Why I Replaced SWOT with SPOT — and Why Founders Deserve Better

If you’ve ever been told to do a SWOT analysis while writing a business plan, you’re not alone. SWOT — Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats — is the default tool in every business course, funding application, and accelerator worksheet. But here’s the thing: for most founders I work with, especially first-time, values-led, or solo entrepreneurs, SWOT does more harm than good.

It focuses too much on what you lack and not enough on what you bring. It treats competition like a threat rather than a learning opportunity. It encourages self-criticism when what you really need is clarity, confidence, and a calm look at the landscape.

So I scrapped it. And I created something better.

Introducing SPOT: Sophie’s Positioning Over Threats

SPOT is a new way to think about your place in the market — not through the lens of comparison, but through understanding. It’s simple, powerful, and rooted in how real founders make real decisions.

Instead of forcing you to list your own shortcomings and guess at imaginary competitors, SPOT asks you to observe. Learn. And most importantly — decide where you want to stand.

Here’s how it works.

The Four Types of Businesses You’ll Find in Any Market

To understand where you fit, you first look at the four most common archetypes in your space:

1. The High-End BrandThis is the business charging the most. What do they offer in return — exceptional service? Premium materials? A sense of exclusivity? And what kind of customer are they attracting?

2. The Budget BrandThis one’s doing it for less. Maybe they’re focused on speed, volume, or accessibility. Where are they making trade-offs? What are they not offering that you could?

3. The Wide OfferingThe “we-do-everything” brand. These businesses often have large teams or lots of categories. It’s worth noting how they structure things — tiers, bundles, seasonal promos — and how they manage that scale.

4. The Niche SpecialistThis brand does one thing, brilliantly. They’re known for it. People trust them for it. They’re often small but deeply respected. How do they communicate their depth and focus?

Now, Place Yourself

Once you’ve observed these models, SPOT invites you to ask:

• Where do I sit on the spectrum of price, offering, and depth?

• What feels right for the kind of business I want to run?

• What aligns with my capacity, my strengths, my values?

It’s not about being “better” than anyone else. It’s about being positioned. With intention. With self-awareness. With strategy.

What Makes SPOT Different

SPOT isn’t soft — it’s smart. It doesn’t ignore the market, it teaches you how to read it without fear.

• It centres understanding over insecurity.

• It asks for alignment, not anxiety.

• It creates space for solo founders, underrepresented entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers to build without shame.

Because honestly? The world doesn’t need more spreadsheets full of imaginary threats. It needs more people building businesses that feel like them.

Want to Try It?

I use SPOT inside our AI-powered business planning tool, Inkie, as part of a wider effort to make starting a business more human and more accessible. If you want to test it out, reach out — or try building your business plan through Inkie.

Because finding your place shouldn’t be about defending it. It should be about owning it.