# SWOT Analysis Tips: How to Evaluate Any Idea Like a Strategist SWOT analysis is one of the most widely used strategic planning tools — and one of the most frequently done poorly. Here's how to do it right. ## What is SWOT Analysis? SWOT stands for: - **S**trengths — Internal advantages - **W**eaknesses — Internal limitations - **O**pportunities — External favorable factors - **T**hreats — External risks The key distinction: Strengths and Weaknesses are **internal** (you control them). Opportunities and Threats are **external** (you respond to them). ## Tip 1: Be Brutally Honest About Weaknesses Most SWOT analyses fail because people sugarcoat weaknesses or skip them entirely. **Ask yourself:** - What do competitors do better? - Where are we losing customers? - What skills are we missing? - What would an enemy exploit? **Example weakness (honest):** "Our team has no marketing experience and zero brand recognition" **Example weakness (dishonest):** "We're still building our brand" ← This hides the problem ## Tip 2: Separate Facts from Assumptions Label each SWOT item as: - **Fact** (verified with data) - **Assumption** (needs validation) This prevents you from building strategy on guesses. ## Tip 3: Quantify Where Possible Vague SWOT items produce vague strategies. ❌ "Strong online presence" ✅ "12,000 monthly organic visitors, 3x competitor average" ❌ "Market is growing" ✅ "Market growing at 23% CAGR, projected $4.2B by 2027" ## Tip 4: Use the TOWS Matrix After completing your SWOT, cross-reference the quadrants to generate strategies: | | **Strengths** | **Weaknesses** | |---|---|---| | **Opportunities** | **SO Strategy:** Use strengths to capture opportunities | **WO Strategy:** Address weaknesses to unlock opportunities | | **Threats** | **ST Strategy:** Use strengths to mitigate threats | **WT Strategy:** Minimize weaknesses to avoid threats | This turns a static analysis into actionable strategy. ## Tip 5: Involve Multiple Perspectives Solo SWOT analyses suffer from blind spots. Include: - Team members from different departments - Customers (for external perspective) - Advisors or mentors - AI tools (for pattern recognition across industries) ## Tip 6: Time-Bound Your Analysis SWOT isn't static. A strength today can be a weakness tomorrow. Specify: "SWOT analysis for [idea] over the next [6/12/24] months" Revisit quarterly. ## Tip 7: Prioritize Within Each Quadrant Not all strengths are equal. Rank items by: 1. **Impact** — How much does this affect success? 2. **Likelihood** — How certain is this factor? 3. **Urgency** — How soon does this matter? Focus your strategy on high-impact, high-likelihood items. ## Common SWOT Mistakes ### Listing Too Many Items A SWOT with 20 items per quadrant is useless. Aim for 3-5 per quadrant, ruthlessly prioritized. ### Confusing Internal and External "Market is growing" is NOT a strength — it's an opportunity. Keep the distinction clear. ### No Action Items A SWOT that sits in a slide deck helps nobody. Every insight should map to a strategy or action. ### One-Time Exercise SWOT should be a living document, updated as conditions change. ## AI-Powered SWOT Analysis Manual SWOT analysis takes hours of research. AI can: 1. **Generate initial SWOT** based on your idea description and industry context 2. **Identify non-obvious threats** by analyzing market trends and competitor moves 3. **Score each factor** for impact and likelihood 4. **Suggest strategies** based on the TOWS matrix [Try AI-powered SWOT analysis →](https://stormap.ai/tools/brainstorm) BrainstormAI generates a complete SWOT for any idea in seconds — then lets you refine, score with radar charts, and create action plans. ## SWOT Analysis Example: AI Fitness App | Strengths | Weaknesses | |-----------|------------| | Personalized workout plans | Requires large training dataset | | 24/7 availability | No human accountability partner | | Scales infinitely | High initial development cost | | Opportunities | Threats | |---------------|---------| | $96B fitness market growing 10%/yr | Apple/Google building native fitness AI | | Post-COVID home workout trend | User privacy concerns with health data | | Wearable integration (Apple Watch, Fitbit) | Gym chains launching digital products | **SO Strategy:** Use personalization + wearable data to create uniquely tailored programs that big players can't match. **WT Strategy:** Partner with established gym brands to offset brand weakness and counter competitive threats. ## Conclusion SWOT analysis is simple in concept but powerful in execution — when done honestly, quantitatively, and with clear action items. Combine it with AI to uncover blind spots and move faster. [Start your SWOT analysis →](https://stormap.ai/tools/brainstorm)