Written by Tara Bonhorst, Founder, Do That Dave
Image generated with Ideogram.
AI Tools: Empowering Female Founders
Launching a startup as a female founder is daunting, and the odds are stacked against us. Last year in the U.S., just 2.1% of venture capital funding went to businesses that were founded solely by women.
Fortunately, AI tools can help us improve our chances of success by providing crucial support. As a solo founder, I’ve often faced “decision paralysis,” making every call myself. Generative AI applications like ChatGPT and Claude have been there to guide me. They’ve helped me research my options, weigh the pros and cons, and given me their “expert” recommendations on the best path forward.
Streamline Information Gathering With AI
AI is a powerful ally when researching multiple options. When I was searching for the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, I asked ChatGPT to create a table that listed the top CRM platforms for small businesses. It included pros and cons, user reviews, and pricing details, allowing me to narrow down my options quickly and compare them at a glance.
Use AI To Apply Established Decision-Making Frameworks
Generative AI can even apply established decision-making frameworks to help make more objective decisions. After I had ChatGPT generate a table of my CRM options, I asked it to rank them to show those that would best match my needs. ChatGPT can also set up a decision matrix and suggest scoring criteria so you can objectively compare two or three alternatives.
Assign AI an “Expert” Role To Get Definitive Advice
Sometimes, AI chatbots can be hesitant to give a concrete answer when asked to pick the “best” option. Assigning an "expert consultant" role in the prompt is one way to force the model into giving an unqualified decision. For example, you can ask, "As a marketing expert, what is the best strategy for increasing our social media engagement?" This approach can lead to more definitive recommendations, which is incredibly valuable when your own decisiveness is failing you.
Humans Should Make The Final Call
Of course, like with any advice, you should always take suggestions from an AI model with a healthy dose of skepticism. AI can generate misleading or incorrect information, so it's crucial to verify and validate the outputs. Do some additional research, and cross-check AI-generated advice with human expertise. AI should be used to augment your judgment, not replace it – ultimately, the final decision rests with you. But, with the right approach, AI can be a powerful partner in making critical decisions for your business.
AI transparency note: I used a custom GPT that I have trained to be my business sidekick to help me create an initial draft of this post based on my own thoughts. To see my prompt and learn more about how I used ChatGPT for this task, you can check out my conversation here.
I like how this article goes beyond the content writing with AI. The amount of insight we get using frameworks and AI models together is so valuable.
One of my favourite things to do is have the AI model give a rating. And then I push it to explain the reasons for the rating.
Would love to see more about the practical uses of frameworks and AI.