Reaching your galactic business goals: How ChatGPT’s advice revealed the black holes in traditional business planning—and the stellar switch that guides you clear of them.

ByGeorge Huang, M.D., C.R.S.

Navigating the realm of business planning can often feel like venturing into a cosmic abyss. The traditional route could lead you on a merry chase around the stars without a defined destination.

In this spirited dialogue, you’ll see how I lure ChatGPT into the common black hole of business planning, only to steer it towards the enlightened path of starting with the end—your business goals—in mind. The essence involves plotting your course with a clear, financially grounded destination before powering up your engines.

I start immediately to lay my trap for ChatGPT…

🚀 GEORGE:
A commentary about creating a business plan… I think the general approach to business planning is bass-ackwards…

Let me illustrate my point by asking you a question about creating business plans: “In a nutshell, what would you suggest as the first step for someone to create a business plan?”

And ChatGPT responds using the space-themed voice of the More Profit Rocket business brand…

🖥️ CHATGPT:
Creating a business plan is akin to charting a course through the vast cosmos of entrepreneurship. However, the conventional method might have its telescope focused on the distant stars before understanding the ground beneath one’s feet.

I propose a different point of departure: start with a thorough understanding of the core value proposition. This is the gravitational pull that holds the endeavor together, the unique offering that fills a void in the market’s universe.

Before venturing into financial projections or marketing strategies, it’s crucial to have a crystal clear understanding of what makes your venture unique and why your target audience would gravitate towards it. This insight will serve as the North Star guiding all subsequent decisions on this exciting entrepreneurial expedition.

I think that’s a pretty good insight. And a practical one, at that. But that’s not where I’d start.

So, this gives me another opportunity to keep leading ChatGPT down the rabbit hole…

Read on as ChatGPT embarks on the conventional trail, its digital gears whirring with mainstream advice. It’s like watching a spaceship set course with maps from a bygone era. 

🚀 GEORGE:
Ah, okay, start with the Value Proposition. Good. Then what?

🖥️ CHATGPT:
After establishing a solid value proposition, it’s time to understand your target market deeply. This involves identifying who your ideal customers are, what they desire, and how they behave. It’s akin to understanding the celestial bodies your spacecraft will interact with.

Next, scrutinize the competition. Know the other players in the galaxy, learn from their flight patterns and identify where you can soar higher.

With a good grasp of your value proposition, market, and competition, it’s time to construct the operational blueprint of your spacecraft – the business model. Detail how you’ll create and deliver value and how you’ll capture some of that value as revenue.

Now, plot your financial trajectory. Create realistic financial projections based on validated assumptions. This will include your startup costs, sales forecasts, profit and loss projections, and cash flow forecasts.

Marketing and sales strategy follows. Craft a plan that communicates your value proposition to your target market effectively and the sales process that will convert interest into revenue.

Lastly, assemble your crew. Identify the key team members, advisors, and partners who will join you on this voyage.

Throughout this process, it’s crucial to keep the communication lines open, seek feedback from potential customers, advisors, and stakeholders, and be willing to adjust your course as new insights and challenges emerge. This isn’t a one-time voyage but an ongoing expedition into the business cosmos.

As I skim through the traditional steps of business planning presented by ChatGPT, it’s like watching a rocket being prepped for a launch to nowhere specific… all systems go, but no clear destination.

So now, I’m thinking to myself, “Perfect. ChatGPT has taken the bait!”

🚀 GEORGE:
This is great advice that would take you on a direct route into a black hole!

🖥️ CHATGPT:
I appreciate your candor. It seems my previous suggestion didn’t align with your perspective.

I’m here to learn and adapt. Could you share your insights on where the approach veers off course or how you envision a more effective route in crafting a business plan? Your expertise will help in navigating this complex domain.​​​​

Here, I decided to see if I could throw ChatGPT a little bit further off-course by mentioning something it missed that is relevant to business planning but isn’t a specific business planning step. 

🚀 GEORGE:
Yeah, before even bothering to write a business plan, the smart move is to validate the business idea.

🖥️ CHATGPT:
Absolutely! Validating the business idea is a pivotal step before diving into the formalities of a business plan. It’s like testing your rocket’s engines before plotting the interstellar course. This pragmatic approach allows for adjustments based on real-world feedback, ensuring the venture has a fighting chance in the market galaxy before investing further resources. By engaging with potential customers and understanding their needs and reactions to your value proposition, you’re gathering crucial data to inform your business plan’s structure and strategies. This step could be seen as gathering intel from the ground before shooting for the stars, ensuring the journey has been well-calibrated from the outset.

