SWOT Analysis Prompt

What it does

Runs a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) from the context you provide — then goes a step further by generating strategic implications from each quadrant. The output isn't just a 2x2 grid; it connects your strengths to your opportunities, your weaknesses to your threats, and produces 3–5 concrete priorities you can act on.

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How to use it

Do your own thinking first — fill in all four quadrants with what you know before running the prompt. The AI's value is in synthesizing your inputs and generating the strategic implications (the SO/WO/ST/WT strategies), not in identifying your strengths and weaknesses for you.

Run the final section ("top 3 priority actions") as a separate follow-up if the initial output doesn't push hard enough on implications.

Example output

Strength: 8-year client retention rate of 91% in an industry where 60% is typical

Opportunity: Mid-market companies are dropping large agencies for boutique specialists

SO Strategy: "Use the 91% retention rate as the centerpiece of a case study marketing campaign specifically targeting mid-market marketing directors who are reevaluating their agency relationships."

Top priority action 1: "Build out the case study library (3–4 client stories with hard metrics) before the next sales cycle begins — this is the most underutilized asset given retention numbers."

Variations

Personal career SWOT: Add "This is a personal career analysis, not a business one. Strengths = my skills and advantages; Weaknesses = gaps in my resume or skills; Opportunities = market demand, emerging fields; Threats = automation risk, competition, role obsolescence."

Project-level SWOT: Add "This is for a specific project, not the whole business. Focus the analysis on the project's ability to deliver on time, on scope, and with the intended outcome."

Startup pre-launch: Add "This is for a business that doesn't exist yet. I'm building the SWOT before launch to inform my go-to-market strategy. Some fields may be assumptions — flag them."

Common pitfalls

Generic inputs. "Strong team" and "competitive market" are not SWOT inputs — they're filler. Push yourself to name specific people, capabilities, competitors, and risks.

Stopping at the grid. A SWOT that doesn't generate strategy is a diagnostic without a treatment plan. The SO/WO/ST/WT matrix is where the value lives.

Ignoring weaknesses. The most common SWOT mistake is listing 8 strengths and 2 vague weaknesses. Honest weakness identification is where the most useful insights usually come from.

Who uses this prompt

Small business owners doing annual planning. Founders evaluating a new market or product line. Project managers doing a pre-mortem before a major initiative. Teams preparing for a strategy session and wanting a pre-read document.