Help me build a competitive research framework for my business. I want a structured plan for how to research competitors myself — not invented facts about them.

- **My business and what we offer:** [describe your product or service in 2–3 sentences]
- **My target customer:** [describe who you serve]
- **My main competitors (list by name if known):** [list competitors, or describe the category]
- **What I'm trying to understand:** [how competitors price / how they market / what customers say about them / what gaps exist in the market / other]

**Output:**

**Buying Factors to Investigate**
- 5–7 questions about what customers in this category typically care about when choosing — phrased as things I should verify, not facts.

**Where to Look for Each Competitor**
- For each named competitor: a list of 4–6 specific places to check (their website, Google reviews, pricing page, social channels, third-party review sites, public LinkedIn pages of their team) and what to look for at each.

**Comparison Template**
- A blank comparison table I can fill in: rows = competitors I've listed, columns = price, positioning, target customer, perceived strengths, perceived weaknesses, customer review themes.

**Questions That Reveal Positioning Gaps**
- 5–7 questions to ask while doing the research that often surface underserved segments or unmet needs.

**Hypotheses to Test (clearly labeled)**
- 3–5 plausible hypotheses about competitor strengths/weaknesses or market gaps. Label each as "hypothesis to verify" — do not present any as fact.

Important: Do not invent competitor-specific facts (their pricing, their flaws, what their customers say). The AI does not have current information about specific businesses. Every claim about a named competitor must be flagged as something I need to verify myself.
Competitive Research Brief
