SWOT Analyse

Metadata

Activatietrigger: Je wil inzicht in je positie: waar ben je sterk, waar zwak, waar liggen kansen, waar dreigen gevaren.

Doel: SWOT maken die DIEP gaat (niet oppervlakkig) → Cross-reference matrix (S+O, S+T, W+O, W+T) → Strategische aanbevelingen.

Input: Jouw product, bedrijf, of strategie. Welke context? (Markt, doelgroep, horizon 1 of 3 jaar?)

Output: SWOT (3-5 items per quadrant, kwaliteit > kwantiteit) + Cross-reference matrix + Strategic applications + Concrete recommendations.

Waarschuwing: SWOT is simpel, maar slecht gedaan. De waarde zit in GOEDE VRAGEN en in de cross-references. Niet in "we have a nice list".

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Instructies

Fase 0: Context ophalen

Stap 1 — Check wat er al is Scan uploads, gedeelde mappen en workspace op relevante bestanden (eerdere outputs, research, data). Lees ze door.

Stap 2 — Slimme vragen stellen

• Wel context gevonden → Bevestig kort wat je ziet ("Ik zie [X], klopt dat?"). Stel alleen vragen over wat je nog mist.
• Geen context → Stel onderstaande vragen.

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Fase 1: Context Vaststellen

SWOT zonder context is waardeloos.

Doorvragen:

1. What are we analyzing? (Product, bedrijf, feature, markt, competitieve positie?)
2. Time horizon? (Next 6 months? Year? 3 years?)
3. Relative to what? (vs. competitors? vs. market opportunity? vs. our capabilities?)
4. Who's the customer? (Which segment? Use case?)
5. What's success? (Grow revenue, defend market share, innovate, pivot?)
6. Welke beslissing? Welke strategische beslissing gaat deze SWOT informeren? Een SWOT zonder beslissingscontext wordt een abstracte lijst.

Voorbeeld:

• Analyzing: AI Co-Pilot feature for PMs
• Horizon: 12 months
• vs.: Competitors (Airtable, Linear) + DIY + consultants
• Customer: PMs at 20-500 people B2B SaaS
• Success: 5,000 activated users, $XXX ARR, NPS 60+

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Fase 2: Diepgang — Gerichte Vragen per Quadrant

SWOT gaat slecht als je oppervlakkig bent. Dit zijn de vragen die je ECHT helpen denken.

STERKTES ("What are we genuinely good at?")

Niet "we're innovative" (generic). Specifiek.

• Product/Technology:

  • Welke unique feature/capability hebben wij dat concurrenten niet?
  • Wat kunnen wij beter/sneller/goedkoper bouwen?
  • Welke technologische voordeel hebben wij? (Algoritme, data, architecture?)
  • Schaal-voordelen: kunnen we goedkoper serveren?

• Market Position:

  • Waar hebben we al voet aan de grond? (Klant segments, geografie, use cases)
  • Welke customers hebben ons al, zijn happy, en zouden ons verdedigen?
  • Hoe lang zitten klanten gemiddeld? (Retention = strength)

• People/Organization:

  • Welke expertise hebben WE dat lastig is te kopiëren?
  • Track record: hebben we al successen gebouwd?
  • Culture, speed, decision-making: waar zijn we beter dan anderen?

• Business Model:

  • Welk voordeel zit in onze pricing model? (Network effects, switching cost, bundling?)
  • Operating leverage: hebben we assets die schalen?

Voorbeeld sterktes:

• "Our AI model trained on 10k+ customer interviews = more domain-specific than generic LLMs"
• "Existing user base of 50k PMs = credible starting point"
• "We own the data of how PMs prioritize = competitive moat"
• "Product-led growth expertise: we convert at 30%, vs. industry 5%"

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ZWAKTES ("Where are we genuinely vulnerable?")

Niet "we have limited budget" (external). Zelf.

• Product Limitations:

  • Wat kunnen competitors BETER dan ons?
  • Waar is ons product VERDER van klanten-behoefte?
  • Technical debt: wat verlangt ons?
  • UI/UX: zijn we verouderd? Unintuitive?

• Market Position:

  • Welke segments MISSEN we? (Enterprise? SMB?)
  • Brand: zijn we bekend? Of unknown?
  • Sales channels: hoe bereiken we klanten nu? Inefficient?

