Module 6: Competitive Landscape
Learning objectives: how to analyse your market, present it to investors, and position yourself within it.
Markets are dynamic. Opportunities are constantly being created. The companies competing to take advanatge of the opportunities change over time. This module will help you understand market fundamentals and how to present yours to investors in way that you seem destined to win. It will show you how to avoid the worst mistakes other founders make, find a robust competitive set, and how to compare yourself against others competing in your market space.
Back to course overview
Written and audio guide: 17 mins
Summary video
Essentials
How to approach it
Slide template
Investor insights, covering common mistakes and tips and tricks
More resources
3 Tool exercises:
Create a dynamic market map showing you are destined to win (~45 mins)
Identity the different kinds of competitors you are likely to face, both now and in the future (~30 mins)
Develop a strategy canvas to show how you will win in contested market space (~30-60 mins)
U2R Dynamic Market Mapper
Early stage investors are rarely experts in your sector. Even if they are, they want to know what you think are the most important market dynamics and who you are competing against. The U2R Dynamic Market Mapper helps you identify the two most important market shifts, which are used as the axes for your market map. If you can convince investors that your reading of the market is right, you will have them hooked.
U2R Competition Spotter
Every start-up competes against someone. Investors cringe when they hear 'I have no competitors.' The U2R Competition Spotter will help you to impress them with your knowledge of your competitive set. It helps you understand who are your direct and indirect competitors, current and future. You can use this list to populate your market map.
U2R Value Creation Comparator
If you are in a crowded market space with several direct competitors, you need to show you have what it takes to take them on and beat them. This has nothing to do with the features your product offers, which can be easy copied. The U2R Value Creation Comparator helps you build a strategy canvas for your sector to identify your unique sources of customer value creation. Use these to create competitor comparisons that prove you have the winning formula.
The Start-Up Pitch Deck Course
£299 / $399 / €349
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'Working with Marcus and Nick has been a magical experience. They've helped me crack my own pitch deck and messaging. They've done the same for startups we invested in. They can do it for you as well.'
Peet Denny, Founding Partner - Climate VC
As an angel investor you have the ability to influence and make a real difference with the value you can add. Marcus does this through his startup investments and Nick has added so much value along my journey including through the Thunderdome where I perfected my pitch deck and purpose statement. Big thank you to the U2R team!'
Andy Ayim, MBE and founder of Angel Investing School
'The team at U2R are the real deal. They have been there and done it. For me that is the type of person I trust to give advice/ guidance, not self appointed experts.'
Scott Wylie, serial founder and CEO of Seven
