TL;DR
Most founders use ChatGPT like a glorified copywriter.
But what if it could actually help you ship something real?
💡 The Idea:
“What if there was a Duolingo, but for wellness habits?”
🚀 In 10 days:
Clarified product vision
Picked an MVP
Built a waitlist page
Drafted early user messaging
Designed onboarding flow
Started prototyping — without a team
Forest NRI Score: 74/100 – ✅ Legit founder leverage.
Why This Episode Matters
At Forest, we don’t just play with AI tools.
We build with it. Every day we help companies and startups design smarter systems using AI-native workflows.
And ChatGPT? It’s one of the most misunderstood tools in the founder toolkit.
Most people use it like a smart copywriter. But we wanted to know:
Can a founder actually use ChatGPT to go from idea → action — before hiring anyone?
So we ran it through our AI performance framework:
The Neuro Roots Index™ (NRI).
10 real-world criteria.
No sugarcoating.
Here’s the setup
It was one of those Mondays. Too many tabs. Too many complaints. Not enough clarity. Product had questions. Support had receipts. PMs were neck-deep in Slack threads.
Someone said:
“Let’s just ask Notion AI to summarize all these support tickets?”
Cool. Let’s see if your “second brain” can handle real product noise.
We fed it five raw user complaints — straight from the inbox.
How To Use ChatGPT If You're a Founder
We tested this like a real founder with an idea and no resources.
You can copy these steps and try it now.
Step 1: Clarify Your Idea
Prompt:
“Here’s my raw idea: [insert idea]. Turn it into a product vision, 1-line pitch, and 3 target users.”
Why: This forces clarity. GPT helps you say what you mean better — and faster.
—-
Step 2: Define MVP Options
Prompt:
“Suggest 3 MVPs for this product. Compare by dev effort, feedback speed, and engagement level.”
Why: You’ll start thinking like a PM — without hiring one yet.
—-
Step 3: Write Your Landing Page
Prompt:
“Write a first landing page: hero line, subhead, 3 benefits, and waitlist CTA.”
Bonus variations:
“Rewrite in a Gen Z tone.” “Make it more investor-ready.” “Shorten it for a tweet thread.”
—-
Step 4: Simulate Early Research
Prompt:
“Pretend you interviewed 10 ideal users. Summarize the themes.”
Why: This gives you a starting point — not a replacement for real users, but a fast prep tool.
—-
Step 5: Map User Onboarding
Prompt:
“Describe a simple 3-step onboarding flow for new users.”
Why: This helps you plan your UX journey before hiring a designer.
—-
Step 6: Understand the Competitive Landscape
Prompt:
“What are similar products in this space? How does this idea differentiate?”
Bonus:
“Now write that as a positioning blurb for a pitch deck.”
The Origin Story
Dina was up late, drained from back-to-back coaching sessions.
At 1:13AM, she typed a note into her phone:
No strategy deck. No brainstorm. Just a shower-thought.
The next morning, she skipped the Google rabbit hole and opened ChatGPT. Here’s how she used it like a cofounder — not a content monkey.
Step-by-Step: Using ChatGPT Like a Founder
Step 1: Clarify the Vision
Prompt:
“Turn this into a product vision, 1-liner, and 3 personas.”
GPT Output:
Vision: A gamified wellness app for building daily mind-body habits using streaks, challenges, and AI nudges.
One-liner: “Build better habits for your mind, body, and life — one streak at a time.”
Personas:
Burnt-Out Founder (Lina, 32) — No time, needs low-pressure wins
Wellness-Curious Student (Jay, 21) — Wants fun, not fluff
Rebuilding Professional (Carlos, 45) — Seeks structure, not guilt
Boom. Suddenly, the idea had shape.
Step 2: Explore MVP Exploration
Prompt:
“List 3 MVPs with pros and cons.”
GPT suggests:
Micro-habit tracker — Easy build, gamified XP/streak loop
Guided wellness ‘tracks’ — More content needed, great for depth
AI wellness coach (chat UI) — Differentiated, higher lift
Dina picked #3.
Why?
Fast to test on Discord, with room to scale later.
Step 3: Build a Landing Page
Prompt:
“Write a simple waitlist page for this product.”
