12 ChatGPT Prompts to Validate a Business Idea

Act as a skeptical startup advisor. My business idea: [describe idea in 2–3 sentences].

1. Rewrite it as four assumptions: target customer, problem, solution, price.
2. For each assumption, say what evidence would prove it WRONG.
3. Rank the four from riskiest to safest and explain the ranking.
Do not tell me whether the idea is good. Only list assumptions and tests.

My idea: [idea]. My current target customer is: [e.g. "small businesses"].

Suggest 5 narrower customer segments who would feel this problem most often and most painfully. For each, give:
- who they are in one sentence
- when the problem shows up in their week
- what they use today instead
- where I could find 10 of them online or offline this week
Mark which details are assumptions I need to check.

For [target customer] with the problem [problem], argue both sides:
A) The strongest case that this problem is urgent and worth paying to fix.
B) The strongest case that it is a mild annoyance people will tolerate.
Then list 5 observable signals (things people DO, not say) that would tell me which side is true.

I want to check real demand for [idea] among [target customer], without building anything.

Give me:
1. 15 search phrases people with this problem might type into Google
2. 10 subreddits, forums, Slack/Discord communities or review sites where they might complain about it
3. What to record for each source (e.g. thread count, recency, wording)
4. What result would count as weak vs strong demand
Do not invent search volumes or statistics. I will look them up myself.

List the alternatives a [target customer] might use today to solve [problem]. Include:
- direct competitors (products built for this)
- indirect alternatives (spreadsheets, agencies, freelancers, generic tools)
- doing nothing
For each: what it does well, the likely complaint, and how I can verify it exists and what it costs.
If you are not sure a company exists or is still operating, say so explicitly.

My idea: [idea] for [target customer]. I'm thinking of charging [price and model, e.g. $15/month].

1. Estimate what the problem costs this customer today in time or money, showing your assumptions.
2. Suggest 3 pricing models (e.g. subscription, per use, one-time) with pros and cons for this customer.
3. Write 3 interview questions that reveal willingness to pay without asking "would you pay X?".
4. Describe a simple test where people must take an action at a real price.

Imagine it is 18 months from now and [idea] has failed. Write the post-mortem.
- List the 7 most likely reasons it failed, ranked by likelihood.
- For each reason, give the earliest warning sign I could detect in the next 30 days.
- For the top 3, propose a cheap test I can run this month to rule it out.
Be blunt. Do not soften the reasons.

You are an investor who has seen hundreds of ideas like this and rejected most of them. Here is my idea and what I know so far:
[idea, customer, evidence collected]

Give me the 5 hardest questions you'd ask in a meeting, and for each, what answer would satisfy you and what evidence I'd need to bring.

Write a 20-minute customer discovery interview script for [target customer] about [problem].
Rules:
- Ask about past behavior ("Tell me about the last time…"), not hypotheticals ("Would you use…?")
- Do not mention my solution until the last 3 minutes, if at all
- Include follow-ups for cost, frequency and what they've already tried
- End with asking for a referral to 2 other people with the same problem
Then list 5 phrases in an answer that should count as a strong signal.

Write copy for a one-page smoke test for [idea] aimed at [target customer]:
- 3 headline options focused on the outcome, not features
- a 2-sentence subheadline
- 3 benefit bullets
- a price block showing [price]
- one call to action button (e.g. "Pre-order" or "Join the waitlist")
Then suggest how to send 100–300 targeted visitors cheaply and what click or sign-up numbers I should compare against.

Here is everything I learned while validating [idea]:
- Interviews: [number, key quotes, what people did]
- Demand research: [what you found]
- Smoke test: [visitors, clicks, sign-ups, pre-orders]
- Competitors: [what you verified]

Classify each of my original assumptions (customer, problem, solution, price) as proven, unproven or disproven, citing only the evidence above. Flag anything I'm treating as evidence that is really opinion.

Based on the evidence summary above, recommend one of: GO, PIVOT (say which single assumption to change) or STOP.
Explain the decision in 5 sentences or fewer, then list the next 3 actions with a deadline and a pass/fail threshold for each.
If the evidence is too thin to decide, say so and tell me what to collect first.