How to use ChatGPT to Write a Full Business Plan

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As a business owner or startup founder, having a clear plan of action is crucial.

But a plan that stands out requires research, time and adding your personal flavour.

This can be extremely daunting and hiring a project manager would set you back $1000’s of dollars.

Instead, I decided to use ChatGPT with GPT-4 to build out my entire business plan.

You have probably already heard of ChatGPT, but here’s a quick refresher of the most relevant happenings

  • GPT-3 could support a limited 8000 tokens, which is approximately 6000 words
  • GPT-4 can now support an impressive 32,000 tokens which comes to approx 24000 words

This is based on 0.75 words per token, as mentioned frequently on Open AI’s website. But for a more precise count, you can go here: https://platform.openai.com/tokenizer

With the increased limit, GPT-4 can now work effectively with lengthy documents. Think documentation for programming languages, complex legal contracts, dense academic papers, etc.

On top of this, GPT-4 “hallucinates” a lot less than GPT-3.

Image Source: OpenAI [Accuracy on Adversarial Questions]

GPT-3 would often misrepresent information and its factual accuracy would often be doubtful.

But with GPT-4, you can expect up to 40% improvement in the correctness of responses. This means better “cognitive” abilities and improvement when it comes to referring to knowledge that was shared during a conversation.

So given these improvements, I decided to treat ChatGPT with GPT-4 as my co-founder.

Here is the prompt I started with:

You are SocialHustleGPT (also called SH-GPT). You are my cofounder and together we will be building a brand called “Second Brain Operating System”. This brand is all about SAAS Tools, AI Tools, Workflows, Systems, Prompt Engineering and Content Marketing.

Then I gave it a deep understanding of my business and after just a few minutes, it not only understood but also gave clear examples of applying the concepts.

This is when I knew that I had essentially trained a “co-founder”. I could now ask it any questions regarding my business and future possibilities.

So I gave it the following prompts

  1. Given our entire conversation, how should we go about building Second Brains Operating System’s brand? I want to focus on building strong branding on the basis of “build digital distribution first”. Give me the plan with a clear name for the phase and steps.
  2. Next,  want to build it into the “SAAS” platform for the Second Brain Operating System. Give me the plan in phases with clear steps.
  3. Can you suggest any other phase with steps? Or are the 2 phases enough?

And here’s everything it said

Phase 1: Second Brain Operating System Brand Ideology, Audience Growth, and Engagement

1a Define brand positioning and messaging:

  • Clearly define the brand’s unique value proposition, messaging, and tone of voice that resonates with the target audience.
  • Develop a clear brand identity, including visual elements like logos, colour schemes, and font styles.

1b Brand Website, Social media setup and Analytics setup 

  • Set up the brand’s website and relevant social media accounts, including Twitter, LinkedIn, and other niche-specific platforms.
  • Ensure consistent branding across all platforms, with attention-grabbing visuals and copy.
  • Implement analytics and tracking to monitor engagement metrics and guide future optimization efforts.

1c Brand Content Creation, Distribution, Engagement & Collaboration

  • Create a comprehensive content calendar that outlines the types of content to be created, posting schedules, and content themes. Ensure that the calendar aligns with the brand’s objectives and targets the needs and interests of the target audience.
  • Consistently create high-quality content (text, video, and audio) on SAAS tools, prompt engineering, and content marketing.
  • Use storytelling and copywriting techniques to make content engaging, shareable, and valuable to the target audience.
  • Optimize content for shareability with attention-grabbing headlines and visuals.
  • Build and maintain a strong presence on relevant social media platforms.
  • Share content, engage with the audience, and participate in relevant discussions to increase reach and visibility.
  • Utilize content distribution channels like online communities and forums.
  • Encourage the audience to engage with content and free info products by offering valuable lead magnets and asking thought-provoking questions.
  • Develop relationships with audience members by responding to comments and messages.
  • Transform the audience into a community by fostering regular engagement, hosting virtual events, and providing opportunities for members to connect and collaborate.
  • Collaborate with influencers and industry experts to create joint content or guest posts, increasing the visibility and credibility of the content.

1d Brand Email list growth and marketing

  • Use lead magnets and high-value content to attract subscribers to the email list.
  • Send regular newsletters with valuable insights, updates, and opportunities for the audience to connect.
  • Leverage email marketing for promoting digital products.

1e Brand Digital Info Product development and sales

  • Create paid digital information products, such as Notion templates, courses, and e-books, based on the audience’s needs and feedback.
  • Utilize low-code and no-code tools for rapid product development and automation.
  • Promote and sell digital products through targeted email campaigns, social media posts, and other marketing channels.

