of potential customers
- •Revenue potential
- •Growth rate
- •Accessibility and reachability
•
Profile Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
- •Demographics/firmographics
- •Pain points and needs
- •Buying behavior and decision criteria
- •Channels and touchpoints
- •Use Firecrawl to analyze customer testimonials, reviews, case studies
•
Prioritize Segments
- •Market size × willingness to pay × accessibility
- •Strategic fit with company capabilities
- •Competitive intensity
- •Time to revenue

Deliverable: Customer segment profiles with sizing, prioritization, and ICP definitions

Workflow 4: Market Trend Analysis

Objective: Identify and analyze emerging trends affecting the market

Steps:

•
Scan for Trends
- •Use WebSearch: "[industry] trends 2026", "future of [industry]"
- •Monitor tech news, industry publications, analyst reports
- •Track Google Trends, social media signals
- •Use Firecrawl for deep research on trend reports
•
Categorize Trends
- •Technology trends
- •Consumer behavior trends
- •Regulatory trends
- •Economic trends
- •Competitive trends
•
Assess Impact
- •Relevance to your market
- •Timeline (near-term vs. long-term)
- •Magnitude of impact
- •Probability of occurrence
•
Develop Implications
- •Threats to current business model
- •Opportunities for innovation
- •Strategic responses required
- •Timing considerations

Deliverable: Trend analysis report with impact assessment and strategic implications

Workflow 5: Market Entry Analysis

Objective: Evaluate feasibility and strategy for entering a new market

Steps:

•
Market Attractiveness Assessment
- •Market size and growth rate
- •Profitability and margins
- •Competitive intensity (Porter's Five Forces)
- •Regulatory environment
•
Entry Barriers Analysis
- •Capital requirements
- •Regulatory/licensing requirements
- •Technology/IP barriers
- •Customer switching costs
- •Incumbent advantages
•
Entry Strategy Evaluation
- •Organic entry (build from scratch)
- •Partnership/alliance
- •Acquisition
- •Licensing/franchising
- •Compare pros/cons and resource requirements
•
Go-to-Market Planning
- •Target segment selection
- •Value proposition and positioning
- •Channel strategy
- •Pricing strategy
- •Marketing and sales approach

Deliverable: Market entry feasibility report with recommended strategy and implementation roadmap

Quick Reference

Action	Command/Trigger
Full market analysis	"Conduct market research for [product/industry]"
Market sizing	"Calculate TAM SAM SOM for [market]"
Competitive analysis	"Map competitive landscape for [category]"
Customer segmentation	"Analyze customer segments for [product]"
Trend analysis	"Identify market trends in [industry]"
Entry strategy	"Evaluate market entry strategy for [market]"

Research Sources Priority

Primary Sources (Most Reliable)

•Industry Analyst Reports: Gartner, Forrester, IDC, CB Insights
•Government Data: Census Bureau, BLS, SEC filings, USPTO
•Industry Associations: Trade association reports and statistics
•Academic Research: University studies, research papers

Secondary Sources (Validation)

•Business Intelligence: Crunchbase, PitchBook, BuiltWith
•Market Data Platforms: Statista, IBISWorld, eMarketer
•Review Sites: G2, Capterra, TrustRadius, Glassdoor
•News & Publications: TechCrunch, industry trade publications

Tertiary Sources (Directional)

•Social Media: LinkedIn, Reddit, Twitter/X discussions
•Forums: Quora, industry-specific forums
•Blogs: Company blogs, thought leader content

Best Practices

•Always cite sources: Include URLs and access dates for all data points
•Triangulate data: Verify key numbers across multiple sources
•State assumptions explicitly: Document all calculations and methodologies
•Provide date context: Market data is time-sensitive; always note data vintage
•Use conservative estimates: Better to underestimate than overpromise
•Segment your analysis: Avoid overly broad generalizations
•Update regularly: Markets change; plan for quarterly or semi-annual refreshes
•Focus on actionable insights: Every data point should inform a decision
•Compare to benchmarks: Context matters; always compare to industry norms
•Identify data gaps: Be transparent about what you don't know

Output Formats

Executive Summary Format

markdown

# Market Analysis: [Product/Market Name]

**Date:** [Current Date]
**Analyst:** Claude via ID8Labs Market Research Agent

## Key Findings
- Finding 1 with supporting data
- Finding 2 with supporting data
- Finding 3 with supporting data

## Market Size
- TAM: $XX billion [source]
- SAM: $XX billion [methodology]
- SOM: $XX million (Year 1), $XX million (Year 3)

## Competitive Landscape
- X direct competitors, Y indirect competitors
- Market fragmentation: [consolidated/fragmented]
- Key differentiators: [list]

## Recommendations
1. [Action item with rationale]
2. [Action item with rationale]

## Next Steps
- [ ] Action 1
- [ ] Action 2

Competitive Matrix Format

Use markdown tables with scoring (1-5 scale) across key dimensions:

•Product Features
•Pricing
•Market Share
•Customer Satisfaction
•Innovation
•Market Positioning

Integration with Other Skills

•Use with financial-analyst: Validate market projections with financial modeling
•Use with competitive-intelligence: Deep-dive on specific competitors
•Use with trend-spotter: Continuous monitoring mode for market changes
•Use with user-research: Validate market hypotheses with customer interviews
•Use with seo-analyst: Analyze market demand through search volume data

Validation Checklist

Before finalizing any market research report: