Stop wasting months on bad startup ideas.
Copy this Prompt Stack to Kill Weak Startup Ideas in Under 30 Mins.
Used by Fortune-100 marketers to decide Go / No-Go before spending a cent.
Size your market, pricing ceiling, and CAC (customer acquisition cost) limits.
Identify a defendable positioning wedge.
Spit out a GTM (go-to-market) plan (Steal | Expand | Defend | Stimulate).
All inside one ChatGPT chat — no extra tools.
Why this preview exists
In just six prompts you can validate your business idea using the same rigorous methodologies that big businesses have partnered with world class ad agencies to figure out if you should move forward with your business plan. Each prompt builds on the last one, like a room full of experts would to give you a go/no go and a go-to-market analysis.
If you want to learn about the thinking as you go, you can click below to read the first 5 chapters in full below. LiftKit
All you need is ChatGPT. Run each of these prompts in a single chat window. Fill it out with your business or idea where needed. Now let’s go.
→ Want the thinking behind each step?
Read the first 5 strategy chapters free: Read Chapters 1-5 here
→ Ready to build the entire funnel in ChatGPT?
Unlock the full 26-chapter LiftKit
📝 Prompt 1: ChatGPT Primer
You are now functioning as my marketing strategist, growth specialist, creative director, and positioning expert. For every response:
Think critically
Speak like a seasoned operator (if you use acronyms, share in full in brackets)
Challenge assumptions
Offer structured feedback, not just answers
Teach after each output in a short paragraph so I learn with you
First, commit this business to long-term memory:“My business is called [INSERT BRAND NAME]. I help [AUDIENCE] solve [CORE PROBLEM] by offering [PRODUCT/SERVICE]. I will share more details as we go - you will build on each insight and feedback to refine your results.”
Whenever I make a request, revert into that role and operate accordingly.
My marketing skill level is [BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED]. Depending on my skill level, use the appropriate technical verbiage for my understanding. When creating strategic or content output, you must always persist from the view of an expert. Give me teachable notes as we go through this to ensure I am learning value adds as we go.
Don’t suggest next prompts. If beginner or intermediate, ensure to use acronym then full wording (i.e. CPL (cost per lead)) and include a brief explainer of what it is in the answer.
📝 Prompt 2: Market Reality Evaluator
You are to operate in Market Reality Evaluator.
This mode deactivates any default behavior that softens bad news or over-validates weak markets. Use only credible public knowledge (2023+), trained inference, and structured business logic.
GPT, evaluate my market and tell me if it’s worth entering.
What I sell:
[Insert a one-line product summary: e.g. “I sell a digital course for freelancers to write faster using GPT”]
Who I sell to:
[Insert your target audience in plain terms]
What I know (optional edge data):
[Add: Competitor prices, COGS (cost of goods sold), ad costs, performance signals, user data, internal benchmarks—if available]
My estimated pricing:
[Optional: if you’ve already thought through it]
Use all publicly trained data, heuristics, and business reasoning to answer:
Estimated Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Category Maturity (Emerging / Growth / Plateau / Decline)
Market Saturation Level (Low / Medium / High)
Dominant Players (Top 5) (marketshare/gross revenue/costs/margin)
Market Growth Rate (% or trendline)
Buyer Sophistication (Impulse / Solution-aware / Skeptical)
Purchase Frequency (One-off / Repeat / Recurring)
Pricing Ceiling (based on value & competition)
Viable Acquisition Channels (SEO, Paid, Organic, Influencer, etc.)
Estimated CAC Ranges (for each viable channel)
Suggested CLV Target for Sustainable CAC
Strategic Opportunity Mode: Steal / Expand / Defend / Stimulate
Overall Difficulty Score (1–10)
Clear Recommendation: Go / No-Go
Explain your reasoning briefly and coldly.
Bonus: If margin modelling data is provided (e.g. “COGS = $22”), model:
→ Profit per sale
→ Breakeven CAC
→ Minimum conversion rate needed from ads
📝 Prompt 3: Ideal Customer Primer
Based on the product I just described, define the ideal customer by completing the sections below.
Use whichever of the following frameworks best serve the business model, product type, and customer context:Jobs to Be Done, Buyer Persona, First Principles (Hormozi), Awareness Levels (Schwartz), Brand Archetypes, Traffic Temperature, Empathy Map.
If SaaS or service-based: favour JTBD, Awareness Levels, HormoziIf DTC or brand-led: favour Brand Archetypes, Psychographics, Empathy MapIf high-ticket B2B: favour First Principles, Awareness Levels, Moat ThinkingIf content/influencer-based: favour Psychographics, Brand Archetypes, Traffic Temperature
Focus only on what’s most relevant. Be clear, concise, and grounded in reality. This is not customer-facing—it’s a strategic asset.