1f Brand Analytics and continuous improvement

  • Monitor and analyze engagement metrics to understand the impact of content and identify opportunities for improvement.
  • Test and iterate different content formats, posting schedules, and promotional strategies to find what resonates best with the audience and drives engagement.

Phase 2: Develop and Launch the Second Brain Operating System SAAS

2a. Define SAAS product requirements

  • Clearly outline the features and functionalities of the Second Brain Operating System based on the methodology and user needs.

2b. SAAS Integration planning

  • Research and identify the most popular and relevant note-taking tools and platforms that users may already be using, such as Notion, Evernote, Roam Research, Obsidian, and Mem.
  • Plan the integration process to ensure seamless compatibility between the Second Brain Operating System and these tools, without replacing them.

2c. Design SAAS user experience

  • Develop user flows, wireframes, and visual design elements to create an intuitive and engaging user experience for the chrome extension, web application, and mobile app.

2d. SAAS Technical development

  • Design and build the Chrome extension, web application, and mobile application, incorporating the core features, functionalities, and integrations. Implement analytics and event tracking to facilitate the measurement phase of the Second Brain Operating System.

2e. SAAS Testing and refinement

  • Thoroughly test the Second Brain Operating System for usability, compatibility, and performance. Gather user feedback and make necessary refinements to the system to ensure a high-quality user experience.

2f. SAAS Launch and promotion

  • Develop a launch strategy for the Second Brain Operating System, leveraging our existing audience and social media presence. Create promotional content and campaigns to introduce the system to our target audience and demonstrate its value.

Phase 3: Second Brain Operating System SAAS Analytics, Iteration & Improvement

3a. SAAS Event and attribution data analysis

  • Monitor the usage and success of the Second Brain Operating System by tracking key performance indicators, such as user engagement, conversion rates, and user retention.
  • Analyze event data to understand user behaviour and identify trends or areas for improvement.

3b. SAAS User feedback and insights

  • Actively collect user feedback through surveys, reviews, and direct communication to understand their needs, pain points, and areas of satisfaction.
  • Use this feedback to inform future product improvements, feature development, and marketing strategies.

3c. SAAS Product optimization

  • Regularly review the Second Brain Operating System’s features, functionality, and integrations to ensure they are providing maximum value to users.
  • Implement updates, improvements, or new features based on data-driven insights and user feedback.

3d. SAAS Update marketing and promotional strategies

  • Continuously assess the effectiveness of our marketing and content creation efforts, making adjustments as needed to reach a larger audience and drive user growth.
  • Experiment with new content formats, platforms, and promotional strategies to broaden our reach and engage with different segments of our target audience.

3e. SAAS Partnership and collaboration opportunities:

  • Identify and establish partnerships with other tool providers, influencers, and industry experts to increase the visibility and credibility of the Second Brain Operating System. Collaborate on joint projects, co-marketing campaigns, or cross-promotional opportunities to reach new users and provide additional value to our existing audience.

3f. SAAS Community development and engagement:

  • Continue fostering a strong, engaged community around the Second Brain Operating System by hosting events, workshops, and webinars. Encourage users to share their experiences, tips, and success stories within the community, creating a supportive network and inspiring others to achieve their goals.

3g. SAAS Explore new market opportunities and business growth:

  • Explore new revenue streams, such as premium features, subscription plans, or licensing agreements, to support the ongoing development and growth of the Second Brain Operating System. Develop strategies to scale the business and reach a larger audience, considering factors such as internationalization, platform expansion, and additional integrations.

Making the Business Plan Actionable

On Twitter, I have recently begun the #HustleGPT challenge

https://twitter.com/UmairKamil/status/1637800449452507139

Personally, this was a great opportunity to create a Notion template. So here is why human intuition and AI-powered insights come together.

I started off by creating a database in Notion and adding each “step” as a row

For each step, I defined the step name, phase, step number and details

Now to make the plan more actionable, I added 4 workflow columns: Status, Deadline, Blocked by, Blocking

I decided to keep the status really simple: no value, In Progress, Completed

As for the deadline, it had a start date and an end date.

And the Blocked By column meant “which previous step is a pre-requisite”. Whereas blocking means “which next step can’t be performed without completing this step”

This resulted in a stellar Notion template with 4 views: List, Gallery, Kanban and Timeline

The List and the Gallery provide a high-level overview of the phase, whereas the Kanban is great for execution.

Luckily, ChatGPT had laid out the steps in the right chronology so creating a neat timeline was easy!

And with the notion’s new timeline view, connecting the dots was straightforward.

Whenever you use the timeline view to connect things, the Blocked By and Blocking columns are updated automatically.

And that was it. I had a rock-solid business plan.

You can get the Notion Template in your email inbox, with everything ready to go!

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