Agent skill

Ansoff Matrix

by borghei in borghei/Claude-Skills

Ansoff Matrix — 4-quadrant framework for growth options: market penetration, market/product development, and diversification.

MITAuto-check passedProduct & Project Management

Install Ansoff Matrix

skills CLI
$ npx skills add borghei/Claude-Skills --skill ansoff-matrix -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install borghei/Claude-Skills ansoff-matrix --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/borghei/Claude-Skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/project-management/strategy-frameworks/ansoff-matrix .claude/skills/ansoff-matrix && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
ansoff-matrix
GitHub stars
881
Token cost
~2.2k tokens
SKILL.md length
965 words
Files
5 (incl. scripts, references, assets)
Skills in repo
349
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Ansoff Matrix — 4-quadrant framework for growth options: market penetration, market/product development, and diversification.

  • Works in 6 steps: Define "existing" precisely → List current growth initiatives → Score by risk-adjusted return → …
  • Evaluating growth bets
  • SKILL.md covers The 2x2, When to use this skill, The 4 quadrants in depth and Clarify First, plus 6 more sections
  • Runs Python scripts from its folder; calls python3

What it does

Ansoff Matrix is an agent skill from borghei/Claude-Skills. Ansoff Matrix — 4-quadrant framework for growth options: market penetration, market/product development, and diversification. Use when evaluating growth bets, prioritizing investment across quadrants, or weighing the risk ladder of each move.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 7 other files, including scripts, reference files and assets (for example `assets/ansoff_template.md`, `references/ansoff-matrix-deep.md` and `references/growth-strategy-patterns.md`).

It sits in Product & Project Management. The repository describes itself as: 385 AI skills, 77 expert agents, and 900 stdlib Python tools for every team: engineering, PM, marketing, C-level, compliance, business ops, research, and a LinkedIn toolkit… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Evaluating growth bets
  • Prioritizing investment across quadrants
  • Weighing the risk ladder of each move

Example prompts

  • “/ansoff-matrix”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

6 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Define "existing" precisely
  2. List current growth initiatives
  3. Score by risk-adjusted return
  4. Allocate across quadrants
  5. Validate the mix
  6. Run ansoff_growth_scorer.py

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 4a698e8. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Ships 1 file in scripts/ (Python), which the agent can run.

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • python3

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Ansoff Matrix loads about 2.2k tokens when it runs, and up to ~5.5k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 64 tokens; SKILL.md has 965 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~64
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.2k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~5.5k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from borghei/Claude-Skills at commit 4a698e8, republished under its MIT licence (© borghei). 965 words, ~2,162 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/ansoff-matrix/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 4 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
ansoff-matrix
description
Ansoff Matrix — 4-quadrant framework for growth options: market penetration, market/product development, and diversification. Use when evaluating growth bets, prioritizing investment across quadrants, or weighing the risk ladder of each move.
license
MIT + Commons Clause
metadata.version
1.0.0
metadata.author
borghei
metadata.category
project-management
metadata.domain
strategy-frameworks
metadata.updated
2026-05-27
metadata.python-tools
ansoff_growth_scorer.py
metadata.tech-stack
ansoff-matrix, growth-strategy, product-market-expansion

Ansoff Matrix

Igor Ansoff's product/market matrix for evaluating growth options. Forces explicit choice between four growth bets of increasing risk.

The 2x2

Existing ProductsNew Products
Existing MarketsMarket Penetration (lowest risk)Product Development
New MarketsMarket DevelopmentDiversification (highest risk)

When to use this skill

  • Annual / quarterly growth planning
  • Investment allocation across growth bets
  • Post-funding deployment planning
  • Board strategy discussions
  • Strategic-pivot decisions (which quadrant are we really in?)
  • Acquisition rationale assessment

The 4 quadrants in depth

Q1 — Market Penetration (existing product × existing market)

Sell more of what we have to people we know.

Tactics:

  • Increase usage / frequency
  • Take share from competitors
  • Improve conversion rates
  • Pricing optimization
  • Loyalty / retention programs

Risk profile: Lowest. You know the product + market.

Investment: ~30-50% of growth investment for most companies.

When dominant: Early-stage; high-growth market with share to take.

Q2 — Market Development (existing product × new market)

Take what works to a new market.