• Team/Capability:

  • Welke skills MISSEN we? (Sales, marketing, customer success?)
  • Zijn we klein/bottlenecks? (Founder-dependent?)
  • Hebben we track record in dit domain?

• Business Model:

  • Unit economics slecht? (High churn, low margin?)
  • Customer acquisition cost vs. LTV: favorable?
  • Financiering: kunnen we groeien met hudig budget?

Voorbeeld zwaktes:

• "Brand unknown — only 5% brand awareness vs. competitor 40%"
• "No sales team yet — stuck with product-led only"
• "Technical debt in onboarding flow — high drop-off at activation"
• "Unit economics: CAC $500, LTV $3k, churn 5%/month (not sustainable yet)"

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OPPORTUNITIES ("What trends/changes can we exploit?")

Niet "market is growing" (generic). Specifiek voor JULLIE.

• Market Trends:

  • Welke trend is aan het groeien? (AI adoption, remote work, consolidation?)
  • Is jullie segment growing of shrinking? (TAM expansion?)
  • Regulatory changes die voordeel geven? (Privacy, compliance)

• Customer Needs:

  • Waar is huidge solution nog broken?
  • New use case emerging? (Segment not served yet?)
  • Pijn die groeit? (Inefficiency, complexity)

• Competitive:

  • Competitors leaving? (Market consolidation, focus shift?)
  • Opportunity to reposition/undercut?
  • Partnerships: who benefits from working with us?

• Business Model:

  • Upsell/expansion opportunities? (Land cheap, expand features)
  • New revenue stream? (Consulting, data, marketplace)
  • Distribution partnership? (Resellers, integrations, apps)

Voorbeeld opportunities:

• "AI adoption in enterprise accelerating — budget shifting to AI tools"
• "PMs increasingly data-driven — demand for synthesis, not raw interviews"
• "Competitor X pivoting away from PM tools → market opportunity"
• "Integration with Intercom/Slack: reach users where they work"
• "Enterprise demand for privacy + compliance → premium tier opportunity"

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THREATS ("What could derail us?")

Niet "big competitor exists" (obvious). Specifiek.

• Competitive:

  • Competitor better-positioned? (Larger, more resources, existing customer base)
  • Bigger tech company entering? (Google, Microsoft, Notion building this?)
  • Undercutting on price?

• Market Shifts:

  • Market consolidation? (Fewer, bigger players)
  • Technology disruption? (New way of solving problem?)
  • Demand shift? (AI backlash, regulation?)

• Customer Behavior:

  • High churn potential? (Sticky or easy to switch?)
  • Integration with competitors? (Locked in?)
  • Price sensitivity? (Downward pricing pressure)

• Business Model:

  • Unit economics deteriorate? (CAC rising, LTV dropping)
  • Dependency on third party? (API shutdown, platform policy)
  • Key person dependency? (What if founder leaves?)

Voorbeeld threats:

• "Notion AI, Airtable AI building similar features (incumbent advantage)"
• "Regulatory risk: AI transparency laws could force changes"
• "Customer fatigue with AI hype → features expected, not valued"
• "Switching cost low: users can easily try alternatives"
• "API disruption: we rely on OpenAI/Anthropic — they could compete"

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Fase 3: Kwaliteit Filter — Niet Alles Is Relevant

Je hebt misschien 20 items. Snoei naar 3-5 per quadrant. IMPACT.

Filter op:

1. Impact: Hoe groot effect op strategie?
2. Evidence: Kan je dit onderbouwen? (Niet gissen)
3. Actionability: Kan we hier iets mee doen?

Niet opnemen:

• Generic statements ("we are innovative")
• Uitspraken je kan niet veranderen (macro-economie)
• Nice-to-haves, niet existentieel

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Fase 4: Cross-Reference Matrix (Hier Zit De Magic)

Dit is waar SWOT echte strategie geeft. Je combineert quadrants.

        │ Opportunities  │ Threats
────────┼────────────────┼─────────────
Strength│ BUILD (S+O)    │ DEFEND (S+T)
        │ Leverage       │ Protect
────────┼────────────────┼─────────────
Weakness│ PIVOT (W+O)    │ EXIT (W+T)
        │ Fix or shift   │ Rethink

Vul de matrix in:

S + O = BUILD (Offensive)

Combineer je sterktes met opportunities. Dit is waar groeien zit.

