Competitive Intelligence Framework

A detailed system for gathering competitive intelligence through multiple data sources, developed by Patrick Campbell (founder of ProfitWell, sold for $200M+).

Core Intelligence Sources

• Two main sources of information:
  • Moles (qualitative data)
  • Mass data collection (quantitative data)

Mole System

• Target sources for moles:

  • Former employees (especially those who left without positive public statements)
  • Current customers who won't switch
  • Investors considering investing in competitors
  • Churned customers from competitor products

• Information gathering approach:

  • Meet targets at conferences
  • Frame conversations casually
  • Build relationships over time
  • Collect different data points from multiple sources
  • Synthesize information to predict competitor moves

Mass Data Collection System

• Customer list building:

  • Find customers through company snippets/tracking
  • Analyze case studies
  • Track logos on websites
  • Use tools like Clearbit

• Shadow NPS Program:

  • Send surveys every 2-3 months
  • Keep surveys short (30-60 seconds)
  • Use generic domains (e.g., "marketingsoftwareresearch.com")
  • Limit to 5 questions maximum
  • Include standard NPS question
  • Ask about feature preferences
  • Track responses over time to identify trends

Data Usage Guidelines

• Don't share competitive intel with product teams

  • Can lead to poor product decisions
  • Focus on customer needs instead

• Best used for:

  • Marketing teams
  • Competitive positioning
  • Understanding market trends
  • Predicting competitor moves
  • Preparing responses to competitor actions

Documentation System

• Keep spreadsheets tracking qualitative information
• Create "red team" docs for potential threats
• Build timeline of competitor actions and changes
• Maintain slides for investor presentations
• Track all information systematically over time

Key Success Factors

• Consistency in data collection
• Multiple data points from different sources
• Long-term tracking and analysis
• Focus on trends rather than individual data points
• Regular updates and maintenance of intelligence