Direct rivalry
Definition adopted by the guide
An offering that fully covers the use a customer makes of the product.
CPM-E guide, Appendix A, page 108
Assessed in the Certified Product Manager Enterprise, domain 2: Market, competition and positioning.
In detail
Definition and scope
The direct rivalry glossary entry defines the term through full coverage of customer use. The size or origin of the organisation making the offering does not determine its classification.
Compare what the customer actually uses with what the competing offering covers. An offering can be a direct rival even when it lacks features in your product, if that customer does not use those features.
Where it matters in practice
Use this classification when assessing customers at risk and deciding a response. Establish the features each customer uses. Compare that set with the rival offering. Classify per customer, then group by segment. The same offering can be direct for one segment and irrelevant for another.
Record the comparison in a rivalry grid. Include use covered, audience served, route to a solution, relative price and resulting classification. Review the grid by segment rather than assigning one classification across the whole product.
Related terms and CPM-E preparation
Indirect rivalry covers only part of the use, or serves the same use for another audience. A substitute meets the same need by another route, including manual work or staying as things are. An undeclared rival is a non-product alternative, such as a manual process, spreadsheet or outsourcing.
For CPM-E certification preparation, practise the classification procedure rather than memorising the definition alone. Ask: does this offering fully cover this customer's actual use? Support the answer with usage evidence, then determine the response by segment.