Tactics:

  • New geography
  • New industry vertical
  • New customer segment (SMB → mid-market)
  • New use case
  • New channel (direct → channel; SMB → enterprise sales)

Risk profile: Medium. Product known; market unknown.

Investment: ~20-30%.

When dominant: Product-market fit established in initial segment; proven by reference customers; ready to scale.

Q3 — Product Development (new product × existing market)

Build something new for people we know.

Tactics:

  • New SKU / module / add-on
  • Adjacent product line
  • Platform extension
  • Feature line that becomes its own product

Risk profile: Medium. Market known; product unknown.

Investment: ~15-25%.

When dominant: Captive audience with related JTBDs; distribution advantage; brand permission to extend.

Q4 — Diversification (new product × new market)

New thing for new people.

Tactics:

  • Adjacent diversification (related to current)
  • Conglomerate diversification (unrelated)
  • Acquisition-driven new categories

Risk profile: Highest. Both axes unknown.

Investment: ~5-15% (or 0% — most companies should not diversify).

When dominant: Few situations justify high diversification. Usually: mature core business with cash, declining core business needing pivot, or genuine adjacent opportunity with shared capability.

Clarify First

Before scoring the growth options, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume:

  • Precise "existing" boundaries — which segment/geography/buyer is "existing market" and which SKU/capabilities are "existing product" (vague boundaries cause the #1 error: misclassifying a Q4 bet as Q2/Q3)
  • The growth initiatives to classify — the actual list of bets (the raw input to quadrant assignment; no list, no matrix)
  • Company stage — early / growth / mature (sets the stage-appropriate target investment mix across quadrants)

Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the artifact.

Workflow

Step 1 — Define "existing" precisely

Most Ansoff confusion comes from vague boundaries.

  • "Existing market" = which segment, which geography, which buyer
  • "Existing product" = which SKU, which capabilities
  • "New" = anything outside those boundaries
Step 2 — List current growth initiatives

For each initiative, classify into a quadrant. Be honest:

  • "Adjacent vertical for our SaaS" = Market Development (usually)
  • "New module for existing customers" = Product Development
  • "Same product in EU" = Market Development (regulatory, cultural, linguistic differences = market difference)
Step 3 — Score by risk-adjusted return

Per initiative:

  • Investment size
  • Expected return
  • Risk of failure
  • Time to revenue
  • Risk-adjusted ROI
Step 4 — Allocate across quadrants

Most companies cluster in Q1 + one other. Pure diversification (Q4) is rare; usually disguised market or product development.

Step 5 — Validate the mix

Target mix depends on stage:

  • Early: 70% Q1 + 30% Q2/Q3 (split)
  • Growth: 50% Q1 + 25% Q2 + 25% Q3
  • Mature: 30% Q1 + 30% Q2 + 30% Q3 + 10% Q4

If you're 90% Q1, you're not growing strategically. If you're 40% Q4, you're betting the company.

Show full SKILL.md (382 more words)Show less
Step 6 — Run ansoff_growth_scorer.py

Score each initiative; surface mix; flag risky concentration.

bash
python3 project-management/strategy-frameworks/ansoff-matrix/scripts/ansoff_growth_scorer.py \
  --input initiatives.json --format markdown

Decision frameworks

What counts as "new market"?
Different...New market?
GeographyYes (regulation, culture, language, channel)
Industry verticalYes
Company size band (SMB → ENT)Usually yes
Use case (same persona)Usually no
Buyer personaYes
Pricing tier (free vs paid)Usually no

If you'd need a different sales motion or different channels, it's a new market.

What counts as "new product"?
Different...New product?
New SKU / moduleYes
New pricing tier of same productNo
New feature in existing productNo
Significantly different value propYes
Different underlying techYes

If you'd need a different roadmap and different success metrics, it's a new product.

