--- name: industry-research description: Comprehensive industry research skill providing methodologies, frameworks, and best practices for analyzing industry trends, key companies, market dynamics, and industry-specific developments across consumer, tech, healthcare, and finance sectors tools: Read, Write, Bash, mcp__playwright_* model: inherit thinking: type: enabled budget_tokens: 10000 max_turns: 5 max_budget: 0.10 --- # Industry Research Skill A comprehensive skill for conducting deep industry research across multiple sectors including consumer, technology, healthcare, and finance industries. ## Description This skill provides reusable methodologies, frameworks, and best practices for analyzing industry trends, identifying key market players, understanding market dynamics, tracking industry news, and forecasting future outlooks. ## Core Research Areas ### 1. Industry Trends Analysis - Current market trends and growth patterns - Emerging technologies and innovations - Consumer behavior shifts - Regulatory and policy changes - Market disruptions and transformations ### 2. Key Companies & Market Leaders - Market leaders and their market share - Notable players and emerging competitors - Competitive positioning - Company performance metrics - Strategic initiatives and investments ### 3. Market Dynamics - Market size and growth rates - Key performance indicators (KPIs) - Market segmentation - Pricing trends - Supply chain dynamics ### 4. Industry News & Developments - Recent industry news and events - Regulatory changes and compliance updates - Major mergers and acquisitions - Product launches and innovations - Industry conferences and announcements ### 5. Future Outlook - Emerging trends and opportunities - Market predictions and forecasts - Technology disruptions on the horizon - Regulatory changes expected - Investment and growth opportunities ## Research Methodology ### Phase 1: Source Identification 1. **Industry-Specific News Sources** - Identify top industry publications - Track industry trade publications - Monitor industry association websites - Follow industry analysts and thought leaders 2. **Market Data Sources** - Financial data platforms (Yahoo Finance, Finviz) - Market research reports (Gartner, Statista, industry reports) - Government data sources - Industry databases 3. **Company Information Sources** - Company websites and investor relations - Financial filings and reports - Industry databases (Crunchbase, PitchBook) - News aggregators ### Phase 2: Data Collection 1. **Browser Automation Workflow** - Navigate to each source using Playwright MCP servers - Capture screenshots for visual analysis - Extract structured data from pages - Verify data accuracy against screenshots 2. **Screenshot Analysis** - Always capture screenshots before extraction - Use Read tool to visually analyze screenshots - Extract only what is visible in screenshots - Verify extracted data matches screenshot content ### Phase 3: Analysis & Synthesis 1. **Trend Identification** - Group related information by theme - Identify patterns across multiple sources - Distinguish between trends and isolated events - Note confidence levels based on source diversity 2. **Market Analysis** - Compile market size and growth data - Compare metrics across companies - Identify market leaders and their positions - Analyze competitive dynamics 3. **Insight Generation** - Synthesize information into actionable insights - Connect trends to market implications - Identify opportunities and threats - Provide forward-looking analysis ## Industry-Specific Frameworks ### Consumer Industry Framework - **Focus Areas:** Retail performance, e-commerce growth, consumer spending, brand analysis - **Key Metrics:** Same-store sales, online vs. offline growth, consumer sentiment, brand value - **Sources:** Retail Dive, Consumer Reports, NRF, Statista consumer data ### Technology Industry Framework - **Focus Areas:** Innovation trends, market leaders, sector performance, emerging technologies - **Key Metrics:** Market share, R&D spending, patent activity, adoption rates - **Sources:** TechCrunch, The Verge, Ars Technica, Gartner reports ### Healthcare Industry Framework - **Focus Areas:** Healthcare trends, regulatory changes, biotech developments, market dynamics - **Key Metrics:** FDA approvals, clinical trial results, market size, growth rates - **Sources:** STAT News, Fierce Healthcare, Healthcare Dive, industry reports ### Finance Industry Framework - **Focus Areas:** Banking trends, fintech innovation, regulatory changes, market performance - **Key Metrics:** Assets under management, loan growth, fintech adoption, regulatory compliance - **Sources:** American Banker, Financial Times banking, Fintech News, industry reports ## Best Practices ### Data Quality Standards - ✅ All data should be current (latest available) - ✅ Verify data