In the pack: ChatGPT, Claude & Gemini Prompts to Write a Business Plan
Substitutes and the Do-Nothing Option
Prompt
What I sell and the problem it solves: {{OFFER_DESCRIPTION}}
My target customer: {{TARGET_CUSTOMER}}
Direct competitors I've already listed: {{DIRECT_COMPETITORS}}
Do this:
1. List the indirect competitors and substitutes: different products that solve the same problem, doing it themselves, hiring a generalist, using free tools, and doing nothing at all.
2. For each, explain why a customer might choose it over me (cost, habit, convenience, trust) and how strong that pull is.
3. Identify the single most dangerous alternative and why.
4. Suggest in one line how my plan should answer each, and what evidence would make that answer believable.
5. Write a short paragraph on substitutes for the competition section.
Rules: reason from the customer's point of view, not mine. Don't name specific companies unless I've mentioned them or you're confident they exist; otherwise describe the type. Mark guesses about customer behavior as assumptions to check in interviews.
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About this prompt
“Substitutes and the Do-Nothing Option” is a free prompt for ChatGPT in the Business category, 170 words long, added to The Prompt Index on October 28, 2026 by The Prompt Index. Copy it with the button above, paste it into ChatGPT or any other AI chat assistant, and send it.
It has 3 placeholders to fill in first:
{{OFFER_DESCRIPTION}}, {{TARGET_CUSTOMER}}, {{DIRECT_COMPETITORS}}.
Use the “Customize this prompt” fields to personalise it before you copy.
Recommended models: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini.
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