Why a 45-year-old solopreneur chose 'AI' over drinking buddies for business advice. [Includes copy-paste prompt]
I'm Pakira, currently rebuilding my 'solo business' in my 40s.
The heaviest and most draining part of working as a sole proprietor (solopreneur).
It's not the actual work.It's 'decision-making'.It is.
Should I continue my current business as is, or should I pivot?
Where should I concentrate my limited funds and time?
We must always come up with the answers to these 'questions without a correct answer' entirely on our own.
Of course, I could consult with friends in the same industry or my wife.
But 'noise' inevitably gets mixed in.
Friends might be polite and say, 'You're doing great as you are,' and it's hard to show my wife the real numbers and say, 'Things are dangerous at this rate.'
What we want is neither comfort nor pretense.
It's 'brutally objective analysis'.It is.
That's why last night, I chose ChatGPT as a 'sounding board' to decide the future direction of my business.
As a result, my mind became dramatically clearer.
Today, I will share the'concrete steps to make AI your management advisor'that I actually use.
Step 1: Prepare 'gritty data' without trying to look good
First, before consulting the AI, you need to prepare the 'ingredients'.
The important thing here is to prepare the 'embarrassing numbers' without hiding them.without hiding themis key.
I wrote down the following information in a notepad.
Current realistic numbers: Recent sales, profit margins, fixed costs, and cash on hand. (Be accurate to the single yen without trying to look good)
My resources: Hours available to work per week, skills I can use, and conversely, 'things I don't want to do'.
Options I'm considering: Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C currently in my head.
With a human, you'd want to 'exaggerate' a bit, but with an AI, you can be completely naked. This is the biggest advantage.
This can also be used as data to provide in Step 2.
Step 2: [Copy-Paste OK] Instructions for your AI advisor
Once the ingredients are ready, it's time to cook.
Asking 'What should I do?' is for amateurs.
You need to give the AIa 'brilliant consultant' roleand clarify the criteria for judgment.
This is the prompt (instruction) I actually used that shocked me.
Please feel free to rewrite the parts in [ ] to suit your situation.
[Prompt for Management Decisions]
#Role
You are a cold, logical 'expert management consultant.'
Without considering my (a 40-something sole proprietor) emotions at all, present the strategy with the highest probability of success based on numbers and resources.
#My Current Situation (Resources) Industry: [Example: Web production, consulting]
Current challenges: [Example: Sales are stable, but I have no time and cannot scale further]
Strengths: [Example: SEO knowledge, persistent interviewing skills]
Weaknesses: [Example: Cannot program, poor at sales]
#Options under consideration Plan A: [Example: Complete transition to high-ticket consulting]
Plan B: [Example: Launching a production agency service using AI]
Plan C: [Example: Maintain status quo and proceed with outsourcing]
#Instructions
Evaluate the above plans A through C based on the following criteria and rank them.Feasibility: Is it realistically possible with my resources?
Profitability: Will it become an asset in the medium to long term?
Risk: What is the damage if it fails?
No sugarcoating is necessary. Please be blunt.
Step 3: Accept the 'cold, logical answer' from AI
A few seconds after hitting the send button.
The answer that came back from my AI advisor defied my expectations.
'The #1 choice is Plan C (Outsourcing). You seem to want Plan A (transitioning to consulting), but with your current resource allocation, sales man-hours will be a bottleneck, and the risk of failure is high. It is rational to first secure time with Plan C, then transition to Plan A.'
That stung.
I felt like I had been confronted with a fact I had vaguely noticed but didn't want to admit.
But thanks to that, my mind was made up.
I realized I had been confusing 'what I want to do' with 'what I can win at.'
Of course, the AI's answer isn't everything. However, compared to consulting with a human, it should serve as material for making a more realistic strategy.
Conclusion: Enjoy the solitude.
Decision-making in your 40s is scary.
That is precisely why we should fully utilize AI as an 'excellent advisor without emotions'.
He will accompany me in organizing my thoughts 24/7, 365 days a year, without complaining.
Moreover, the cost is a few thousand yen per month (free if using the free version).
If you are currently lost regarding the direction of your business, I want you to skip one drinking session where you'd just complain and try this prompt instead.
By the next morning, you should clearly see exactly 'what you need to do.'
Thank you for reading until the end.
AI is not just a 'writing tool.'
Depending on how you use it, it can become the strongest partner to support a lonely business owner.
I will continue to record the 'AI strategy for those in their 40s' that I am practicing.
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Have a great day.