against multiple sources when possible - ✅ Extract only what is visible in screenshots - ✅ Note data recency and source reliability - ✅ Distinguish between facts and opinions ### Research Workflow 1. **Start Broad:** Begin with industry overview and major trends 2. **Narrow Focus:** Drill down into specific companies and metrics 3. **Cross-Reference:** Verify information across multiple sources 4. **Synthesize:** Combine insights into coherent analysis 5. **Document:** Save all screenshots and raw data for reference ### Source Evaluation - **Primary Sources:** Company websites, financial filings, official reports - **Secondary Sources:** News articles, industry publications, analyst reports - **Tertiary Sources:** Aggregators, summaries, third-party analysis - **Reliability:** Prioritize primary sources, cross-check secondary sources ## Output Structure All research outputs follow this directory structure: ``` outputs/ └── / └── / ├── reports/ # Final markdown research reports ├── scripts/ # Generated research code ├── raw/ # JSON/CSV data files └── screenshots/ # PNG screenshots of sources ``` ## Report Template ```markdown ## [Industry] Research Report **Generated:** [Date/Time] **Research Period:** [Date range] **Sources Analyzed:** [List of sources] --- ### Executive Summary [2-3 paragraph overview of key findings] --- ### Industry Trends [Current trends with analysis and sources] --- ### Key Companies & Market Leaders [Top companies with market position and analysis] --- ### Market Dynamics [Market size, growth rates, key metrics with sources] --- ### Recent Developments [Industry news and events with dates and sources] --- ### Future Outlook [Emerging trends, predictions, and opportunities] --- ### Source Attribution [List of all sources and URLs used] ``` ## Code Examples ### Basic Industry Research Workflow ```python import asyncio from playwright.async_api import async_playwright async def research_industry_trends(industry_sources): """ Research industry trends from multiple sources. Args: industry_sources (list): List of URLs to research Returns: dict: Research findings organized by source """ findings = {} async with async_playwright() as p: browser = await p.chromium.launch() page = await browser.new_page(viewport={"width": 1920, "height": 1080}) for source_url in industry_sources: try: # Navigate and capture await page.goto(source_url, wait_until="domcontentloaded", timeout=120000) await page.screenshot(path=f"screenshot_{source_url.replace('/', '_')}.png", full_page=True) # Extract data (implement based on page structure) # ... extraction logic ... findings[source_url] = extracted_data except Exception as e: print(f"Error researching {source_url}: {e}") await browser.close() return findings ``` ### Market Data Extraction ```python async def extract_market_metrics(page, selector_mapping): """ Extract market metrics from a financial data page. Args: page: Playwright page object selector_mapping (dict): Mapping of metric names to CSS selectors Returns: dict: Extracted metrics """ metrics = {} for metric_name, selector in selector_mapping.items(): try: element = await page.query_selector(selector) if element: text = await element.inner_text() metrics[metric_name] = text.strip() except Exception as e: print(f"Error extracting {metric_name}: {e}") return metrics ``` ## Common Research Tasks ### 1. Industry Trend Analysis - Identify recurring themes across multiple sources - Track trend evolution over time - Distinguish between fads and lasting trends - Analyze trend drivers and implications ### 2. Competitive Landscape Mapping - Identify market leaders and their positions - Map competitive relationships - Analyze market share distribution - Identify emerging competitors ### 3. Market Size Estimation - Gather market size data from multiple sources - Compare estimates across sources - Note methodology differences - Provide range estimates when sources differ ### 4. Regulatory Impact Assessment - Track regulatory changes and proposals - Assess impact on industry players - Identify compliance requirements - Forecast regulatory trends ## Integration with Agents This skill is designed to be used by specialized industry researcher agents: - `consumer_researcher.md` - Consumer/retail industry - `tech_researcher.md` - Technology industry - `healthcare_researcher.md` - Healthcare/biotech industry - `finance_researcher.md` - Finance/banking industry Each agent applies this skill's methodologies to their specific industry domain. ## Dependencies - Playwright for browser automation - Screenshot capture capabilities - Visual analysis tools (Read tool) - Data extraction and processing capabilities ## Performance Notes - Research multiple sources in parallel when possible - Cache screenshots for reference - Save raw data for future analysis - Organize findings by research area for easy access