SWOT analysis is the strategic-planning framework evaluating Strengths and Weaknesses (internal factors) and Opportunities and Threats (external factors). Applied to a company, decision, product, or initiative, SWOT originated in the 1960s as a strategic-planning tool and remains widely used in business school curricula, corporate planning, and consultant deliverables. The framework is useful when applied with rigor and specifics but more often produces generic, low-value output that doesn't actually inform decisions. It is one of the most-recognized strategic frameworks and one of the least-useful when applied carelessly.
The four quadrants:
Strengths (internal, positive):