What the AI founder does at work
These are the exact moves that make colleagues ask: “How did you do that so fast?”
Validate your startup idea in 30 minutes
How to use this
- Start with PROMPT 1 in Perplexity (perplexity.ai) to gather market research, competitors, and data. Copy the full output.
- Open ChatGPT (chatgpt.com) or Claude (claude.ai). Paste PROMPT 2 (the Pre-Mortem) with your idea details. Save the output.
- In the same chat, paste PROMPT 3 (the Pitch Doc). Paste the Perplexity research and Pre-Mortem output where indicated.
- You now have a go/no-go decision document. Share it with advisors, co-founders, or investors for feedback.
This is a 3-step workflow. Run each prompt in order. --- PROMPT 1: Market Research (run in Perplexity at perplexity.ai) --- Research the market for [YOUR STARTUP IDEA IN ONE SENTENCE]. I need: 1. Market size (TAM/SAM/SOM) with sources 2. Growth rate and key trends 3. Top 5 competitors — name, funding, pricing, key differentiator 4. Target customer profile — who buys this, what they pay now 5. Any regulatory or technical barriers to entry Cite all sources. --- PROMPT 2: The Pre-Mortem (run in ChatGPT or Claude) --- Act as a skeptical VC who has seen 1,000 startups fail. My startup idea: [YOUR IDEA — e.g. "An AI assistant that helps hospitality staff handle guest requests faster"] Target market: [YOUR TARGET CUSTOMER — e.g. "Hotel general managers at mid-size chains (50–300 rooms)"] Key competitors: [PASTE YOUR TOP 3–5 COMPETITORS FROM PROMPT 1] Conduct a pre-mortem analysis. Assume it's 18 months from now and my startup has failed. What went wrong? Provide: 1. Top 5 reasons for failure (ranked by probability) 2. For each reason: probability (%), impact (1–10), and how I could test/mitigate it NOW 3. Any "kill criteria" — red flags that should make me stop immediately 4. The single biggest assumption I'm making that could be wrong --- PROMPT 3: The 1-Page Pitch Document (run in the same chat as Prompt 2) --- Synthesize everything into a 1-page pitch document. MARKET RESEARCH: [PASTE THE FULL OUTPUT FROM PROMPT 1 — your Perplexity research] RISK ASSESSMENT: [PASTE THE FULL OUTPUT FROM PROMPT 2 — your Pre-Mortem above] Create a 1-page document with: 1. Problem (2–3 sentences) 2. Solution (2–3 sentences) 3. Market Opportunity (TAM/SAM/SOM with growth rate) 4. Competition (your positioning vs. top 3 competitors) 5. Target Customer (primary persona with willingness to pay) 6. Top 3 Risks with specific mitigations 7. RECOMMENDATION: GO, PIVOT, or PARK — with clear reasoning Be direct and evidence-based. Use numbers, not adjectives.
Why this works: Three prompts take you from raw idea to a go/no-go decision backed by real data. Perplexity handles the research, the Pre-Mortem catches what your excitement misses, and the Pitch Doc synthesizes everything into a format investors can skim in 60 seconds. The whole workflow takes 30 minutes.
Create a pitch deck that wins funding
How to use this
- Go to gamma.app and sign up (free tier available). Click "Create new" > "Generate" > "Presentation."
- Copy the prompt below. Replace every field in the COMPANY OVERVIEW section with your startup's details. The SignalDesk example shows what "good" looks like.
- Paste the entire prompt into Gamma's text input and click Generate. Gamma will create a designed, editable deck in under 2 minutes.
- Edit slides directly in Gamma. Export as PDF or PowerPoint for investor meetings. Share the Gamma link for a live, interactive version.
Create a 12-slide seed-stage investor pitch deck. COMPANY OVERVIEW (replace with your details): - Company name: [YOUR COMPANY — e.g. SignalDesk] - One-line description: [WHAT YOU DO — e.g. "AI-powered revenue intelligence that analyzes sales calls and Slack to surface deal risks"] - Target investor type: [WHO THIS DECK IS FOR — e.g. "Seed investors with B2B SaaS and sales-tech experience"] SLIDES TO INCLUDE (fill in each with your data): 1. Title / Vision — "[YOUR VISION STATEMENT — e.g. See deal risk before deals die]" 2. Problem — [THE PAIN — e.g. Sales leaders don't know why deals stall until it's too late] 3. Why Now — [MARKET TIMING — e.g. AI can finally process conversational data at scale] 4. Solution — [YOUR ANSWER — e.g. Turns conversations into structured revenue insights] 5. Product — [TOP 3 FEATURES — e.g. Live Deal Risk Detection, Revenue Signals Dashboard, AI Sales Coach] 6. Market Opportunity — [TAM + TARGET SEGMENT — e.g. $15B revenue intelligence TAM, targeting B2B SaaS 20–300 employees] 7. Traction — [YOUR NUMBERS — e.g. 42 paying customers, $38k MRR, 11% MoM growth] 8. Business Model — [PRICING — e.g. SaaS, $99/seat/month, avg customer = 12 seats] 9. Go-To-Market — [DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY — e.g. Product-led growth + outbound to VP Sales] 10. Competition — [TOP 3 COMPETITORS + YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR — e.g. Gong, Chorus, Clari — we focus on SMB] 11. Team — [FOUNDER BACKGROUNDS — e.g. Founders with sales-tech and ML backgrounds] 12. Ask — [WHAT YOU NEED — e.g. $2M Seed to scale sales team and expand integrations] DESIGN CONSTRAINTS: - Max 5 bullets per slide - Data-driven tone, no buzzwords - Include charts where relevant (market size, traction growth) - Modern, clean aesthetic - Primary color: [YOUR BRAND COLOR — e.g. #0B5FFF] - Accent color: [SECONDARY COLOR — e.g. #22D3EE]
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Why this works: A complete 12-slide pitch deck with structure, content, data, and design constraints. Gamma turns this into a finished, designed deck in under 2 minutes. Replace the example fields with your data and you're presenting tomorrow.