So, as you’ll see shortly, ChatGPT has totally fallen for my trap!

🚀 GEORGE:
We can get into the specifics of how to validate an idea later. But for now, let’s suppose that you have validated the business idea. And you have validated the marketplace. So then you decide to create a business plan.

But based on your suggestions, I think you’d send people into a black hole. From my perspective, the place to start is first to establish what you are trying to accomplish with the business.

In other words, start by clarifying, “Where are you headed?” and “What are your specific goals?”

As it stands, if someone follows what you suggested as the steps to create a business plan, they would be creating a plan in search of a destination. This would be like someone saying, “Hey, I want to plan a trip to Europe; give me a plan.”

Of course, you’d ask questions like, “Where specifically in Europe do you want to go?” “When do they want to go?” “For how long do you want to go?” along with a bunch of other details. These details would determine what the plan needs to be for the trip, right?

And what if you get the response: “I don’t know yet. But just give me the travel plans.”

Cue the canned collective groan from the audience.

🖥️ CHATGPT:
Your analogy hits the nail on the head. Establishing clear goals and understanding the destination is indeed the cornerstone of crafting an effective business plan. It’s akin to having a clear star to navigate by on your entrepreneurial voyage. Without knowing the ultimate destination, any plan drafted would indeed be like a ship adrift in the cosmos.

Having a vision for what success looks like, what impact the business aims to make, and the milestones along the way will help shape all other aspects of the business plan. It sets the stage for aligned decision-making, strategies, and operations that propel the venture in the desired direction.

The steps I outlined previously are indeed essential components of a business plan, but they should be orchestrated toward achieving the defined goals, not drafted in a vacuum.

Your perspective adds a vital layer of strategic foresight to the process. Thank you for sharing this enlightening view. It’s a reminder that having a clear vision of the destination is crucial before mapping out the journey.

At this point, I think that ChatGPT gets the big idea here, the idea that business planning starts with a clear, financially informed destination before diving into the mechanics of the plan.

But we shall see! 

🚀 GEORGE:
The mechanics of the business plan need to be informed by the mission objectives and goals.

🖥️ CHATGPT:
Absolutely. The mission objectives and goals are the compass and the map for the expedition. They inform the mechanics of the business plan, ensuring that every system, strategy, and operation is engineered to reach the desired destination.

Without a clear mission and well-defined goals, the business plan could easily veer off course, becoming a futile exercise in bureaucracy rather than a dynamic blueprint for success.

With a clear mission and concrete goals, the other elements of the business plan, like market analysis, operational plans, and financial projections, become purpose-driven. They transform from theoretical exercises into practical, actionable strategies tailored to propel the business toward the stars of success.

This alignment fosters not only a coherent and effective business plan but also creates a resonant narrative that can inspire teams, attract investors, and resonate with customers. It’s the heartbeat of a business venture, pulsing through every decision, action, and communication.

Now that I’ve reinforced the big idea and re-directed ChatGPT, let’s see where it goes; let’s see if it really gets the big idea I’ve been trying to emphasize…

🚀 GEORGE:
OK, with this in mind now, what is the sequence and steps and outline for creating the business plan that you would suggest?

🖥️ CHATGPT:
Certainly! With the mission objectives and goals as the guiding lights, here’s a revised sequence and outline for crafting a business plan:

Mission, Vision, and Objectives:

  • Mission Statement: Define the core purpose of the business.
  • Vision Statement: Describe the desired future position of the business.
  • Objectives and Goals: Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.

Business Idea Validation Recap:

  • Summarize the validation process and findings for both the business idea and the marketplace.

Industry and Market Analysis:

  • Industry Background: Overview of the industry and current trends.
  • Market Analysis: Insights into the target market, customer personas, and market needs.

Competitor Analysis:

  • Competitor Identification: List major competitors and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Competitive Positioning: Define how your business will differentiate and position itself in the market.

Business Model:

  • Value Proposition: Detail the unique value your business will provide.
  • Revenue Streams: Outline how the business will make money through its products and/or services.
  • Key Resources, Activities, and Partnerships: Describe the operational model.

Marketing and Sales Strategy:

  • Marketing Strategy: Plan for promoting the business and attracting customers.
  • Sales Strategy: Process for converting leads into customers.

Operational Plan:

  • Operations: Outline daily operations, technology, and any physical assets required.
  • Team: Detail the organizational structure, key team members, and roles.

Financial Projections and Funding Needs:

  • Financial Projections: Provide projected income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.
  • Funding Request: If seeking funding, specify the amount required and its use.

Risk Analysis and Mitigation Strategies:

  • Identify potential risks and propose strategies to mitigate them.

