Competitive landscape analysis: the public-data method

You can build a credible competitive landscape using only lawful public data and free tools. Here's the method, start to finish. It's the same sourcing discipline a paid report uses — the difference is time, not access.

Step 1: Define the scope before you research

Write down the market, the specific competitors (cap it at five for a first pass), and the questions you actually need answered. Without this, research sprawls and you end up with trivia instead of a decision-ready picture.

Step 2: Pull from the public sources that matter

• Company sites and pricing pages — positioning, packaging, current pricing.
• Archived pricing pages — to reconstruct how pricing changed over time. (Full method here.)
• Filings and public records — for funding, structure, and disclosed risks.
• News and press releases — launches, partnerships, leadership changes.
• Careers pages and job postings — hiring signals reveal where a competitor is investing.
• Public reviews — recurring complaints map to market gaps.

A fuller list lives in the free public-data sources guide.

Step 3: Type every claim as you collect it

For each thing you record, label whether it's a verified fact (with a source), a public statement, your own analysis, or an unproven allegation. This is the step that makes the result defensible. Never let an allegation travel as a fact.

Step 4: Compare on dimensions, not vibes

Lay the set side by side on the dimensions tied to your decision — pricing, positioning, target segment, recent momentum. A comparison table forces consistency and exposes the gaps.

Step 5: Write the summary last, from the findings

The executive summary should be derivable entirely from the sourced findings below it. If a summary line has no finding behind it, cut it.

When to do it yourself vs. commission it

This method works — it just costs 15–20 hours per landscape, repeated as the market moves. If you have time and not budget, do it yourself. If you need a finished, cited artifact for a deck or client and would rather review it than build it, that's what a competitive landscape report is for.