Build an MVP without writing code
How to use this
- Go to lovable.dev and sign up (free tier available). Click "Create new project."
- Copy the prompt below. Replace the SmartMeal example with your own product — every section is labeled so you know exactly what to fill in.
- Paste the full prompt into Lovable's chat input and hit Enter. Lovable will build a working, live page in about 60 seconds.
- Edit directly in Lovable's visual editor. When ready, click "Deploy" to get a live URL you can share with early users, investors, or on social media.
Build a landing page for [YOUR PRODUCT NAME] — [ONE SENTENCE DESCRIPTION, e.g. "a mobile app that helps busy parents plan weekly meals based on their kids' food preferences"]. HERO SECTION: - Headline: "[YOUR HEADLINE — e.g. Weekly Meal Planning Made Easy for Busy Parents]" - Subheadline: "[YOUR SUBHEADLINE — e.g. Stop stressing about dinner. SmartMeal creates personalized meal plans your kids will actually eat.]" - CTA Button: "[YOUR CTA — e.g. Get Started Free]" FEATURES SECTION (3 feature cards): Feature 1: [FEATURE NAME — e.g. Smart Meal Planning] - Description: "[WHAT IT DOES — e.g. Get personalized weekly meal plans based on your family's preferences and dietary needs]" Feature 2: [FEATURE NAME — e.g. Kid-Friendly Recipes] - Description: "[WHAT IT DOES — e.g. Access 500+ recipes that picky eaters love, with easy-to-follow instructions]" Feature 3: [FEATURE NAME — e.g. Auto Shopping Lists] - Description: "[WHAT IT DOES — e.g. Never forget an ingredient again with smart grocery lists sorted by store section]" SOCIAL PROOF SECTION: - Stat: "[YOUR METRIC — e.g. 2,000+ families trust SmartMeal]" - Testimonial 1: "[QUOTE]" — [NAME] - Testimonial 2: "[QUOTE]" — [NAME] - Testimonial 3: "[QUOTE]" — [NAME] EMAIL SIGNUP SECTION: - Headline: "[CTA HEADLINE — e.g. Start Planning Better Meals Today]" - Button: "[BUTTON TEXT — e.g. Start Free Trial]" - Below button: "[TRUST LINE — e.g. 7-day free trial, no credit card required]" DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS: - Primary color: [HEX — e.g. #87A878 (soft green)] - Secondary color: [HEX — e.g. #F4A261 (warm orange)] - Background: White (#FFFFFF) - Style: [AESTHETIC — e.g. Modern, warm, family-friendly] - Buttons: Rounded corners (8px radius), prominent with subtle shadow - Mobile-responsive: All sections must stack vertically on mobile
Why this works: Every section, every headline, every testimonial, every design token — all in one prompt. Lovable builds this as a working, deployable page with a live URL. You ship an MVP without touching code, and you can start collecting emails from real users today.
Build a complete brand identity
How to use this
- Run PROMPT 1 in ChatGPT (chatgpt.com) or Claude (claude.ai). Replace the brand details with your own. Save the output — especially the "Visual direction" section.
- Take the visual direction from PROMPT 1's output and use it to customize PROMPT 2's description. Run PROMPT 2 in Midjourney (midjourney.com — paste it in the /imagine command).
- Midjourney will generate 4 logo variations. Click your favorite to upscale it. Download the high-res version.
- Combine the brand brief + logo into a one-page brand guide. Share it with designers, freelancers, or co-founders to keep everything consistent.