Appendices and Supporting Documents:

  • Include any additional information, charts, graphs, or other supporting documents.

This structure ensures that the business plan is rooted in clear objectives from the outset, and each subsequent section is crafted to align with the mission and goals of the business.

Yup, ChatGPT has totally fallen for my trap!


🚀 GEORGE:
You totally proved my point about how most people approach writing a business plan backward. You need to start with the destination in mind. But your outline and recommendations do not emphasize starting with the destination in mind.

🖥️ CHATGPT:
I appreciate your patience and insight. Your emphasis on starting with a destination in mind is crucial, and I understand the need to reflect that in the outline.

Here’s a revised approach to crafting a business plan, anchored on defining the destination first:​​​​​​​

Destination Definition:

  • Long-term Goals: Define what success looks like in 5, 10, or 20 years.
  • Short-term Objectives: Set SMART goals for the next 1-3 years.
  • Milestones: Identify key milestones that will indicate progress towards the goals.

Mission and Vision Statements:

  • Mission Statement: The core purpose that guides the venture.
  • Vision Statement: A vivid picture of the desired future once the goals are achieved.

Business Idea and Market Validation Recap:

  • Summarize the validation process and the insights gathered about the business idea and the market.

Industry, Market, and Competitor Analysis:

  • Explore the industry trends, understand the target market, and analyze the competition.

Value Proposition:

  • Define the unique value that your business offers to its customers.

Business Model:

  • Detail how the business will operate, generate revenue, and create value through its products and/or services.

Marketing and Sales Strategy:

  • Outline the strategies for promoting the business and converting leads into customers.

Operational Plan:

  • Describe the day-to-day operations, the team, and the resources needed.

Financial Projections and Funding Needs:

  • Provide realistic financial forecasts and, if applicable, detail the funding required to achieve the goals.

Risk Analysis and Mitigation Strategies:

  • Identify potential challenges and how they will be addressed.

Appendices and Supporting Documents:

  • Include any other relevant information, charts, or documents that support the business plan.

By starting with a clear destination, this outline is structured to ensure every aspect of the business plan is aligned with the overarching goals and vision of a business.

With a nudge here and a pointer there, I redirect ChatGPT’s trajectory towards the financial stars. It’s like recalibrating the navigation system of a spaceship that’s been veering off into the abyss of vague business planning.

🚀 GEORGE:
You’re improving, but still missing key elements that are hiding in plain sight… market positioning.

And, if you’re going to set a destination, I’d recommend starting by setting specific FINANCIAL goals (e.g., profit, business reinvestment, fixed costs & expenses, and variable costs & expenses). Then, set your SALES goals at the level needed to achieve these financial goals. Then, and only then, set MARKETING goals at the level needed to achieve the sales goals. This establishes your destination more specifically and intelligently rather than pulling numbers out of thin air.

🖥️ CHATGPT:

With a bit of coaxing, ChatGPT has now produced an outline for a business plan that begins with a clear, financially informed destination, followed by strategies and plans tailored to achieve that destination. It also now includes a focused section on market positioning to ensure that the business is well-placed to achieve its marketing, sales, and financial goals. By reversing the traditional sequence of business planning and injecting a dose of financial reality from the outset, you’re not just planning for business; you’re planning for success.

Now, you can steer clear of the hidden business planning black hole using a secret that is hidden in plain sight…

Embarking on an entrepreneurial voyage with merely a traditional business plan is like venturing into the cosmos without a map. The allure of uncharted territories is thrilling, yet without a solid plan, it’s easy to get lost in the vastness. Our engaging exchange with ChatGPT sheds light on the shortcomings inherent in conventional business planning. Instead of sketching a roadmap based on vague assumptions, the focus should be on establishing a clear, financially-backed destination first, then thoughtfully plotting the course to get there.

The essence of this approach lies in intertwining your financial, sales, and marketing goals right from the outset, ensuring every aspect of your business plan is rooted in financial realism and aimed at achievable, tangible targets. However, while it sounds simple on paper, executing this strategy is a different ball game. The numbers need to add up, and the goals across different facets of the business need to align. That’s where the Business Goal-Builder module inside the Profit Stash app simplifies the process of setting and aligning your interconnected financial, sales, and marketing goals; it makes dealing with these details less like rocket science and more like a fun trip through the stars!

So, if you’re ready to escape the gravitational pull of outdated business planning models and propel your venture into a trajectory of success, initiating your launch sequence with interconnected business goals is the way to go. With Profit Stash’s Business Goal-Builder module, making these crucial connections is no longer a cosmic conundrum but a straightforward step toward stellar success.