Competitive Threat Level
A three-factor threat calculator. Input how often this competitor moves, how relevant their moves are to your buyers, and how defensible your position is. Output: a threat score from low to existential.
Who it’s for: PMMs, competitive intel leads, and CMOs who want a single number they can attach to each tracked competitor — so ‘who is most dangerous’ stops being a vibes conversation.
- 01
10 = in most competitive deals. 1 = we rarely hear their name.
Rarely5Constantly - 02
10 = every release hits a buyer hot button. 1 = they ship things your ICP ignores.
Off-target5Direct hit - 03
10 = funding, hiring, launches, analyst moves. 1 = quiet.
Quiet5Aggressive - 04
10 = analysts and buyers name them unprompted. 1 = you have to explain who they are.
Unknown5Dominant - 05
Inverted: 10 = our position is fragile, 1 = we hold it cleanly. Rate honestly — this is where the threat actually lives.
Rock-solid5Fragile
On your radar for a reason, but out-investing here drains focus. Monthly check-in and a card that stays current, not comprehensive.
Read it honestly, not charitably.
Run this once per competitor. The score is not a ranking of the whole category — it is a standalone read on one name. Three competitors each scoring 60 is a different problem than one at 85 and two at 35.
The last input — defensibility — is inverted on purpose. High values mean your position is fragile, not strong. A competitor who does nothing remarkable is still a threat if your positioning cannot withstand their quiet presence.
Expect most well-tracked competitors to land between 35 and 65. Scores outside that range usually reflect either a blind spot (too low) or a panic spiral (too high). Re-rate with a colleague if you land at either extreme.
Three moves you can make this week.
- Move 01
Score all tracked competitors in one sitting. Rank them. Cap the existential tier at two — past that, investment stops being focused.
- Move 02
For anything at 55 and above, run the Battle Card Priority wizard to decide build order.
- Move 03
Re-run quarterly. Threat level shifts — a quiet incumbent hires a new CEO and becomes a 70 in a month. Competitor Signals automates the watching part.
Why these questions, in this order.
Threat is not frequency. A competitor you face in every deal is not necessarily your biggest problem — not if your close rate against them is 80%. Threat is the product of frequency, relevance, momentum, mindshare, and how easily your position breaks under their weight.
Weighting is intentional. Relevance and defensibility carry the highest weight because both are asymmetric: a direct-hit product move against fragile positioning is the classic shape of a threat that materializes fast. Frequency is necessary but not sufficient.
The inverted defensibility input exists because teams reliably under-rate how much their own positioning is protecting them. A low-defensibility, high-mindshare competitor is not the one with the loudest marketing — it is the one buyers default to when your story feels effortful to retell.
Run the full Competitor Signals.
Daily monitoring of competitor moves before they become surprises.