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 is 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
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.
Use the prompt below to have the AI list where that group gathers and what they complain about, with a link for each claim.
Open the links. Delete anything you cannot confirm.
Pick the 2 places that fit best and read real posts there for 15 minutes.
Ask the AI to draft a short first message that answers a real complaint you saw. No pitch in the first message.
Send 5 by hand, follow each community's rules, and log replies. Adjust the message after every 5.
The prompt
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.
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.