Article · 8 min read

How to Create a Killer Competition Slide (Hint: Don't Use a Magic Quadrant!)

Jack Kaufman · Dreamit Ventures Free Intermediate

This is the canonical takedown of the 2x2 you conveniently sit atop, written by a VC who screens decks for a living. It hands you the concrete replacement: a Power Grid (you in the left column, three or four real rivals in the rest, five to ten benefit rows ordered by what the customer actually cares about) and insists you quantify every row (30 percent faster, not much faster) instead of scattering vague checkmarks. That is exactly the honest feature-comparison structure to build.

• A magic quadrant tells the investor you can only differentiate on two axes; a Power Grid shows many dimensions at once
• Order rows by customer importance and put quantified numbers in your cells, leave rival cells blank rather than using qualitative words
• Compare against the three or four rivals your buyer actually considers, not the most famous name in the category