This document provides an overview of SWOT analysis, a strategic planning tool used to evaluate a company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was developed at Stanford University with funding from Fortune 500 companies over nine years and involved 5000 interviews. SWOT analysis separates internal factors like strengths and weaknesses from external factors such as opportunities and threats. It helps businesses set realistic goals, improve capabilities, leverage strengths to overcome weaknesses, and identify threats that could become opportunities. The analysis compares these internal and external influences in a matrix and identifies strategies to match strengths and weaknesses to opportunities and threats.