market-strategy

A powerful custom skill for Claude that enables systematic market entry and PMF (Product-Market Fit) achievement using Toss's battle-tested 16-question framework.

What This Skill Does

This skill transforms Claude into a PMF-focused market strategist that:

• Validates pain points systematically using Pain Point Score (Frequency × Intensity ≥ 20)
• Designs Trojan Horse paths for multi-stage expansion (0 → 1 → 2)
• Creates 10x better solutions through extreme friction removal (90% reduction)
• Validates PMF via data-driven weekly experiments
• Scales to ecosystems with cross-selling strategies (30%+ conversion)

When Claude Will Use This Skill

Claude will automatically invoke this skill when you:

• Plan market entry or beachhead market selection
• Design product strategy from 0→1 or 1→10
• Need to validate whether a problem is worth solving
• Want to create differentiated solutions (10x better, not 2x)
• Design multi-product expansion roadmaps
• Set up weekly experiment cycles for PMF validation

File Structure

market-strategy/
├── Skill.md          # Main skill definition (REQUIRED)
├── REFERENCE.md      # Detailed guide to 16 questions & industry adaptations
└── README.md         # This file

Installation

Option 1: Direct Use (Already in skills/)

If this skill is already in your skills/ folder, just ensure Claude Code's Skills feature is enabled.

Option 2: Export as ZIP for Other Projects

1. Create ZIP package:

   cd skills
   zip -r market-strategy.zip market-strategy/
   

2. Upload to Claude.ai or Claude Code:

   • Go to Settings > Capabilities > Skills
   • Upload market-strategy.zip
   • Activate the skill

Option 3: Share with Others

Share the entire market-strategy/ directory or the ZIP file. Others can:

• Copy to their skills/ directory, or
• Upload ZIP via Claude.ai/Claude Code settings

Quick Start Guide

Example 1: Market Entry Planning

You ask: "I'm building a B2B SaaS for HR teams. How do I find the right entry point?"

Claude will:

1. Invoke Market Strategy skill
2. Apply Part 1 (Q1-Q4 Entry Discovery)
3. Calculate Pain Point Scores for potential problems
4. Select highest-scoring problem (Score ≥ 20)
5. Design Trojan Horse expansion path (Stage 0 → 1 → 2)
6. Deliver prioritized entry strategy with metrics

Example 2: Creating 10x Better Solutions

You ask: "Our onboarding flow takes 2 minutes and 8 steps. How do we make it 10x better?"

Claude will:

1. Invoke Market Strategy skill
2. Apply Part 2 (Q5-Q8 Differentiation)
3. Measure current friction (time, clicks, cognitive load)
4. Set 10x goal (90% reduction → 12 seconds, 2 clicks)
5. Apply 3 tactics: Eliminate, Automate, Predict
6. Provide redesigned flow with validation plan

Example 3: PMF Validation with Weekly Experiments

You ask: "We launched our MVP. How do we validate PMF systematically?"

Claude will:

1. Invoke Market Strategy skill
2. Apply Part 3 (Q9-Q12 Validation)
3. Define North Star Metric + Supporting Metrics
4. Set 12-week targets (Week 4, Week 8, Week 12 milestones)
5. Design 2-3 weekly experiments with "If X, then Y" hypotheses
6. Provide experiment log template and prioritization matrix

The 16-Question Framework

Part 1: Entry Discovery (Q1-Q4)

Find the right market entry point with high pain and low friction.

Key Concepts:

• Pain Point Score = Frequency (1-10) × Intensity (1-10), Target ≥ 20
• Trojan Horse 3-stage path: Entry (0) → Expansion (1) → Ecosystem (2)

Part 2: Differentiation (Q5-Q8)

Create 10x better solutions through extreme friction removal.

Key Concepts:

• Friction Measurement: Time, Clicks, Cognitive Load, Physical Barriers
• 10x Goal: 90% reduction (not 2x or 5x)
• 3 Tactics: Eliminate, Automate, Predict

Part 3: Validation (Q9-Q12)

Validate PMF through data-driven weekly experiments.

Key Concepts:

• North Star Metric + 3-5 Supporting Metrics
• Weekly Experiments: 2-3 max, "If X, then Y will Z%" format
• 12-Week Milestones: Week 4, 8, 12 checkpoints

Part 4: Expansion (Q13-Q16)

Scale from one product to multi-product ecosystem.

Key Concepts:

• Adjacent Markets: Same user different need (horizontal), Same need different user (vertical)
• Cross-Selling: 30%+ conversion rate, 2-3 products per user average
• Synergy: Products reinforce each other via data/network effects

Key Features

• Pain Point Scoring: Objective formula (Frequency × Intensity) to prioritize problems
• Trojan Horse Strategy: Multi-stage expansion planning from day 1
• 10x Thinking: Not incremental (2x), but transformational (10x/90% reduction)
• Weekly Experiments: Systematic validation with hypothesis-driven approach
• Evidence-Based: All decisions backed by customer interviews, data, surveys
• Industry Adaptations: B2B SaaS, E-commerce, Healthcare, Fintech (see REFERENCE.md)

Testing Your Installation

After installing, try these prompts to verify the skill works:

1. Test Part 1 (Entry Discovery): "I'm entering the e-commerce market. Help me find the right beachhead using Pain Point Score."

2. Test Part 2 (Differentiation): "Our checkout flow has 10 steps and takes 3 minutes. How do we achieve 10x improvement?"

3. Test Part 3 (Validation): "We have an MVP with 50 users. Design a 12-week PMF validation plan with weekly experiments."

4. Test Part 4 (Expansion): "We achieved PMF with Product A. What adjacent markets should we expand to next?"

If Claude invokes the Market Strategy skill and follows the 16-question framework, the skill is working correctly.

Customization

You can customize this skill by editing Skill.md:

• Adjust description: Change when Claude invokes the skill
• Add industry metrics: Include domain-specific KPIs (e.g., CAC, LTV for SaaS)
• Modify thresholds: Adjust Pain Point Score threshold (default 20) for your market
• Add case studies: Include examples relevant to your industry

Troubleshooting

Claude doesn't invoke the skill:

• Check that the skill is activated in Settings > Capabilities
• Ensure your prompt involves market planning or PMF validation
• Try being more explicit: "Use market strategy framework to plan entry"

Skill invoked but incomplete:

• The question may be too broad (ask more specific questions)
• Check that Skill.md formatting is correct (YAML frontmatter required)

Need industry-specific guidance:

• Ask Claude to refer to REFERENCE.md
• Or read REFERENCE.md directly for B2B SaaS, E-commerce, Healthcare, Fintech adaptations

Pain Point Score seems arbitrary:

• The score is a heuristic, not absolute truth
• Always validate with customer interviews (5-10 minimum)
• Adjust Frequency/Intensity scales based on your context

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For detailed usage, see SKILL.md. For complete framework guide, see REFERENCE.md.