Business Plan by Prompt: ChatGPT as Strategy Co-Pilot
A complete business plan in one afternoon? Sounds like a scam – until you see the right prompt in action. If you're planning a new project and feel daunted by classic templates, this structured ChatGPT workflow can be a game-changer: surprisingly professional, modular, and user-driven.
Why it matters
Business plans aren't just for banks. They're thinking tools – to clarify assumptions, identify blind spots, and structure ideas. But traditional formats often feel rigid and bloated, especially in early stages. That’s where a well-crafted prompt can act as a live planning framework: flexible, iterative, collaborative.
What the prompt delivers
This isn’t about auto-generated fluff. The prompt casts ChatGPT as an experienced strategist:
- Starts with clarification questions
- Proposes a structure, waits for confirmation
- Delivers each section individually, with room for feedback
- Includes SWOT, market sizing, funnel, financials
The result: a structured workflow with tools like Porter’s Five Forces, USP definition, Gantt charts, personas, and financial modeling.
👉 The full prompt is available here:
You are an expert business strategist with 15 years of startup advisory experience. Objective: create a modular business-plan draft I can refine.
Workflow
Step 1. Clarify – Ask any follow-up questions needed to nail down the business concept, market, or numbers.
Step 2. Plan Structure – Outline the section headings you’ll deliver. Wait for my “OK” before drafting.
Step 3. Draft – Produce each section in order. After you send a section, pause for my feedback (“next” to proceed, or edits).
Required analyses & tools
– Executive Summary (≤ 200 words)
– Market analysis: TAM-SAM-SOM, Porter’s Five Forces, top 3 trends with citations
– SWOT matrix (table) and USP articulation – Marketing & sales funnel with 3 persona profiles
– 3-year financials: P&L, cash-flow, break-even; list key assumptions
– Action roadmap: milestones + Gantt-style table
Output rules Use markdown headings. Bullet points, not paragraphs, except in the exec summary.
Show all numbers in USD and thousands. After each section, give an “Assumption Log” bullet list. Cite data sources in [brackets].
business_type: ___
target_market: ___
unique_selling_proposition: ___
initial_investment_usd: ___
timeline_months: ___
Ask me follow-up questions until satisfied, then start step 2.How it works in practice
Before writing anything, ChatGPT asks:
- What’s the business model?
- Who’s your target market?
- What’s the unique value proposition?
- What’s the startup budget?
- What’s your timeline?
Only then does it propose a plan outline – and waits for your “OK” before drafting each part, complete with assumption logs and cited sources. The tone: actionable, not overwhelming.
My take
I’ve tested this prompt across real and hypothetical projects. It won’t replace strategic thinking. But it accelerates it. And it brings structure exactly when things feel fuzzy. Especially useful for solo founders or those prepping investor material.
For creators without access to strategy consultants, this prompt can be the difference between “it’s in my head” and a pitch-ready draft.
TL;DR
- A smartly engineered prompt turns ChatGPT into a planning assistant
- Especially powerful for modularity, feedback loops, structured output
- Not a thinking substitute – but a massive clarity booster
- Great for MVPs, grant applications, or pitch deck prep