When diversification (Q4) makes sense
  • Adjacent diversification: shared capability or audience
    • Amazon → AWS: shared capability (infra)
    • Disney → theme parks: shared capability (IP)
  • Acquisition-led: buying expertise + product + market together
  • Declining core: need new business model

When diversification fails:

  • "Synergies" overclaimed
  • Acquired company managed by incumbent culture
  • No shared capability or audience
  • Justified by spreadsheet only

Common engagements

"Help us prioritize growth bets"
  1. List all growth initiatives.
  2. Classify into quadrants.
  3. Score risk-adjusted return.
  4. Reconcile against stage-appropriate target mix.
  5. Recommend top 5 with allocation.
"We're considering acquiring company X"
  1. Classify the acquisition by quadrant.
  2. Q1 (existing × existing) = bolt-on; lower risk
  3. Q2 (existing × new) = market expansion via M&A
  4. Q3 (new × existing) = product line extension
  5. Q4 (new × new) = highest risk; question hard
"Should we enter market X?"
  1. Confirm it's truly Q2 (new market for existing product).
  2. Test: same value prop? same buyer? same channel? if all yes, it's really Q1 (different segment).
  3. If true Q2, scope cost + time to validate vs Q1 alternatives.

Anti-patterns to avoid

  • Misclassifying initiatives. Q4 dressed as Q3 or Q2 — gets approved that wouldn't pass Q4 scrutiny.
  • All-Q1 portfolio. Not strategic growth.
  • All-Q4 portfolio. Bet-the-company every quarter.
  • "Adjacent" labelling. Often hides Q4 as Q3.
  • No investment percentages. Just lists; no allocation.
  • Static mix. Should change with stage.
  • Ignoring the boring Q1. Penetration is unglamorous but highest-ROI.

References

  • references/ansoff-matrix-deep.md — quadrant tactics, examples, risk patterns
  • references/growth-strategy-patterns.md — stage-based mixes, common pitfalls
  • project-management/strategy-frameworks/business-model-canvas — operational view of each quadrant
  • project-management/strategy-frameworks/swot-analysis — strategic context
  • project-management/strategy-frameworks/porters-five-forces — industry analysis
  • c-level-advisor/ceo-advisor — strategic context
  • c-level-advisor/cmo-advisor — Q1/Q2 marketing context
  • c-level-advisor/cpo-advisor — Q3 product development context

© borghei, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 4 other files (scripts, references, assets) in project-management/strategy-frameworks/ansoff-matrix of borghei/Claude-Skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • assets/ansoff_template.md
  • references/ansoff-matrix-deep.md
  • references/growth-strategy-patterns.md
  • scripts/ansoff_growth_scorer.py

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 4a698e8

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Questions about Ansoff Matrix

What does Ansoff Matrix do?

Ansoff Matrix — 4-quadrant framework for growth options: market penetration, market/product development, and diversification. Ansoff Matrix is an agent skill from borghei/Claude-Skills. Ansoff Matrix — 4-quadrant framework for growth options: market penetration, market/product development, and diversification.

When should I use Ansoff Matrix?

Ansoff Matrix fits situations like: evaluating growth bets; prioritizing investment across quadrants; weighing the risk ladder of each move.

How do I install Ansoff Matrix in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add borghei/Claude-Skills --skill ansoff-matrix -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (project-management/strategy-frameworks/ansoff-matrix in borghei/Claude-Skills) into .claude/skills/ansoff-matrix in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Ansoff Matrix in Codex?

Run `npx skills add borghei/Claude-Skills --skill ansoff-matrix -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (project-management/strategy-frameworks/ansoff-matrix in borghei/Claude-Skills) into .agents/skills/ansoff-matrix in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Ansoff Matrix in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add borghei/Claude-Skills --skill ansoff-matrix -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/ansoff-matrix, .gemini/skills/ansoff-matrix, .github/skills/ansoff-matrix and .opencode/skills/ansoff-matrix in your project.

What does Ansoff Matrix need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Ansoff Matrix needs Python for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (python3). Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Ansoff Matrix access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Ansoff Matrix safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.

What licence does Ansoff Matrix use?

Ansoff Matrix is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Ansoff Matrix use?

About 2.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8.6k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 3.3k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Ansoff Matrix?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Ansoff Matrix: User Story Writer (deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills, 7.2k stars), Game Changing Features (openstatusHQ/data-table-filters, 2.3k stars), CCPM Project Management (automazeio/ccpm, 8.4k stars) and Convex Create Component (spokvulcan/poker-planning, 114 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Ansoff Matrix?

borghei (a GitHub user) maintains it in borghei/Claude-Skills, which has 881 GitHub stars. The repository holds 349 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: borghei/Claude-Skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.