# Find your first customers with AI research

> Researched. Small business · Beginner · Leads. Updated 2026-11-02.

Canonical page: https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/find-your-first-customers-with-ai-research/

## What it does
Use AI to choose one narrow customer, find where those people gather and what they complain about, and draft first messages you check and send yourself.

## Who it's for
Solo founders and new small businesses who have something to sell but no list of people to sell it to.

## Tools
- ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity with web search
- A sheet to track who you contacted

## Steps
1. Write one sentence on what you sell and who it is for. Narrow it to one group, such as dog groomers in Vermont, not small businesses.
2. Use the prompt below to have the AI list where that group gathers and what they complain about, with a link for each claim.
3. Open the links. Delete anything you cannot confirm.
4. Pick the 2 places that fit best and read real posts there for 15 minutes.
5. Ask the AI to draft a short first message that answers a real complaint you saw. No pitch in the first message.
6. Send 5 by hand, follow each community's rules, and log replies. Adjust the message after every 5.

## Copy-paste prompt
Adapt bracketed fields to your situation.
```text
Help me find my first 20 customers. Use web search and give a link for every claim.

What I sell: [ONE SENTENCE]
Who it is for (one narrow group): [E.G. INDEPENDENT DOG GROOMERS IN VERMONT]

1. List 8 places this group talks online (forums, subreddits, groups, newsletters, directories), with a link and how active each looks.
2. List the 5 most common complaints they post about, quoting one real example each with its link.
3. Draft a 60-word first message for the best place that responds to one complaint, with no pitch and no link.

Do not invent groups, quotes or numbers. If you cannot find something, say so.
```

## Guardrails
- What it touches: Chat input you provide (ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity with web search; A sheet to track who you contacted).
- Needs your OK: Send, pay, publish, and account changes stay with you. Treat agent output as drafts first.
- Safety level: Drafts for you
- The AI invents groups or quotes. Open every link before using it.
- Pitching in the first message gets ignored or removed.
- Sending the same message everywhere; communities notice.

## Tips
- Narrow beats broad: one group you can name makes every message sharper.
- Read the place before posting; each community has its own rules.
- Track replies, not sends. Change the message when replies stall.

## Estimates (labeled, not measured)
- Time saved: About 2 hours of research saved.
- Money saved: Not stated in sources.
- Tool cost: Free tiers can do the research and drafts. Prices: Not stated in sources.

## Sources
Summaries use the public sources below, not independent verification.
- OpenAI: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11487775-connected-apps-in-chatgpt (Connected apps in ChatGPT: connect apps from settings; availability depends on app, plan, region, workspace and role (read 2026-10-31 through a page fetch tool, not a direct browser open))

## Get the free starter pack
Five beginner copy-paste AI setups, free by email: https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/starter-pack/?utm_source=ai-agent&utm_medium=markdown&utm_campaign=setup-find-your-first-customers-with-ai-research

Related:
- [Build a local prospect list with AI help](https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/build-a-local-prospect-list-with-ai/index.md)
- [Qualify leads with five questions](https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/qualify-leads-with-five-questions/index.md)
- [Check if ChatGPT recommends your business](https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/check-if-chatgpt-recommends-your-business/index.md)