--- PROMPT 1: Brand Brief (run in ChatGPT or Claude) --- You are a brand strategist + creative director. Create a 1-page brand brief for "[YOUR BRAND NAME]" — [YOUR ONE-LINE DESCRIPTION, e.g. "sustainable, science-backed skincare for sensitive skin"]. Audience: [WHO — e.g. Urban professionals 25–40, premium but not luxury] Competitors: [TOP 3 — e.g. Aesop, The Ordinary, Herbivore] Output these sections: 1) One-sentence positioning statement 2) Audience (3 bullet personas with age, mindset, and buying behavior) 3) Core values (5 bullets) 4) Personality (traits we ARE + traits we are NOT) 5) Visual direction (logo style, color palette with hex codes, imagery style) 6) Voice direction (tone, phrases we say, phrases we never say) 7) 3 distinct creative routes (each with keywords, mood, and visual style) Keep it tight, no filler. I'll use this to brief designers and copywriters. --- PROMPT 2: Logo Generation (run in Midjourney — paste after /imagine) --- Take the visual direction from PROMPT 1 and adapt this template: Minimalist symbol mark for [YOUR INDUSTRY] brand, flat vector, [PRIMARY VISUAL ELEMENT — e.g. botanical leaf merged with water droplet], [SHAPE LANGUAGE — e.g. organic geometry, soft rounded shapes], [COLOR PALETTE FROM PROMPT 1 — e.g. sage green and warm cream palette], [MOOD — e.g. calming confident mood], white background --ar 1:1 --v 6 --s 100 --no text, letters, words, typography, realistic, 3d, shading WHAT THE PARAMETERS MEAN: --ar 1:1 = square aspect ratio (standard for logos) --v 6 = Midjourney version 6 (best quality) --s 100 = low stylization (cleaner, more controlled output) --no = things to EXCLUDE from the image
Why this works: Brand brief to logo in two prompts, two tools. The first gives you positioning, personas, values, and creative direction. The second turns that direction into a visual mark using Midjourney. A branding agency charges $10K+ for this; you'll have it in 30 minutes.
Customize your pitch for different investors
How to use this
- First, create your base pitch deck using Prompt 2 above (the 12-Slide Pitch Deck), or have an existing deck ready.
- Open Gamma (gamma.app). Paste the prompt below into a new generation. Fill in your company's data where indicated.
- Gamma will generate both versions. Review each — the VC version should lead with numbers, the Angel version should lead with story.
- Export both as PDFs. Send the VC version to institutional investors and the Angel version to individual angels and advisors.
Create 2 versions of a pitch deck for [YOUR COMPANY NAME]. COMPANY CONTEXT (same for both versions): - What we do: [ONE SENTENCE] - Market size: [TAM — e.g. "$48B cross-border payment market, 15% CAGR"] - Traction: [KEY METRICS — e.g. "$220 avg transaction, 1.2% take rate, 90% gross margin"] - Defensibility: [YOUR MOAT — e.g. "Licensed in 12 countries, banking partner network"] - Founder story: [YOUR ORIGIN — e.g. "After 5 years at Wise, I saw firsthand how broken SMB payments still are"] - Vision: [YOUR BIG VISION — e.g. "Every small business should move money as easily as a text message"] VERSION 1 — VC Focused (institutional investors like a16z, Sequoia): - Lead with market size and growth rate - Emphasize unit economics and margins - Highlight defensibility and barriers to entry - Slide 2 = Market Size, Slide 3 = Traction - Tone: Data-driven, confident, metrics-first VERSION 2 — Angel Focused (individual angels and advisors): - Lead with founder story and personal motivation - Emphasize the problem's emotional impact on real people - Close with the big vision - Slide 2 = Founder Story, Slide 3 = Problem - Tone: Personal, narrative-driven, mission-first Keep visual design consistent between versions. Customize narrative and slide order only.
Why this works: Same company, two decks, two audiences. VCs want markets and unit economics first. Angels want the story and the mission. One prompt gives you both — customized for how each audience actually makes investment decisions.
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Download on the App StoreFrequently Asked Questions
How do I become the go-to AI person at work?
Ship one investor-ready or team-visible artifact with AI — a deck, a spec, a landing page — on a real deadline. Founders who show speed with judgment become the person everyone asks before they hire another vendor.
How can AI help me validate a startup idea?
AI can conduct a pre-mortem analysis of your startup idea — ranking the top 5 failure reasons by probability, scoring their impact, and identifying kill criteria — in about 30 minutes. Pair it with Perplexity for market research and you have a reality check faster than any advisor meeting.
Can AI create a pitch deck for investors?
Yes. Using Gamma, you can generate a full 12-slide seed-stage pitch deck from a structured prompt — including vision, problem, solution, traction, business model, and ask slides — with design constraints built in. You can even create separate versions for VCs vs. angel investors.
Can I build an MVP without coding?
Absolutely. Tools like Lovable let you build full landing pages and simple web apps from a detailed prompt. Define your hero section, features, social proof, and design specs — and Lovable builds a working, mobile-responsive page.
How do I create a brand identity with AI?
Use ChatGPT or Claude for a 1-page brand brief (positioning, personas, values, voice direction, visual direction), then feed the visual direction into Midjourney to generate logo concepts, mood boards, and brand imagery — all in about 30 minutes.
What AI tools do startup founders use most?
Lovable and Bolt for no-code MVPs, Gamma for pitch decks, ChatGPT/Claude for strategy and copywriting, Midjourney for brand visuals, and Perplexity for market research. AI School teaches all of these in 15-minute courses.