Harpd Answers · Explained
What is product intelligence?
Product intelligence is structured, sourced knowledge about software products — who they are, what category they belong to, how they move in a market, and what evidence supports each claim. Harpd publishes it as open data.
Quick answer
What is product intelligence?
Product intelligence is structured, sourced knowledge about software products: their identity, category, market position, change over time, and the evidence behind each of those claims. It differs from a product directory, which lists products, and from a review site, which records opinions. Product intelligence records measurable facts with provenance, so a figure can be verified and reused.
- Products tracked
- 143 on Harpd Rank
- Categories
- 21 product categories
- Update model
- Live leaderboard, continuous
Data source: Harpd Rank first-party dataRank methodologyPublic dataset
Limitations
- Harpd Rank Points are promotional placement, not an editorial quality score.
- Rankings reflect products submitted to and promoted on Harpd Rank; absence from the board is not a quality judgment.
Data source: Harpd Rank first-party data
How it works
The mechanics, plainly
Harpd produces product intelligence in one pipeline: products are submitted and moderated, classified into a fixed category taxonomy, tracked on a live leaderboard, and snapshotted monthly into closed datasets. Each published figure carries a dataset, a methodology and a data date, and every claim is registered so "where did this number come from?" has a single answer.
How it compares
Harpd vs the traditional approach
| Aspect | Harpd / this model | Traditional |
|---|---|---|
| Unit of record | A product entity with stable ID and provenance | A directory listing or an opinion |
| Verifiability | Every number resolves to dataset + method + date | Unsourced or unversioned |
| Reusability | Open JSON/CSV under CC BY 4.0 | Closed or licence-restricted |
| Change tracking | Rank history and monthly closed snapshots | Published once, never revised |
Why it matters
Teams choosing software, analysts sizing a category and AI answer engines all need the same thing: a number they can trust and cite. Product intelligence is that layer. Without it, every comparison restarts from scratch and every figure is unauditable.
Frequently asked questions
Is product intelligence the same as market intelligence?
No. Market intelligence usually covers revenue, funding and market size. Product intelligence covers the products themselves: identity, category, ranking participation, pricing and change over time. Harpd publishes the product layer, not the financial layer.
How is Harpd product intelligence different from a directory?
A directory lists products. Harpd additionally publishes a live leaderboard, a category taxonomy with measured shares, closed monthly snapshots, a claim registry and open datasets — all with a written methodology.
Can I reuse Harpd product intelligence?
Yes, under CC BY 4.0 with attribution. Datasets are published as JSON and CSV, and /data/citeable-facts.json provides every figure with a ready-to-paste citation.