SWOT is not my favourite tool - not because I don’t find it useful/valuable, but because it’s so rarely understood and used properly. But when it’s used properly, it can be incredibly valuable. It’s usually treated as a documentation exercise - fill in four lists, feel like we’ve done something rigorous, and then never look at the document again. But the four quadrants are not the output - they are the input. The strategic value is in understanding the specific relationship between the observations you’ve recorded in the four quadrants - which strengths can you deploy to capture which opportunities, which weaknesses make you vulnerable to which threats, and what decisions does that analysis demand? In this section, I’ve paired the SWOT framework with the TOWS Matrix - a cross-referencing tool that converts your four lists into four sets of strategic questions, and from there into specific, prioritised actions. Complete the SWOT first, then do the TOWS work. The TOWS is where the strategy lives.
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Need help from AI? At the end of each section on this page, there are three prompts that will help you build out the content and analysis in this page:
What makes a good SWOT entry (and what makes a weak one):
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Before you start, read these four criteria. Every entry in your SWOT should pass all four:
Strengths Internal factors that give you an advantage - capabilities, assets, or characteristics that are genuinely differentiated and relevant to winning in this market.
| Strength | Evidence or basis for this claim | Relevance to GTM |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g. Founder has 15 years of domain expertise in the target industry] | [e.g. Previous role as Head of Operations at three mid-market SaaS companies] | [e.g. Accelerates credibility with ICP and reduces sales cycle length] |
| [Proprietary tech that would take competitors at least 2 years to replicate] | Complex tech built by a specialised team, and a patent to protect it. | Primary messaging should hone in on this; premium pricing. |
| [Strength 3] | ||
| [Strength 4] | ||
| [Strength 5] |
Weaknesses Internal factors that put you at a disadvantage - gaps, limitations, or characteristics that competitors could exploit or that will slow your go-to-market.
| Weakness | Evidence or basis for this assessment | GTM impact if unaddressed |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g. No existing customer base or social proof at launch] | [e.g. Pre-revenue, no case studies or testimonials available] | [e.g. Longer sales cycles, higher objection rate on credibility] |
| [Weakness 2] | ||
| [Weakness 3] | ||
| [Weakness 4] | ||
| [Weakness 5] |
Opportunities External factors that you could exploit to your advantage - market trends, competitor gaps, regulatory changes, or shifts in customer behaviour that create a window for your product.
| Opportunity | Source or evidence | Time sensitivity (Is this window open now, soon, or uncertain?) |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g. Increasing regulatory pressure in this category is forcing companies to find compliant solutions] | [e.g. New legislation effective Q1 next year — from PESTEL analysis] | [e.g. Now - window opens in 6 months] |
| [Opportunity 2] | ||
| [Opportunity 3] | ||
| [Opportunity 4] | ||
| [Opportunity 5] |
Threats External factors that could damage your position - competitor moves, market shifts, regulatory changes, or macro conditions that create risk for your GTM strategy.
| Threat | Likelihood (High / Medium / Low) | Impact if it materialises (High / Medium / Low) | Early warning signal to watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g. A well-funded direct competitor launches in this market within 12 months] | High | High | [e.g. Competitor job postings in this category, VC funding announcements] |
| [Threat 2] | |||
| [Threat 3] | |||
| [Threat 4] | |||
| [Threat 5] |
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🤖 JSON Prompt - SWOT Analysis Generator Prompt
Use AI to generate and stress-test your SWOT inputs with this SWOT Analysis Generator Prompt. Use Notion AI, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity. I would recommend Notion AI, Gemini or Perplexity for this task for their research capabilities:
Review the output carefully. Add anything you know from direct experience that the AI could not surface. Remove anything that is generic or not specifically relevant to your market and ICP. The SWOT is only as useful as it is honest — particularly the Weaknesses and Threats quadrants, which founders consistently understate.