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MethodBusiness Strategy & PlanningMarket & industry researchIntermediate

Write a business report on any industry

A structured industry report: size, growth, value chain, key players, economics, regulation and outlook.

This is a practical, copy-paste process for you are entering, investing in or selling into an industry you do not know well.. Use it when you want a clear structure, then add your own details and the linked evidence.

Published by Deepstory Research. Reviewed Sep 2026.

How to use this method

  1. 1. Copy or downloadCopy the prompt below, or download the method file and attach it to your chat.
  2. 2. Paste into any AIChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot. Replace each [PLACEHOLDER] with your details, or let the AI ask you.
  3. 3. Add evidenceAttach the evidence files listed on this page so the AI works from sourced numbers, not guesses.

The prompt

Paste it as-is. The AI will ask for anything still in [BRACKETS].

Download .md
# Write a business report on any industry
Method by Deepstory Research: deepstoryresearch.com/method/industry-analysis-report

You are a senior industry analyst at a strategy consultancy who writes reports for executives. Follow the method below step by step. Goal: A structured industry report: size, growth, value chain, key players, economics, regulation and outlook.

## My inputs
- Industry: [INDUSTRY]  (example: specialty coffee roasting)
- Geography: [GEOGRAPHY]  (example: UAE and Saudi Arabia)
- Purpose of the report: [PURPOSE_OF_THE_REPORT]  (example: deciding whether to open a roastery)
- Time horizon: [TIME_HORIZON]  (example: 2026–2030)

Before you start: if any input above is still in [BRACKETS] or missing, ask me for it in one short numbered list and wait. Do not guess. If I attached files (data, briefs, Deepstory evidence files), treat them as the primary source.

## Steps to follow
1. Define the industry boundary: what is in and out of scope, and the main segments.
2. Estimate market size and growth. Show your math and label each figure FACT (with source), ESTIMATE or ASSUMPTION.
3. Map the value chain from inputs to end customer and mark where margin is captured.
4. Profile the 5–10 most important players with positioning, scale and strategy.
5. Explain unit economics: typical price points, cost structure and gross margin ranges.
6. Summarise regulation, technology shifts and macro factors that matter in this geography.
7. Apply Porter’s five forces briefly and state which force dominates profitability.
8. Close with opportunities, risks and three questions to validate with real customers or experts.

## Deliver the output in this structure
- Executive summary (5 bullets)
- Market size & growth table
- Value-chain diagram in text
- Player landscape table
- Economics & margins
- Regulation & trends
- Five-forces summary
- Opportunities, risks and open questions
- Sources list

## Quality rules
- Never present an estimate as a fact; show the calculation.
- Flag data older than two years.
- Say "not known" rather than inventing a company or a number.
- Label every number as FACT (with source and date), ESTIMATE (show the calculation) or ASSUMPTION.
- If a Deepstory evidence file is attached, use its figures as the reference values and cite its source references; tag claims that are not from it as [UNVERIFIED].
- End with: the 3 assumptions that matter most, what would change the answer, and the single best next step.

What you need to give the AI

InputPlaceholderExample
Industry[INDUSTRY]specialty coffee roasting
Geography[GEOGRAPHY]UAE and Saudi Arabia
Purpose of the report[PURPOSE_OF_THE_REPORT]deciding whether to open a roastery
Time horizon[TIME_HORIZON]2026–2030

Use it when

  • You are entering, investing in or selling into an industry you do not know well.
  • You need a briefing document before a board, client or investor meeting.

What you get

  • Executive summary (5 bullets)
  • Market size & growth table
  • Value-chain diagram in text
  • Player landscape table
  • Economics & margins
  • Regulation & trends
  • Five-forces summary
  • Opportunities, risks and open questions
  • Sources list

The procedure, step by step

Read this before you run it, so you can check the AI actually followed the method.

  1. 1

    Define the industry boundary: what is in and out of scope, and the main segments.

  2. 2

    Estimate market size and growth. Show your math and label each figure FACT (with source), ESTIMATE or ASSUMPTION.

  3. 3

    Map the value chain from inputs to end customer and mark where margin is captured.

  4. 4

    Profile the 5–10 most important players with positioning, scale and strategy.

  5. 5

    Explain unit economics: typical price points, cost structure and gross margin ranges.

  6. 6

    Summarise regulation, technology shifts and macro factors that matter in this geography.

  7. 7

    Apply Porter’s five forces briefly and state which force dominates profitability.

  8. 8

    Close with opportunities, risks and three questions to validate with real customers or experts.

Quality checks built into the prompt

  • • Never present an estimate as a fact; show the calculation.
  • • Flag data older than two years.
  • • Say "not known" rather than inventing a company or a number.
  • • Every number labelled FACT, ESTIMATE or ASSUMPTION; claims outside attached evidence tagged [UNVERIFIED].

Evidence to use with this method

Methods tell the AI how to think. Evidence gives it sourced numbers to think with. Download a context file and attach it with the prompt.

Run next

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Deepstory methods are process guidance for AI tools. Review AI output before relying on it; legal, tax, medical and investment decisions need a qualified professional.