Purpose & Overview
The Weekly Market Intelligence Dashboard helps founders systematically detect and respond to market changes before they become crises. Research shows that 42% of startups fail due to lack of market need and 19% due to competitive disruption - both preventable with proper signal detection.
This template transforms the overwhelming task of "staying informed" into a structured 30-minute weekly review that captures weak signals across five critical areas: market trends, customer behaviour, competition, technology, and internal health.
When to Use This Template
Frequency: Complete every Friday afternoon or Monday morning
Time Required: 30-45 minutes
Who Should Complete: Founder, co-founder, or designated "market intelligence lead"
Best Practice: Same person, same day, same time each week for consistency
Critical Timing: Increase frequency to twice weekly during:
Major product launches or pivots
Economic uncertainty or market volatility
Competitive threats or new market entrants
Regulatory changes affecting your industry
Step-by-Step Completion Guide
Week Information (2 minutes)
Fill in dates, your name, and company. This creates accountability and enables tracking patterns over time.
Section 1: Market Signal Tracking (5 minutes)
What to review:
Industry news from the past week (TechCrunch, industry publications)
Competitor announcements, funding news, product launches
Economic indicators relevant to your customers
Regulatory changes or government announcements
Risk Assessment:
🟢 Green: Normal market activity, no significant changes
🟡 Amber: Notable changes requiring monitoring
🔴 Red: Major disruptions demanding immediate response
Section 2: Customer Behaviour Monitoring (5 minutes)
What to analyse:
Support ticket themes: Are new problems emerging?
Product analytics - usage spikes, drops, or pattern changes
Sales conversation feedback - new objections or requests
Recent customer interviews or feedback
Key Question: Are customers behaving differently than they did last month?
Section 3: Competitive Intelligence (5 minutes)
What to track:
New competitors entering your space
Pricing changes from existing competitors
Feature releases that affect your differentiation
Partnership announcements that change market dynamics
Focus: Don't track everything - consistently monitor 3-5 key competitors.
Section 4: Technology & Platform Monitoring (3 minutes)
What to check:
Platform partner emails (AWS, Stripe, etc.)
API deprecation notices or policy changes
Security alerts affecting your infrastructure
Developer community discussions about your tech stack
Section 5: Internal Health Indicators (5 minutes)
What to assess:
Team energy levels and satisfaction
Financial runway calculation (cash ÷ monthly burn)
Operational efficiency - are processes getting harder?
Decision-making quality: Are you making good choices under pressure?
Honest Self-Assessment: Rate your capacity to handle additional changes.
Weekly Summary & Strategic Actions (5 minutes)
Overall Change Pressure: Combine all five sections to assess the total change load. Primary Change Driver: What's causing the most uncertainty this week?
Action Items: Maximum three priorities for next week - more creates diffusion
Pivot Consideration: Formal check-in on whether course correction is needed
What to Do with Results
Green Week (Low Change Pressure)
Archive the completed template
Continue monitoring, but no immediate action needed
Use stability to build capacity for future changes
Amber Week (Moderate Change Pressure)
Share findings with co-founder/key team members
Dig deeper into amber-flagged areas
Prepare contingency plans for red scenarios
Increase monitoring frequency if multiple areas show amber
Red Week (High Change Pressure)
Schedule a team discussion within 48 hours
Escalate to advisors or the board if appropriate
Activate change response protocols from your toolkit
Consider a temporary pause on new initiatives to focus on adaptation
Pivot Decision Triggers
If you mark "Under Consideration" for 2 or more consecutive weeks, schedule a formal pivot evaluation session.
Success Tips & Common Mistakes
✅ Best Practices
Consistent Timing: Same day/time builds habit and enables pattern recognition
Honest Assessment: Don't downplay risks to feel better - early detection saves ventures
Action Orientation: Always identify at least one specific action, even in green weeks
Pattern Tracking: Review previous weeks' templates monthly to identify trends
Team Sharing: Circulate key insights to maintain collective awareness
❌ Common Mistakes
Information Overload: Spending 2+ hours "researching" instead of 30-45 minutes assessing
Analysis Paralysis: Marking everything as amber instead of making explicit risk judgments
Inconsistent Completion: Skipping weeks during busy periods (when you need it most)
No Follow-Through: Completing the template but ignoring action items
False Security: Assuming green weeks mean you're safe from disruption
You're not trying to predict the future. You're building adaptive capacity that works regardless of what specific changes emerge. The founders who master this capability don't just survive disruption—they use it as a competitive advantage.
Emergency Protocols
If Multiple Red Flags Appear:
Assess with co-founder/advisor within 48 hours
Decide on a response strategy within one week
Communicate changes to the team/investors/customers
Execute with weekly progress reviews until stabilised
Remember: Major changes often create opportunities for adaptive founders whilst paralysing slower competitors.
