Find the weak spots in my idea
Honest criticism of any idea: five weak spots, facts versus hopes, and cheap tests you can run in a week.
What it is
Works beyond business: a project idea at work, a course, a YouTube channel, handing a process over to AI. The model separates facts from hopes and suggests tests that don't require building anything. If the idea survives the criticism, the next step is the "Break down an idea with the Lean Canvas" prompt.
- Idea validation
- Criticism
- Decisions
Text to copy
Be an honest critic of my idea. I don't need support. I need to find the weak spots before I spend time and money. Idea: [what I want to do, for whom and how it will work: 3 to 5 sentences] Why I believe in it: [my arguments] What I have: [time, money, skills, connections] Do the following: 1. Restate the idea in one sentence so I can check that you understood it correctly. 2. The 5 most serious weak spots. For each: what the problem is, how dangerous it is (will kill the idea / will make it harder / minor) and why you think so. 3. Separate my arguments into facts and hopes. 4. Who already solves this problem, and why people might not want to change their usual way of doing it. 5. The cheapest way to test each of the 3 biggest weak spots within a week, without building anything. 6. What has to happen for the idea to work: 3 conditions. Rules: don't soften anything. Don't make up statistics or market sizes. If a number is needed, tell me where to look for it. At the end, one sentence: what you would do first in my place.
Works with these tools
- ChatGPT · OpenAI's mainstream AI assistant: chat, voice, images, the Work agent and Codex.
- Claude · An AI assistant for long documents, analysis and code, with Claude Code and Cowork on paid plans.
- Gemini · Google's assistant, built into Gmail, Docs and Sheets, with Deep Research, Gemini Live and Canvas.
More in Prompts
- Break down an idea with the Lean Canvas · A rough idea → the 9 Lean Canvas blocks, the riskiest assumptions and 3 tests you can run this week.
- Script for an 8-10 minute video · A hook for the first 15 seconds, content blocks, a shot list and 5 title options.
- SEO review of a page · Paste your page text and target searches to get prioritized fixes, new title and description tags, and an FAQ.
Checked: October 2026