GPT delivers:
Hero: “Stop burning out. Start building energy in 5 minutes a day.”
CTA: Join the beta
She dropped it into Framer.
✅ Page live by lunch.
Step 4: Simulate Research
Prompt:
“Simulate 10 user interviews and summarize insights.”
Output includes:
“I fall off routines fast.”
“Most wellness apps are overwhelming.”
“I need something flexible, fun, and fast.”
Dina now had real language for her cold outreach.
Step 5: Map the Onboarding Flow
Prompt:
“Describe onboarding screens.”
GPT walks her through:
Welcome Screen
Pick your goal (e.g. “Clear my mind”)
Choose how much time (2, 5, 15+ mins)
Pick a vibe (Zen, Focus, or Play mode)
First streak challenge: “1-minute breathwork”
A no-code dev helped build it. Flow was done in 3 days.
Step 6: Define the Differentiation
Prompt:
“How is this different from Headspace or Fabulous?”
GPT explains:
Headspace is slow and meditative.
Fabulous is rigid and coach-like.
Dina’s app is fast, gamified, and emotionally adaptive.
That became her pitch slide.
Product Summary
What Dina’s building:
A fast, gamified wellness app that helps you build micro-habits using streaks, XP, mood-based suggestions, and fun-first UX.
Why it works:
Tiny actions → quick wins → real momentum
Built for people with messy lives and limited time
Feels like a game, but drives real behavior change
How We Evaluated It
Introducing the Neuro Roots Index™ (NRI) Ten sharp pillars. One honest verdict. Built for real teams doing real work.
Forest's NRI
NRI tests one thing:
Does it help you build what actually matters?
1. Strategic Fit = Does it align with business goals or user needs?
2. UX Flow Logic = Is the journey intuitive, usable, and goal-driven?
3. Modularity = Can you reuse and scale what it builds?
4. Copy Quality = Does the writing feel clear, human, and on-brand?
5. Visual Design = Is the layout visually intentional and legible?
6. Data Awareness = Can it adapt to context, input, or audience?
7. Brand Sensitivity = Does it reflect tone, voice, or identity?
8. Collaboration Fit = Can real teams iterate, or is it solo-only?
9. Usability & Editing = How easy is it to refine and update?
10. Use Case Match = Does it work for serious builds, or just quick demos?
Forest Score — ChatGPT NRI Breakdown
A 10-pillar system we use to score AI thinking depth — not just output speed.
Total NRI Score: 74 / 100
Not a toy. ChatGPT is real leverage — if you treat it like a builder’s sidekick, not a silver bullet.
Forest’s Perspective: How We’d Use It Today
If you’re a founder, solo operator, or early-stage PM:
Use it for first drafts. Don’t stare at blank docs. GPT gets you to “something real” instantly.
Give it structure + tone. GPT works best when you define its role. “Act like a YC founder.” “Sound like Apple marketing.” “Be concise.”
Always sanity check. Don’t let GPT think for you — let it refine your thinking.
Stack it with tools. Combine GPT with Notion, Framer, Dora, or Superhuman for powerful solo workflows.
It’s not here to replace you. It’s here to remove the friction between you and momentum.
Why This Matters
Today’s product teams are drowning in data. We don’t need more words. We need clearer thinking.
And AI — even the good ones — don’t think like humans. They remix. They mimic. But they don’t know what matters yet.
At Forest, we use AI to move faster. But the clarity? That still comes from us.
👀 Coming Up Next...
You’ve seen the flashy AI video demos. But can a founder actually ship a decent brand video without a production team?
Next episode, we test it all.
And of course — we’ll score it all with our Neuro Roots Index™. Was it cinematic? Or just synthetic?
Subscribe or follow to see what happens when Forest tries to Make It Work (with AI) — again.
Forest is a research-powered product studio.
We help teams move fast — with intention.
🔍 Insight First – Research leads every project
📦 Execution with Confidence – Modular, sprint-based delivery
📊 Credibility by Sharing – Tools, benchmarks, and honest scorecards
✨ Style That Connects – Bold, distinct, and human
Let’s stop building blindly. Let’s ship with clarity.
