research-market

Market Research

Overview

Conducts comprehensive market research for any industry, niche, product, or service. Uses live web search to pull current data, then synthesizes findings into a structured report covering market size (TAM/SAM/SOM), trends, growth rates, key players, opportunities, and threats. Designed to give the user a clear picture of market dynamics for decision-making — specifically when the question is "how big is this?" or "is there a market for this?"

When This Skill Applies

• User asks about the size of any market or industry
• User wants TAM/SAM/SOM analysis
• User asks "is there a market for X?"
• User wants to understand trends in an industry
• User asks about competitors or key players in a space
• User wants a market overview before launching a product or service
• User asks about growth rates, projections, or forecasts
• User wants opportunity or gap analysis for a niche
• User mentions market validation or feasibility research

How It Works

Step 1: Define the Research Scope

Extract from the user's request:

Parameter	Description	Example
Industry/Niche	What market to research	"B2B SaaS for construction"
Geography	Market boundary — use saved preference as default	US, Global, specific region
Timeframe	Analysis period	Current + 5-year forecast
Depth	How deep to go	Quick overview vs. deep dive
Specific Questions	Anything particular they want answered	"Is there room for a new entrant?"

Step 2: Conduct Web Research

Run multiple targeted web searches to gather current data:

Search queries to run (adapt to the specific market):

1. "{industry} market size 2025 2026" — Current market valuation
2. "{industry} market growth rate CAGR forecast" — Growth projections
3. "{industry} industry trends 2026" — Current and emerging trends
4. "{industry} key players companies market share" — Competitive landscape
5. "{industry} challenges problems pain points" — Market gaps and opportunities
6. "{industry} emerging technology disruption" — Innovation and disruption vectors
7. "{industry} consumer behavior demographics" — Buyer/user analysis
8. "{industry} regulations policy changes 2026" — Regulatory environment

Run at least 4-6 searches. More for deep dives.

Step 3: Synthesize Market Size (TAM/SAM/SOM)

Calculate or estimate using data found:

Metric	Definition	How to Estimate
TAM (Total Addressable Market)	Total revenue opportunity if 100% market share	Industry-wide revenue or volume
SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market)	Portion of TAM targetable by the user's specific product/model	Filter by geography, segment, channel
SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market)	Realistic share capturable in 1-3 years	SAM filtered by competition, resources, reach

If exact numbers are not available, use triangulation:

• Top-down: Total industry size, filter down
• Bottom-up: Number of potential customers x average revenue per customer
• Comparable: Similar markets or adjacent industries as proxies

Always note confidence level: High (multiple sources agree), Medium (extrapolated from partial data), Low (estimated from limited info).

Step 4: Analyze Competitive Landscape

For key players found:

Competitor	What They Do	Est. Revenue/Size	Strengths	Weaknesses
{name}	{description}	{size}	{strengths}	{gaps}

Identify:

• Market leaders and their market share
• Emerging challengers
• Recent entrants or exits
• Consolidation trends (M&A activity)
• White space where no one is serving well

Step 5: Identify Trends and Opportunities

Categorize trends:

Trend Type	Examples
Technology	AI adoption, platform shifts, automation
Consumer	Behavior changes, preference shifts, demographics
Regulatory	New laws, compliance requirements, deregulation
Economic	Interest rates, inflation impact, funding environment
Competitive	New entrants, consolidation, pricing pressure

For each trend, assess: Impact (high/medium/low) and Timeline (happening now / 1-2 years / 3-5 years).

Step 6: SWOT for Market Entry

If the user is evaluating whether to enter or expand in a market:

	Positive	Negative
Internal	Strengths: What the user brings	Weaknesses: What they lack
External	Opportunities: Market gaps	Threats: Risks and barriers

Step 7: Compile and Save Report

Save the research report to cloud brain using mcp__cloud-brain__write_note with:

• --title "{topic-slug}-market-research"
• --folder "brain/research"
• --tags "market-research, research, {industry keywords}"

Check for an existing note first via mcp__cloud-brain__search_notes. If one exists, ask: "A market research report on '{topic}' already exists. Refresh it with current data, or create a new version?"

Output Format

# Market Research: {Industry/Niche}

> **Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD}
> **Scope:** {geography, segment}
> **Depth:** {quick overview / deep dive}
> **Confidence Level:** {high / medium / low}

---

## Executive Summary

{3-5 sentence overview of the market, its size, trajectory, and the key takeaway}

---

## Market Size

| Metric | Value | Confidence |
|--------|-------|------------|
| TAM | ${amount} | {high/medium/low} |
| SAM | ${amount} | {high/medium/low} |
| SOM | ${amount} | {high/medium/low} |
| CAGR | {X%} ({period}) | {high/medium/low} |

**Methodology:** {how the numbers were derived — top-down, bottom-up, comparable}

**Sources:** {list key sources and data points used}

---

## Key Trends

### 1. {Trend Name}
- **Impact:** {High/Medium/Low}
- **Timeline:** {Now / 1-2 years / 3-5 years}
- **Details:** {explanation}

---

## Competitive Landscape

| Player | Description | Est. Size | Market Position |
|--------|------------|-----------|-----------------|
| {name} | {what they do} | {revenue/users} | {leader/challenger/niche} |

### White Space / Gaps
- {gap 1}
- {gap 2}

---

## Opportunities

1. **{Opportunity}** — {description, why it matters, potential size}
2. **{Opportunity}** — {description}

## Threats & Risks

1. **{Risk}** — {description, likelihood, mitigation}
2. **{Risk}** — {description}

---

## SWOT Analysis

| | Favorable | Unfavorable |
|---|----------|-------------|
| **Internal** | {Strengths} | {Weaknesses} |
| **External** | {Opportunities} | {Threats} |

---

## Recommendations

1. {Actionable recommendation based on findings}
2. {Actionable recommendation}
3. {Actionable recommendation}

---

## Sources

- {Source 1 — URL or publication}
- {Source 2}

---

*Market research conducted {date} by MyBusinessGenie AI. Market data should be refreshed quarterly.*

Example Usage

User: "How big is the AI SaaS market for small businesses?"

AI: Runs 6-8 web searches, finds market size data, builds TAM/SAM/SOM estimates with confidence levels, identifies key players and white space. Delivers quick overview or standard depth based on saved preference.

User: "Is there a market for a billing automation tool targeting solo contractors?"

AI: Researches the niche with bottom-up sizing (number of US solo contractors × billing tool penetration rate), identifies direct competitors, evaluates white space and barriers to entry. Delivers a market entry assessment with GO/CAUTION/PASS signal.

User: "Deep dive on the online education market for professional certifications"

AI: Deep dive — multiple searches, detailed competitive analysis, pricing comparison, student demographics, conversion rates, and specific opportunities for a new entrant.

Error Handling

• If WebSearch is unavailable: Inform the user and offer to proceed from training data with a lower confidence flag.
• If web search returns limited data for a niche market: Use triangulation methods and note the confidence level. "Limited direct data available — estimates derived from {method} with {low/medium} confidence. Cross-reference before major decisions."
• If the user does not specify a market: Ask: "What market or industry do you want me to research? The more specific, the better — 'creative finance for vehicles in the US' is better than 'finance'."
• If TAM/SAM/SOM data is conflicting: Show calculation methodology, present ranges rather than single numbers, and flag: "These are estimates. For precise market sizing, consider commissioning a formal market study."
• If the user asks for a geography not well-covered by English-language search: Note: "Data for {geography} may be limited in English-language sources. Results are based on what I could find. Consider local language research or regional industry reports for deeper coverage."