Demographics (only if meaningful) Age range, role, income, industry, location. Only include if it influences decisions.
Psychographics Beliefs, values, aspirations, fears, identity drivers. Who they want to become.
Core Frustrations What they want to stop feeling, doing, or struggling with. Map pain clearly.
Primary Goals What they’re actively seeking—outcomes, progress, or emotional relief.
Current Alternatives What they’re using or doing now (even if it's nothing or a workaround).
Resonant Messaging What type of tone, promise, or insight would land. Address objections or beliefs that must be shifted.
Optional: Label each section with the guiding framework (e.g. “(JTBD)” or “(Awareness Level: Problem Aware)”).Avoid repeating product details. Focus entirely on the customer.
📝 Prompt 4: Value Prop Generator
Using the product and audience defined above, write 3 value propositions under 20 words. Each should follow this structure: ‘We help [AUDIENCE] go from [BEFORE STATE] to [AFTER STATE] using [PRODUCT].’
Focus on emotional clarity, outcome specificity, and believability.Adapt tone and depth using the logic below:
Modular Framework Logic:
If business is SaaS or B2B service-based:
Emphasise function + transformation using:
Hormozi's Value Equation (Dream Outcome vs. Friction)
April Dunford's Positioning (Alt → Unique → Value)
Awareness Levels (tailor for Problem or Solution aware)
If business is DTC or brand-led:
Emphasise identity + aspiration using:
Brand Archetypes (who they become after using it)
Empathy Map + Emotional Ladder
Blair Warren persuasion triggers
If business is high-ticket B2B or consulting:
Emphasise ROI + risk reduction using:
First Principles (pain → path → belief shift)
Andy Raskin narrative arc (enemy → promised land)
Hormozi objections logic (what must be believed)
If business is content creator or influencer-led:
Emphasise community + lifestyle shift using:
Seth Godin tribal logic (“people like us…”)
Emotional Before/After identity change
StoryBrand clarity (“hero meets guide”)
Output Format:
We help [AUDIENCE] go from [PAIN/STATE] to [OUTCOME/STATE] using [PRODUCT].
[Same format, new variation]
[Same format, new variation]
📝 Prompt 5: Competitive Strategy Analyst
You are to operate as a Competitive Strategy Analyst.
Your job is to help me own a market wedge that is:
Visibly differentiated
Emotionally resonant
Strategically defensible
Here are three primary competitors of mine:[Insert Competitor Brand Names] - if no competitors are added, suggest.
Here are their websites:[Insert URLs]
Now:
Analyse each competitor’s homepage and product messaging.
Summarise:
Their primary value prop (headline + implied promise)
Their likely axis of competition (e.g. speed, price, power, simplicity, brand)
Who they’re really speaking to (persona insight—not just demographics)
Based on that, return:
3 possible positioning axes that are unclaimed or under-leveraged
For each axis, include:
|| || |Axis|Emotional Benefit|Who It's For|How to Prove| |[e.g. Simplicity at Scale]|[e.g. Control, Calm, Clarity]|[e.g. Teams with tool fatigue]|[e.g. One dashboard, one prompt = full funnel]| |[ ]|[ ]|[ ]|[ ]| |[ ]|[ ]|[ ]|[ ]|
Then close with: “Of these 3, I recommend leading with [X] because [strategic rationale].”
Bonus: Suggest a sharp one-liner that communicates this wedge clearly.
📝 Prompt 6: GTM Mode Selector
Paste the following to GPT after completing Chapters 1–4.
You are now operating in GTM Mode Selector. Use prior outputs for market, pricing, positioning, TAM, revenue, growth size, market analysis, positioning wedge, and CAC.
My product: [insert if targeting a single product]
Based on this context, answer:
Which GTM mode is most viable: Steal, Expand, Defend, or Stimulate?
Strategic rationale (not tactical): Why is this mode structurally aligned with margin, market, and model?
What should I optimise for in Part 2:
– Speed vs margin?
– Awareness vs conversion?
– Breadth vs depth of messaging?
4. What modes should I **not** pursue, and why?
5. Rate GTM difficulty (1–10) with strategic blind spots.
Do **not** recommend specific tactics. Hold until execution chapters.
You Now Have the Map - Here’s the Engine
You’ve installed the thinking layer. The next move is execution.
Chapters 6-26 give you the prompt systems to build landing pages, ads, email sequences, nurture loops, and analytics—all inside ChatGPT.
• 26 strategic modules sequenced for speed
• Copy-ready prompts that ship funnels in hours, not weeks
• Lifetime updates as ad platforms and GPT models evolve
Average user outcome: funnel live in < 7 days, $1 000+ monthly savings in tool + freelance costs.
Decision point: keep iterating alone or deploy the system vetted by seasoned marketing operators.
Want to continue reading? Read Chapter 6: Strategic Messaging Framework