Research competitors for a board update with ChatGPT Deep Research

Posted

Mar 14, 2025 by Section (Chief of Staff to the COO)

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Last checked

Oct 16, 2026

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Method:

How we verify

Evidence: Article or interviewA newsletter, journalist or interview account of what happened.

Context: In a comparison test: from a head-to-head chatbot review, not a standalone agent test.

Outcome

Section's chief of staff gave ChatGPT Deep Research and Gemini Deep Research the same competitive-analysis prompt for its AI coaching product, written from a board member's point of view; she rated ChatGPT's output 4.5/5, saying it surfaced less obvious competitors such as Skillsoft and DataCamp and gave exactly what she asked for, while Gemini's report scored 2.5/5 for being too high level.

Agent

ChatGPT Deep Research

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote this from what it describes.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish.

Goal: Find and compare the competitors to one of our products, in a format a busy board member can read.

Quick-check questions: Which product, who is the reader, and which facts matter most (pricing, traction, partnerships, positioning)?

What I'll give you:
- My product and a one-paragraph description
- Who will read it and what they decide
- Competitors I already know, so they can be skipped or confirmed
- The facts to compare for each competitor

Rules:
- Look beyond the obvious big players and include smaller or adjacent competitors; say why each one counts.
- For each competitor give the offering, pricing, traction signals, notable partnerships and how it differs from us, with a source link and date.
- Mark anything you couldn't confirm instead of guessing.
- Put a one-paragraph summary and a comparison table first, then the detail.
- Keep the full report skimmable: headings, bullets, no walls of text.

Output: A summary, a comparison table and a sourced section per competitor.

If my answers leave a gap, make a sensible choice, say what you assumed, and keep going.

You'll know it worked when: I learn about at least one relevant competitor I didn't know, and every row in the table has a source.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish.

Goal: Find and compare competitors to one of our products for a busy board member.

Questions to ask me first:
- Which product?
- Who will read it?
- Which facts matter most?

Inputs (fill in or confirm):
- Product description
- Reader
- Known competitors
- Facts to compare
- Deadline for the board pack
- Competitors to exclude (e.g. resellers)
- Format for the board pack (slides, memo)

Rules:
- Include smaller and adjacent competitors.
- Give offering, pricing, traction, partnerships and differences with sources.
- Mark unconfirmed items.
- Summary and table first.
- Add a one-line 'so what' for the board under the table.
- Note threats and opportunities per competitor in one line each.
- Keep the main body under 2 pages; put detail in an appendix.
- Look beyond obvious rivals: include adjacent players and big platforms adding similar features.
- For each competitor give offering, target customer, pricing (or 'not public'), traction signals, recent moves and how we differ.
- Cite every fact with a dated link and mark anything older than 12 months.
- Write the summary for a busy board member: 5 bullets, plain language.
- Add a short 'what to watch' list for the next quarter.
- Mark inferences clearly as inferences.
- Check every source link opens before finishing.

If you get stuck: If pricing is hidden, say so. If a login, CAPTCHA or two-step code appears, stop and ask me to handle it; never guess or store passwords.

Verify before you finish: Spot-check sources.

Output: Summary, table and detail.

Done when: I learn about at least one new competitor.

Source

https://www.sectionai.com/blog/chatgpt-vs-gemini-deep-research