A Claude Code skill that runs an on-demand competitive reality check. Type "run moat radar" and it searches the web for what your competitors shipped, scores defensibility across 7 vectors, and tells you where you're strong vs. exposed.
- You say "run moat radar" (or "how defensible are we", "competitive analysis", etc.)
- The skill searches the web for recent competitive signals — product launches, pricing changes, funding rounds, new entrants
- It scores each competitor across 7 defensibility vectors (1–5 scale)
- It generates two outputs:
- Heatmap artifact — interactive grid with color-coded scores, click for evidence
- Markdown report — narrative assessment you can share with investors, advisors, or your newsletter
Scored 1–5 with evidence. Methodology Lock-in and Switching Costs are weighted 1.5x.
| # | Vector | What It Measures | 1 (Weak) | 5 (Strong) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Methodology Lock-in | Proprietary analytical framework | Generic dashboards | Named methodology + endorsement |
| 2 | Data Network Effects | Cross-customer value | Single-tenant | Aggregate benchmarks, industry baselines |
| 3 | Switching Costs | Workflow embedding depth | CSV export, easy leave | Deep integrations, data dependency |
| 4 | Distribution Advantage | GTM efficiency trend | Paid ads only | Content moat, SEO, community |
| 5 | Speed-to-Value | Time to first insight | Multi-week onboarding | Self-serve, instant insights |
| 6 | Pricing Architecture | Expansion dynamics | Single tier, easy undercut | Free wedge + expansion, value-anchored |
| 7 | Technical Differentiation | Replication difficulty | Standard stack | Proprietary data layer, novel AI pipeline |
The skill flags these conditions in its report:
| Condition | Level |
|---|---|
| Score change >= 1 point | SHIFT |
| New entrant found | NEW THREAT |
| Competitor pricing change | PRICING |
| Competitor funding round | FUNDING |
| Your product < 2 on 3+ vectors | MOAT EROSION |
.claude/skills/moat-radar/
├── SKILL.md # The skill definition (below)
└── references/
└── baseline.md # Your product + competitor context
Create references/baseline.md with your product context. This grounds the scoring:
# My Product Baseline
## Product
- **What it does**: [your product description]
- **ICP**: [your target customer]
- **Methodology**: [your framework/approach, if any]
- **Pricing**: [your tiers]
## Competitors to Track
- [Competitor 1] — [what they do, why they matter]
- [Competitor 2] — [what they do, why they matter]
- [Competitor 3] — [what they do, why they matter]
- [Competitor 4] — [what they do, why they matter]
## Known Strengths (for scoring calibration)
- [Vector]: [why you think you're strong/weak here]
## Known Weaknesses
- [Vector]: [honest assessment]Copy the skill definition below into .claude/skills/moat-radar/SKILL.md.
Customize:
- The competitor names in "When to Trigger"
- The default competitor set in Step 2
- The search terms in Step 2 (swap in your product category)
---
name: moat-radar
description: >
Competitive defensibility assessment skill. Triggered when the user asks about
competitive positioning, moat strength, defensibility, or says "moat radar",
"run moat assessment", "competitive analysis", "how defensible is my product",
or "deep dive on [competitor]". Also triggers when the user mentions any
tracked competitor by name in a competitive context.
---
# Moat Radar — Competitive Defensibility Assessment
## When to Trigger
- "Run a moat assessment" / "moat radar" / "how defensible are we"
- "Deep dive on [competitor name]"
- "Compare us to [competitor] on [vector]"
- Any competitive positioning question about your product
## Workflow
### Step 1: Gather Context
Check if the user mentions a specific competitor, vector, or focus area.
If not, run a broad assessment. Read `references/baseline.md` for current
product context and known strengths/weaknesses.
### Step 2: Web Search for Competitive Signals
Search for each competitor in the competitive set. Default set:
[YOUR COMPETITORS HERE]
Also search for new entrants:
- "[your product category] alternatives [year]"
- "[your product category] tools"
- "[your core methodology] software"
Limit to 4-6 companies total. Focus on recent signals: product launches,
pricing changes, funding, hiring, content velocity, reviews.
### Step 3: Score Each Vector
For each company x vector, assign:
- **Score** (1-5)
- **Evidence** (1-2 sentence justification with source)
- **Trend** (up / stable / down)
Be honest. If your product is weak somewhere, say so — that's the point.
The seven vectors (Methodology Lock-in and Switching Costs weighted 1.5x):
1. Methodology Lock-in — proprietary framework vs. generic features
2. Data Network Effects — does the product improve with more users
3. Switching Costs — how embedded in customer workflows
4. Distribution Advantage — organic reach vs. paid acquisition
5. Speed-to-Value — time to first insight
6. Pricing Architecture — expansion revenue dynamics
7. Technical Differentiation — how hard to replicate
### Step 4: Generate Outputs
**Output A: Interactive Heatmap Artifact**
Generate a React artifact with:
- Companies as rows, vectors as columns
- Color-coded cells (red 1-2, amber 3, green 4-5)
- Click any cell to see evidence + gap to best-in-class
- Gap bar chart: your product vs. best-in-class per vector
- Actions tab with prioritized recommendations (gap x weight)
- Overall weighted moat score
**Output B: Markdown Report**
Structure:
- Overall Moat Score: X.X / 5.0
- Competitive Landscape (brief narrative)
- Vector Scores (all 7 with evidence and trends)
- Key Threats (top 2-3)
- Priority Actions (2-3 ranked by leverage)
### Step 5: Strategic Commentary
After presenting outputs, add 3-5 sentences covering:
- Single biggest moat risk right now
- Highest-leverage opportunity to strengthen defensibility
- Any surprising findings from the web searchThe framework is industry-agnostic. The 7 vectors apply whether you're building developer tools, fintech, healthcare SaaS, or marketplaces. What changes:
- Your competitors — swap in the 4-6 companies you actually compete with
- Your baseline — honest self-assessment grounds the scoring
- Search terms — use your actual product category keywords
- Vector weights — if methodology isn't relevant to your space, adjust the 1.5x weights to vectors that matter more (e.g., data network effects for marketplace businesses)
In Claude Code:
> run moat radar
> how defensible are we against [competitor]?
> deep dive on [competitor] — what did they ship this quarter?
> compare our distribution advantage to [competitor]
Run monthly at minimum. The value is in the trend, not any single snapshot.