bcbeidel/swot

<objective> Create a structured inventory of internal capabilities (strengths/weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities/threats). Use the map to identify strategic options that leverage strengths against opportunities while defending weaknesses against threats. </objective> <process> 1. Define the subject being analyzed (project, product, team, strategy) 2. List internal strengths — what do we do well? What advantages exist? 3. List internal weaknesses — what could improve? What are we missing? 4. List external opportunities — what trends, changes, or gaps can we exploit? 5. List external threats — what risks, competitors, or changes endanger us? 6. Cross-reference: match strengths to opportunities (offensive strategies) 7. Cross-reference: match weaknesses to threats (defensive priorities) </process>

<output_format>

SWOT Analysis: [Topic]

Internal

| Strengths | Weaknesses | |-----------|-----------| | [S1] | [W1] | | [S2] | [W2] |

External

| Opportunities | Threats | |--------------|---------| | [O1] | [T1] | | [O2] | [T2] |

Strategic Options

• Leverage (S+O): [Use strength X to capture opportunity Y]
• Defend (W+T): [Address weakness X before threat Y materializes]
• Improve (W+O): [Fix weakness X to unlock opportunity Y]

Priority Action

[Single most important action based on the analysis] </output_format>

<example> ## SWOT Analysis: Open-Source CLI Tool Competitive Position

Internal

| Strengths | Weaknesses | |-----------|-----------| | Zero dependencies — easy install | No GUI — limits non-technical adoption | | Fast execution (stdlib only) | Small maintainer team (2 active) | | Clear documentation and examples | No plugin ecosystem yet |

External

| Opportunities | Threats | |--------------|---------| | Growing demand for CLI-first developer tools | Well-funded competitor launching similar tool | | Conference talk accepted — visibility boost | Key maintainer may leave in 6 months | | Integration request from popular IDE plugin | AI-assisted alternatives reducing need for CLI tools |

Strategic Options

• Leverage (S+O): Zero-dep install + IDE integration request = ship an IDE adapter that wraps the CLI, capturing both audiences
• Defend (W+T): Small team + competitor launch = focus on what competitor can't easily copy (simplicity, no vendor lock-in)
• Improve (W+O): No plugins + conference visibility = announce plugin API at conference to attract contributors

Priority Action

Ship the IDE adapter integration — it leverages the core strength (simple CLI) to reach a new audience (IDE users) at exactly the moment visibility is growing (conference). </example>

Key Instructions

• The value is the cross-reference step (steps 6–7), not the lists; a SWOT that produces only four quadrant lists without strategic options hasn't been completed.

Anti-Pattern Guards

1. Over-populating all four quadrants — length is noise; aim for 3–5 well-chosen items per quadrant over exhaustive lists that dilute the signal.
2. Skipping the cross-reference — the strategic options (S+O, W+T, W+O) are where SWOT becomes actionable; listing quadrants without cross-referencing them is only half the analysis.

Handoff

Chainable to: opportunity-cost (to evaluate tradeoffs between strategic options), eisenhower-matrix (to prioritize the resulting strategic actions)