Using ChatGPT To Forge Your Startup Vision

Photo by Jud Mackrill on Unsplash

Many believe that overwhelming passion is the only way to start a business. For me, that wasn't the case. Nearly two decades ago, I founded my company based on a clear vision: to make daily life easier by automating tedious tasks. Even as technology and AI have reshaped the world since 2006, that core vision has remained our guide.

In our rapidly changing environment, a company's vision is more crucial than ever. As a landmark Harvard Business Review article explains, “Vision provides guidance about what core to preserve and what future to stimulate progress toward.”

For many founders, crafting this vision feels like a monumental task. This is where AI can be a game-changer. While often used for repetitive work, generative AI tools like ChatGPT can be powerful partners in deep, creative, and strategic thinking. Using AI this way is less common, but it's a practice that will set forward-thinking companies apart.

Here are three specific ChatGPT prompts designed to help you build an ironclad vision for your company.

Identify Your Core Values

A solid vision is built on key components. According to Harvard Business Review, a company's vision is composed of its core ideology and its envisioned future. Your core ideology is defined by your values and purpose.

Values are the sacred principles your company stands for. They are not aspirational goals but the foundational beliefs that guide your company's actual operations, even when it's difficult. For example, two of my company's values are prioritizing experimentation over perfection and always putting our users first.

To begin, write down what you believe your company's values are. Then, use this prompt to test and refine them.

“I’m identifying the core values of my company. Below is a list of values I believe we hold. I’d like you to help me stress-test them. For each value, ask me a few questions to help determine whether this value is truly core (something we would hold onto even if it created difficulty or cost), or if it is simply aspirational. Then, based on my answers, help me refine the list down to 3–5 authentic core values with concise wording.”

Spell Out Your Core Purpose

If values describe how your company operates, your core purpose defines why it exists. It’s your organization's reason for being, far beyond any specific goal or metric. It is the enduring 'why' that guides you.

Consider the eco-conscious footwear brand Allbirds. Their purpose isn't just to sell shoes or dominate the sneaker market. It’s to rethink footwear production so customers can enjoy comfort and style while contributing to a healthier planet.

Use the following prompt to articulate your company's lasting purpose, not just its business model.

“I’m articulating my company’s core purpose—the enduring reason we exist beyond profit, metrics, or short-term goals. Below is some context about our business, what we do, and what we hope to stand for. I’d like you to help me spell out the ‘why’ that guides everything we do, in a way that is enduring, inspiring, and specific to our business.”

Project Your Company Into The Future

An effective vision is not just about the present; it's about the future. While founders must focus on today's viability, sustainable companies are built on a vision that anticipates and meets tomorrow's needs.

ChatGPT can be an excellent tool for this. You can use it to run through various “what if” scenarios, helping you test and strengthen your long-term vision against potential changes in the market.

Once you have a draft of your vision, use this prompt to future-proof it:

“I’d like your help in ensuring that my company’s mission remains strong and relevant as circumstances evolve in the future. Here is my current company vision: [insert vision]. Please analyze it from a future-oriented perspective, considering potential market shifts, customer behavior changes, technological advancements, regulatory factors, and competitive landscape changes that could impact this vision over the next 5–10 years.

Then please provide: Suggestions to strengthen the vision; potential risks or blind spots to address; any other suggestions that will make the vision more resilient over time.”

Putting It All Together

Generative AI is making entrepreneurship more accessible. While it's easy to see tools like ChatGPT as a way to outsource mundane tasks, their true power lies in supporting the creative and strategic work that truly defines a company. The key is to avoid over-reliance and outsourcing your thinking entirely.

The most successful leaders of tomorrow will be those who master using ChatGPT strategically—as a thinking partner and an assistant, not a replacement—for the high-impact work of shaping a powerful company vision.