GPTAnalyst: Idea Analysis to Business Plan Framework (Part I)

Hey — It’s Hussein 👋

My younger kids are off school this week for Fall break (yup, that’s a thing in elementary school), so we decided to take a couple of days off and bring them to Disneyland! 🏰

I am always amazed by the attention to detail, the incredible staff training, the operational efficiencies, the planning, and everything else that makes every Disneyland visit for 45,000 people magical every day. I’m a fan. ⭐️

Today’s article is part 1 of a 2-part series on GPTAnalyst: Idea Analysis to Business Plan Framework.

Part I: 10 prompts focused on business analysis and strategic planning. This will help you make sure the idea is sound and has a market.

Part II (next week): 11 prompts focused on tactical and operational planning. This will help you get started on operating the business.

Before we begin… a big thank you to:

I tried to keep these prompts generic and universal, so they apply to as many business ideas and types as possible.

Use these prompts as a starting point and a guide. As you work through them, you will get insights that would be valuable to include in subsequent prompts. Make sure to include them.

Also, don’t shy away from going back to a previous prompt and rerun it, given any new insights you got from a prompt. Business plans and strategy docs are living documents that should be updated as the business progresses.

Start a doc and update it with answers from these prompts as you go. This works in Google Docs, Apple Notes, Evernote, Notion, Pages, or your preferred doc tool.

21 prompts to analyze your business idea (part I)

Why this prompt?

1. You will need these details to review compliance, permitting, and licensing requirements. You’ll also need them when you create financial accounts anywhere (bank, stripe, etc.)

2. Understanding the industry classification will be the foundation of the market analysis and will inform the business strategy.

3. Knowing the industry is key to understanding the space you’re operating in, who the stakeholders will be, what types of customers you will help, etc.

Why this prompt?

1. It gives you an overview and validation of the business concept with insights into how viable the opportunity is and how relevant it is to the market.

2. It starts to establish what the target market could be and gives on details you can use in your market strategy, which is coming in a few prompts.

3. It gives you details that you’ll be able to use in your financial and business plans.

Why this prompt?

1. SWOT and PESTEL are great at giving you a detailed overview of internal and external factors that could impact your business. It’s a great way to be prepared for possible challenges and to take advantage of opportunities.

2. The results serve as a foundational tool for strategic planning.

3. This analysis also gives you the information you’ll need when communicating business risks and opportunities to your investors, stakeholders, or even your team.

Why this prompt?

1. It gives you ideas for your target audience and their specific needs, which helps you create a customer-centric business model.

2. Understanding your target audience will help guide your marketing efforts: where to market, how to frame your messaging, etc., which will help you maximize your reach and impact.

3. The user stories help you hone in on specific details of what to build and specific services to offer.

Why this prompt?

1. The response will outline the strategies and frameworks that will guide your business operations, from product development to scaling up. It will serve as a tactical platform for your business, guide your day-to-day operations, and help with long-term planning.

2. You’ll get a comprehensive list of what you will need to start and operate your business. This helps with budgeting and prepares you for launch and being able to run the business effectively.

3. The list of metrics you should track will help you develop goals internally and externally that you can monitor to understand (and display) your progress.

Why this prompt?

1. Most good ideas have a lot of competition. You can stand out in a competitive market with a strong brand identity and marketing strategy.

2. Having ideas for additional revenue streams helps you plan for the future and think of growth potential.

3. The game-changing ideas are a great way to show that you are forward-thinking and looking for a competitive edge.

Why this prompt?

1. Knowing your unique selling proposition is very valuable and will help drive your website content and other marketing materials, your internal strategy, and if you are raising, your pitch deck.

2. Helps make sure your customer-facing teams are in sync and present a unified and compelling message to the market.

3. The response will also give you ideas on how to review and refine your unique selling proposition. This part of the plan encourages continuous improvements and agility, which is key in a fast-changing business world.

Why this prompt?

1. It’s important to have a hiring roadmap and plan in place as your business needs change and your business grows.

2. As your team grows, having an org chart and defined roles helps streamline operations and decision-making within the business.

3. If you are talking to investors, showing them a plan for a well-rounded team can instill confidence in your business.

Why this prompt?

1. Knowing your technology stack can help with your hiring plans.

2. Depending on the business and stack, it could also give you a competitive edge.

3. Understanding how your technology can be scaled helps with long-term planning.

✨ Pro Tip: include technologies other than AI in the parathesis if something specific to your business or industry could be more relevant.

Why this prompt?

1. It’s easy to overlook legal requirements when starting a business, but that could be a costly mistake. Better be prepared for what your legal needs will be.

2. It shows investors that you've done your due diligence on the legal front.

3. It helps the team understand the legal landscape, which promotes better decision-making.

With the response from these ten prompts, you can quickly decide if an idea (can be for a startup, product, or feature) of yours is worth pursuing, and it can serve as a foundation for your business plan.

Let me know if you use my GPTAnalyst framework on an idea and need help. I am always a reply away.

See you next week — Hussein ✌️

P.S. If you’d like to sponsor, reply. 5.6k founders and entrepreneurs are waiting for you. 

P.P.S If you live in or visit San Diego, sign up here to be notified of tech and founder mixers I organize in the area. Would love to meet you there.