How-to guide

Market Mapping: Make the Boundary Checkable

Market mapping starts before the boxes and logos. Pick a decision, define which organizations count, check the evidence for each one, then group them into a map your team can challenge. The free worksheet and category editor below give you a first draft; they do not discover every company or verify a market for you.

Start the free mapping worksheet See the method

Workspace

Define the boundary, log sources, then make the map

Name the buyer or field, product problem, geography, inclusion and exclusion rules. Add candidate organizations with source links and checked dates. The worksheet and map drafts are separate browser-local files; copy only verified names into the manual map.

Step 1 of 2

Define the boundary and log your sources

Start blank. Your rules and candidate rows are working notes, not verified market facts. Check a source before placing each name on the map.

Decision this map should informBuyer or fieldProduct or problem boundaryGeographyInclude when…Exclude when…Snapshot date

Candidate source log

Record possible participants and unresolved questions. The map editor below does not automatically import or verify these rows.

Candidate 1

OrganizationPossible roleSource URL or documentChecked onUncertainty / next check

Candidate 2

OrganizationPossible roleSource URL or documentChecked onUncertainty / next check

This worksheet stays in this browser when storage is available; it is not encrypted, shared with the map editor or checked against a live company database. Review sensitive notes before exporting.

Try it now

Make a map of any market in minutes

Start with a niche. Add names you already know or let AI suggest a first set. Review every entry, then export or share the map.

Manual maps are freeOpen full editor

Your map begins here

Your map begins here

Enter a niche and start a free manual map, or use credits for an AI draft.

Method

From research to a decision

1
Write the decision and explicit inclusion and exclusion rules for one buyer problem, geography and snapshot date.
2
Log each candidate organization, possible role, source URL, checked date and uncertainty; include substitutes when they solve the same buyer job differently.
3
Group checked participants in the free map editor, export the worksheet and map, then test any apparent gap with intended buyers.

Example to adapt

For a hypothetical U.S. software market serving small manufacturers tracking facility energy use, you might test measurement, reporting and audit-service categories after checking each product’s official site. These are example buckets, not findings about that market.

Make the first draft useful

Define the research boundary

The SBA separates demand, location, saturation and alternatives. Write inclusion and exclusion rules before collecting logos; a map that quietly changes scope cannot support a clear decision.

U.S. SBA research questions

Use aggregate context honestly

NAICS provides a U.S. statistical industry classification. Census Business Builder can provide industry and geography context and a tailored report, but these sources do not verify every named vendor in a custom map.

Census Business Builder guide

Check company roles at the source

Official sites, published accounts and market research can support a participant entry. SEC EDGAR helps for public filers, not every private company. Keep the URL, checked date and unanswered question beside the role.

UK government: competitor information sources

Choose by the question

Which map matches the question?

Map format	Use it when…	Relevant resource
Company-category map	You need to see which checked organizations play which role in one defined field. This page’s free editor makes that kind of map.	Open the map maker
Two-axis positioning map	You need to compare two attributes. Label scores as assumptions unless buyers have actually been studied; an internal plot is not measured perception.	Open the two-axis maker
Prospect or talent map	You need B2B account or candidate sourcing data. This category editor does not supply a CRM, contact database or recruitment search.	Read the distinct B2B use case

Common question

Does an empty map category mean there is an opportunity?

No. It shows what your current research has not filled. Ask intended buyers whether the missing option solves a problem they would act on, and check whether you excluded relevant substitutes or companies. Treat the map as a dated working model, not proof of demand.

Compare specific buyer alternatives in a matrix

Keep exploring

Related workflows

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