How often to analyze competitors

The most common answer from founders is: "from time to time."

That's exactly like checking company finances occasionally.

One-time analysis:

quickly becomes outdated
gives a false sense of control
doesn't support decisions over time

Competitive analysis only makes sense when it's:

repeatable
current
embedded in changes

It's not about frequency. It's about continuity without cognitive cost. But equally important is what to analyze in competitors - because collecting everything is chaos, not strategy.

The most common mistake? Analysis without decision context. Competitor data only makes sense when it supports specific questions - like pricing decisions.