Don't just ask if the idea is good.
Replace the bracketed sections with your actual idea, customer, budget and constraints. The prompt is designed to challenge assumptions rather than simply encourage the idea.
Act as an experienced business analyst, startup advisor and small-business strategy specialist. TASK: Evaluate the following business idea realistically and practically. BUSINESS IDEA: [Describe the idea clearly.] PRODUCT / SERVICE: [What will you sell or provide?] TARGET CUSTOMER: [Who is most likely to buy it?] CUSTOMER PROBLEM: [What problem, need or inconvenience does the business solve?] LOCATION / MARKET: [Country, city, online market or target region.] BUSINESS MODEL: [Example: direct sales, subscription, service fee, marketplace, commission, digital product, retail.] EXPECTED SELLING PRICE: [Enter approximate price if known.] ESTIMATED STARTUP BUDGET: [Enter available startup capital.] AVAILABLE RESOURCES: [Skills, equipment, contacts, existing audience, website, vehicle, workspace or other advantages.] MAIN COMPETITORS / ALTERNATIVES: [List known competitors or explain how customers currently solve the problem.] CONSTRAINTS: [Time, capital, regulations, staffing, location, technology or other limitations.] BUSINESS GOAL: [Example: side income, full-time business, scalable company, online income, local service.] EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS: 1. CUSTOMER PROBLEM - Assess whether the problem is clear and meaningful. - Explain why customers may or may not pay for a solution. - Identify the strongest customer pain points. 2. TARGET MARKET - Assess whether the target customer is specific enough. - Identify likely customer segments. - Suggest which segment should be tested first. 3. DEMAND - Evaluate the likely demand based on the information provided. - Separate assumptions from evidence. - Identify what demand signals should be verified. 4. COMPETITION - Consider direct competitors and indirect alternatives. - Identify how customers currently solve the problem. - Explain where differentiation may be possible. 5. VALUE PROPOSITION - Explain why a customer would choose this offer. - Identify the strongest possible positioning. - Highlight weak or unclear differentiation. 6. REVENUE MODEL - Review how the business would make money. - Identify possible revenue streams. - Consider repeat purchase potential and customer lifetime value where relevant. 7. PRICING - Assess whether the proposed price appears realistic. - Identify what should influence pricing. - Do not invent market prices if current data has not been provided. 8. STARTUP REQUIREMENTS Estimate the main categories of startup requirements, such as: - Equipment - Inventory - Technology - Licences / registration - Marketing - Transport - Workspace - Staff - Working capital Do not invent precise costs without evidence. 9. OPERATING REQUIREMENTS Explain what would be needed to run the business day to day, including: - Suppliers - Fulfilment - Customer service - Administration - Sales - Marketing - Record keeping - Quality control 10. RISKS Identify important risks such as: - Low demand - High competition - Low margins - Cash-flow pressure - Supplier dependency - Regulatory requirements - Operational complexity - Customer acquisition cost - Seasonality - Scalability limitations 11. LOW-COST VALIDATION Recommend practical ways to test the idea before making a large investment. Examples may include: - Customer interviews - Pre-orders - Landing page testing - Small pilot - Marketplace listing - Social media validation - Manual service delivery - Sample sales 12. IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES Suggest ways the idea could be: - Simplified - Differentiated - Made cheaper to start - Focused on a stronger customer segment - Improved for recurring revenue - Made easier to test 13. FINAL ASSESSMENT Give the idea one of the following ratings: STRONG POTENTIAL PROMISING BUT NEEDS VALIDATION NEEDS MAJOR CHANGES HIGH RISK / WEAK BUSINESS CASE Explain the reasoning clearly. OUTPUT FORMAT: 1. Business Idea Summary 2. Customer Problem 3. Target Market 4. Demand Assessment 5. Competitive Position 6. Value Proposition 7. Revenue & Pricing 8. Startup Requirements 9. Operating Requirements 10. Major Risks 11. Low-Cost Validation Plan 12. Improvement Opportunities 13. Final Rating 14. Recommended Next 3 Actions 15. Information Still Needed Be realistic rather than overly positive. Clearly distinguish facts, assumptions and information that still needs to be verified. Do not invent market size, competitor revenue, prices, regulations or statistics.
Use the prompt effectively.
Describe the real idea
Explain what you want to sell, who would buy it and what problem it solves rather than giving only a business name.
Add your constraints
Include your actual budget, location, available resources and limitations so the evaluation stays realistic.
Separate assumptions from evidence
The prompt asks AI to identify what is known, what is assumed and what still needs real-world validation.
Validate before investing
Use the suggested low-cost tests to gather evidence before committing significant money, inventory or fixed expenses.
Evaluate before spending.
Business idea: Provide simple inventory-control setup services to small retail and e-commerce businesses.
Customer: Small businesses that currently manage stock manually or with basic spreadsheets.
Problem: Stock errors, poor reorder visibility and no clear inventory reports.
Business model: One-time setup fee plus optional monthly support.
Startup budget: Low. Existing laptop and inventory-management experience available.
Customer Problem: The idea addresses practical stock-control problems, but the willingness of small businesses to pay should be validated.
Low-Cost Validation: Interview 10–15 target businesses, offer a small paid pilot and document the most common inventory problems before building a larger service package.
Revenue Model: Consider a low-entry setup package followed by optional recurring reporting, support or inventory-review services.
Next Actions: Define one narrow customer segment, create a simple pilot offer and test willingness to pay before investing in software or advertising.
Get a more realistic assessment.
Be specific about the customer
A business aimed at 'everyone' is difficult to evaluate. A clearly defined first customer segment produces a much stronger analysis.
Include your real budget
A good idea can still be unsuitable if the startup requirements do not match the capital and resources actually available.
Ask for validation, not reassurance
The goal is to discover weaknesses early, before they become expensive problems.