Selecting Analytical Dimensions

The dimensions you choose to map determine what the landscape reveals. Most competitive maps use two dimensions — typically a market axis and a capability axis. This produces the familiar quadrant chart. But real competitive dynamics operate across six or more dimensions simultaneously: market segment, technology stack, pricing model, geographic focus, customer size, and go-to-market motion. Collapsing six dimensions into two loses information. The advanced approach: map across all relevant dimensions and use multiple two-dimensional views to reveal different aspects of the same competitive reality.

1. Enumerate All Relevant Dimensions List every attribute that differentiates competitors in this market. Include market dimensions (segment, geography, customer size), capability dimensions (technology, product breadth, service depth), and strategic dimensions (pricing model, GTM motion, partnership approach). Aim for eight to twelve dimensions.
2. Prioritize by Buyer Relevance Which dimensions do buyers actually evaluate when choosing between competitors? Not what competitors think matters — what buyers test during evaluation. CLOSER provides this data from competitive win/loss analysis. Buyer-relevant dimensions are the primary mapping axes.
3. Create Multiple Views Generate three to four two-dimensional views, each showing a different pair of dimensions. View 1: market segment vs. pricing. View 2: technology capability vs. customer size. View 3: geographic focus vs. GTM motion. Multiple views reveal competitive dynamics that any single view obscures.