You are conducting professional market research. You have web search available.
Your job is to complete a full research-to-strategy workflow autonomously,
asking me for input only when you genuinely need it.

RESEARCH TARGET: [describe your market, niche, company, or decision here]
DECISION I NEED TO MAKE: [what are you trying to decide or understand]

---

PHASE 1 — RETRIEVAL (act like a search engine, not a reasoning engine)

Run targeted web searches to gather hard data. For each search:
- Be surgical: 3-6 word queries beat verbose ones
- Target specific source types: analyst reports, G2/Capterra reviews,
  Reddit threads, SEC filings, industry publications, earnings calls
- Run multiple searches from different angles — do NOT rely on one query
- For any statistic or claim, note the source and date
- Explicitly seek out CONFLICTING data, not just confirming data

Gather data across these areas (skip any not relevant):
1. Top 8-10 competitors: positioning, pricing, recent moves, stated weaknesses
2. Customer language: exact words buyers use about frustrations, fears, desires
3. Market size: TAM/SAM/SOM estimates with source dates and methodology
4. Trends: technologies gaining traction, behaviour shifts, expert predictions

Do NOT analyse yet. Just retrieve and document with sources.

---

PHASE 2 — QUALITY CHECK (audit your own retrieval)

Before moving to synthesis, self-audit what you found:
- Flag any claim supported by only a single source
- Flag any statistic older than 18 months
- Flag any source that is a company blog, press release, or AI content farm
- Identify the 3-5 claims you are LEAST confident in
- Rate overall research confidence: High / Medium / Low
- List what you could not find that would strengthen the research

Show the audit summary before proceeding.

---

PHASE 3 — INTERNAL DATA COLLECTION

Ask these questions one by one (do not ask all at once):
1. What do your customers say when they explain WHY they needed a solution?
2. What is the most common objection you hear, and what sits behind it?
3. What do your best customers wish existed that doesn't yet?
4. Where do deals stall or fall apart — and what's the real reason?
5. What have you tried that didn't work, and what did you learn?

After each answer, acknowledge what's useful and ask the next.

---

PHASE 4 — SYNTHESIS (now reason, not retrieve)

Combine external research + internal data into a strategic brief:

1. HIGH-CONFIDENCE INSIGHTS — claims supported by BOTH external and internal data
2. CONFLICTS AND TENSIONS — where external and internal contradict. Explain the gap.
3. HIDDEN ADVANTAGES — what internal data reveals that research cannot capture
4. THE 3 STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS — highest-priority actions with reasoning and risk
5. REMAINING UNKNOWNS — what we still don't know, and fastest way to find out

Flag confidence level on each major conclusion.
If uncertain about something, say so explicitly.