Voorbeeld:

• Strength: "We have trusted user base of 50k PMs"
• Opportunity: "Enterprise spending on AI tools surging"
• Build: "Launch enterprise version with security, compliance, SSO"
• Action: "Hire sales/CS, close 10 enterprise accounts in Y2"

S + T = DEFEND (Protective)

Gebruik je sterktes om bedreigingen af te wenden.

Voorbeeld:

• Strength: "AI model trained on domain-specific data (10k interviews)"
• Threat: "Bigger competitor (Notion) building similar feature"
• Defend: "Make our differentiation about domain specificity, not general AI"
• Action: "Marketing campaign: 'AI that understands PMs', case studies on success rate vs. generic AI"

W + O = PIVOT (Transformational)

Fix je zwaktes om opportunities te grijpen. Of pivot volledig.

Voorbeeld:

• Weakness: "No sales team — can only reach product-led buyers"
• Opportunity: "Enterprise market growing, willingness to pay 10x"
• Pivot: "Hire sales + customer success to move upmarket"
• Action: "Hire VP Sales, allocate $500k for enterprise GTM"

W + T = EXIT (Defensive/Rethink)

Waar je zwak bent EN bedreigd: rethink of exit.

Voorbeeld:

• Weakness: "Technical debt in core feature, low NPS"
• Threat: "Competitor building better product, cheaper"
• Exit: "Do we rebuild (expensive), or pivot to different segment where we're stronger?"
• Action: "Decide: fix or fold this product within 6 months"

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Fase 5: Seven Powers Lens (Optioneel, maar Powerful)

Hamilton Helmer's Seven Powers helpt je BEGRIJPEN waarom je sterk bent (of zwak).

Je sterktes zijn alleen relevant if backed by een "Power".

Power	Definition	SWOT Implication
Scale Economies	Unit cost drops with volume	"Do we have advantages that improve with scale?"
Network Effects	Product better with more users	"Is there a moat if we grow?"
Counter-positioning	Locked in if we do something risky	"What would a competitor need to sacrifice to beat us?"
Switching Costs	Expensive/painful to leave	"Are we sticky? Or easy to replace?"
Brand	Customers prefer you despite alternatives	"Do PMs choose us, or by default?"
Cornered Resources	We have unique asset (talent, data, IP)	"What can't they copy?"
Process Power	We do something better/cheaper/faster	"Why is our operation superior?"

Apply to your SWOT:

• Strength "AI model trained on interviews" → Which Power? Cornered Resources (data)
• Strength "50k engaged users" → Which Power? Network Effects + Switching Costs
• Weakness "Limited brand awareness" → Power missing: Brand
• Threat "Bigger competitor" → They have: Scale Economies

Strategic implication: If you lack Power, how do you build one?

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Fase 6: Strategische Aanbevelingen

Wat moet je doen?

Per cell van matrix, maak je 1-3 concrete actions:

Category	Action	Timeframe	Owner	Success Metric
Build (S+O)	Launch enterprise plan	Q3-Q4 2025	VP Sales (hire)	10 enterprise deals, $500k ARR
Defend (S+T)	Marketing: "domain expertise"	Q2 2025	Marketing	NPS +10, brand awareness +20%
Pivot (W+O)	Fix onboarding + launch sales	Q2-Q3 2025	CEO + VP Sales	Sales close rate 30%+
Exit/Rethink	Decide on product strategy	Q1 2025	CEO	Clear go/no-go decision

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Fase 7: Prioritize the 3-5 Most Critical

Je kan niet alles tegelijk doen. Wat is critisch?

Filter op:

1. Impact: Would this change the game?
2. Feasibility: Can we do this in next 6-12 months?
3. Prerequisite: Does this unblock other stuff?

Top 3-5 actions only.

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Output

Je levert af:

1. SWOT Matrix (3-5 items per quadrant, qualiteit focused)
2. Cross-Reference Matrix (S+O, S+T, W+O, W+T actions)
3. Seven Powers Analysis (Optional: which powers do we have/lack?)
4. Strategic Recommendations (3-5 concrete actions, timeframe, owner, metric)
5. Prioritization (What's the critical path?)

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Bronnen

• Hamilton Helmer — Seven Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy
• Michael Porter — Competitive Strategy (positioning, differentiation)
• Product Faculty — Strategic Analysis & Competitive Positioning
• Jim Collins — Good to Great (core competencies, hedgehog concept)