TPS #43– How I Use AI to Validate Ideas (Before spending months building)

Hey there, Hunter here.

Today, we are going to fix all of your product and service issues with AI.

Well, maybe not all of them, but getting validation and “audience feedback” will be an absolute breeze.

As I said in the last newsletter, I’ve built tons of digital products.

“This one is going to be massive,” I always said after building them. And truthfully, some were successful, but a lot more weren’t.

I was spinning my wheels, building out half-baked ideas no one wanted. Constantly guessing what my audience might pay for.

There had to be a better way to validate concepts rapidly. And that’s when I discovered I could use AI to generate simulated audience feedback.

Now, before creating any new offering, I describe the idea to an AI chatbot to validate & In seconds, it generates tons of potential user reactions so I can refine the concept to maximize appeal before wasting months building products people won’t use.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Brainstorm Product Ideas

First, I tap my creative side to develop new product concepts. This initial spark could be:

- A tool that solves a problem I have

- An underserved audience need I’ve noticed

- A new twist on an existing product

The key is focusing on serving a specific target audience. I avoid vague, general ideas - those never get traction.

The clearer & more specific, the better.

Don’t get caught up in having the AI generate product ideas for you.

Yes, it can, but most of the time it’s pretty generic. AI can’t replicate the human novelty and insights we have… At least not yet.

So you’re better off coming up with the product and/or service yourself (you can use AI to help)

Step 2: Write a Detailed Concept Summary

Next, were prepping the information for our prompt.

I aim for 2-3 paragraphs covering the product/service:

- Format: eBook, course, software, etc.

- Features: What the product does and how it works

- Benefits: The transformation users get from those features

- Audience: Who specifically needs this product

Giving the AI this context sets it up to provide realistic, tailored reactions.

I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again:

The output of the AI is solely dependent on the prompt you enter; with this in mind be as detailed as possible, It won’t come up with things you don’t specify or ask for.

Step 3: Generate 50+ Audience Reactions

Now the fun part!

We’re going to use this prompt to generate 50+ reactions to my concept, written as if from real prospective customers.

Use this prompt:

Having meticulously studied numerous products and consumer behaviors over the years, I understand the intricacies of what makes a product or service resonate with its target audience. Using the information provided below, and my deep-rooted expertise in marketing and sales, generate 50 uniquely genuine reactions from the perspective of potential consumers. Each reaction should be nuanced, spanning positive accolades, neutral observations, to constructive feedback, ensuring a holistic view of the product's or service's potential reception.

Subsequently, from the synthesized feedback, deduce the top 5 most actionable insights that can be instrumental in refining and enhancing the product or service offering, ensuring it's poised for optimal market reception.

User-Provided Information:
[Insert cohesive short description of Product/Service, Platform, Benefits, Features, and Audience here.]

And under the ‘User-Provided Information:’ paste your summary of the products platform, benefits, features and audience.

And boom - in seconds the AI returns a huge mix of responses with diverse reactions.

Step 4: Analyze the Feedback for Patterns

Armed with 50+ potential user reactions, I can analyze them for key patterns and insights into how my real audience might receive this.

I look for:

- What resonated most? Which features or benefits?

- What received pushback or skepticism?

- Suggestions on how to improve the concept

- Reactions to price point options

- General willingness to purchase

Any clear trends reveal how I should refine the product before launch.

Here’s an example of this prompt in action:

Prompt entered with example product (generated by AI)

Here were the consumer reactions that was returned to me (using GPT-4)

Step 5: Refine Based on the Feedback

Using the audience's perspectives, I tweak my concept to maximize appeal.

If certain features were popular, I doubled down on those. If parts received criticism, I reworked or removed them.

Often, a single real pain point called out makes me re-evaluate the core premise. I pivot as needed to create something users truly want.

And if you have no one to bounce these ideas around, this prompt becomes the perfect companion.

In fact, I added a section in the prompt I provided that will analyze the user feedback and provide actionable insights for you.

Here’s an example of what I mean with the example Zenflow:

Please note, that you do not have to do anything extra to get this output. It’s already set up in the prompt ready to go!

Conclusion

In the past I’d spend weeks if not months, building a product that I didn’t even know if people would want.

Now, with AI-generated feedback, I can validate and adjust concepts in hours instead of months.

Of course, the AI can’t do your work for you, and it’s no guarantee that your product or service will be successful, but it’s a great place to start.

Ultimately, the goal here is to build a better product.

Bottom line:

You want to help people. This prompt enables you to help people with your product on questions you would have never thought of before.

Let me know if you have any other questions on how I leverage AI to refine products pre-launch!

That’s all I got for you today folks.

Until next Saturday,

You’re friend Hunter.

Peace out.

PS: Whenever you're ready, here are two-way I can help you:

1. Dive deeper into the world of AI & systems with my FREE templates & ALL premium systems → Shop

2. Achieve more with less stress. Get more time for your family, hobbies, and what you love with best-in-class workspaces to scale your online business → ProfitPilot