Best AI Prompts for Business Strategy and Planning

Strategic planning is where AI truly shines as a thought partner. With the right prompts, you can leverage AI for market analysis, competitive intelligence, strategic frameworks, and decision-making support.

This guide provides battle-tested prompts used by business leaders, consultants, and strategists to accelerate their strategic thinking.

Strategic Analysis Prompts

SWOT Analysis

Conduct a comprehensive SWOT analysis for [company name/business idea].

Context:
- Industry: [industry]
- Size: [employee count/revenue range]
- Main products/services: [list]
- Key markets: [geographic/demographic]

For each quadrant:

STRENGTHS (Internal positives)
- List 5-7 core strengths
- Explain why each is a genuine competitive advantage
- Rate each: Critical / Important / Minor

WEAKNESSES (Internal negatives)
- List 5-7 key weaknesses
- Be honest about real vulnerabilities
- Identify which are fixable vs. structural

OPPORTUNITIES (External positives)
- List 5-7 market opportunities
- Include market trends, technology shifts, regulatory changes
- Estimate timeframe for each

THREATS (External negatives)
- List 5-7 competitive and market threats
- Include both immediate and long-term threats
- Assess severity: High / Medium / Low

Finally, synthesize into 3-5 strategic recommendations.

Porter's Five Forces Analysis

Analyze the competitive forces in [industry] using Porter's Five Forces framework.

For each force, rate its strength (Strong/Moderate/Weak) and explain:

1. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS
- Barriers to entry (capital, regulation, expertise)
- Economies of scale advantages
- Access to distribution
- Brand loyalty/switching costs
Overall assessment: [rating]

2. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS
- Number and concentration of suppliers
- Uniqueness of their product/service
- Switching costs for your company
- Forward integration threat
Overall assessment: [rating]

3. BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS
- Number and size of customers
- Price sensitivity
- Switching costs for customers
- Backward integration threat
Overall assessment: [rating]

4. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES
- Availability of alternatives
- Price-performance of substitutes
- Switching costs
- Customer propensity to substitute
Overall assessment: [rating]

5. COMPETITIVE RIVALRY
- Number of competitors
- Industry growth rate
- Product differentiation
- Exit barriers
Overall assessment: [rating]

Conclude with: How attractive is this industry, and what strategy implications follow?

Competitive Intelligence

Develop a competitive analysis for [your company] against these competitors:
[List 3-5 competitors]

For each competitor, analyze:

1. COMPANY OVERVIEW
- Size, funding, key metrics
- Mission and positioning

2. PRODUCT/SERVICE OFFERING
- Main products vs ours
- Pricing strategy
- Key differentiators

3. TARGET MARKET
- Primary customer segments
- Geographic focus
- Go-to-market approach

4. STRENGTHS vs US
- Where they beat us
- What they do better

5. WEAKNESSES vs US
- Where we beat them
- Their vulnerabilities

6. RECENT MOVES
- New products, acquisitions, partnerships
- What their strategy seems to be

Then synthesize:
- Overall competitive landscape assessment
- Our sustainable advantages
- Competitive gaps we must address
- Strategic opportunities to differentiate

Market Analysis Prompts

Market Sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM)

Help me estimate market size for [product/service] in [geography].

Product: [description]
Target customers: [who buys this]
Pricing model: [how you charge]

Calculate and explain methodology for:

TAM (Total Addressable Market)
- The total market demand for this category
- Show your calculation approach
- Cite any industry data or assumptions

SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market)  
- The portion we could realistically serve
- Consider our capabilities and focus
- Account for geographic and segment limits

SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market)
- Realistic capture in [timeframe]
- Consider competitive dynamics
- Factor in our resources and capacity

Include:
- Key assumptions made
- Data sources to validate estimates
- Sensitivity analysis (optimistic/pessimistic)

Market Entry Analysis

Analyze the viability of [company] entering [new market/segment].

Context:
- Our current business: [description]
- Target market: [market details]
- Investment available: [budget range]
- Time horizon: [months/years]

Assess:

1. MARKET ATTRACTIVENESS
- Size and growth trends
- Profitability potential
- Regulatory environment
- Customer needs alignment

2. COMPETITIVE DYNAMICS
- Key players and their positions
- Barriers to entry
- Potential competitive responses
- Sustainable advantage we could build

3. STRATEGIC FIT
- Connection to existing business
- Capability gaps to fill
- Resource requirements
- Synergies and conflicts

4. ENTRY STRATEGIES
- Option A: [organic build]
- Option B: [partnership/acquisition]
- Option C: [other approach]
Compare pros, cons, and risk profiles

5. RECOMMENDATION
- Go / No-go / Conditional recommendation
- Key success factors
- Major risks and mitigation strategies
- First 90-day action plan if proceeding

Trend Analysis

Analyze emerging trends that will impact [industry] over the next 3-5 years.

Consider:

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
- New technologies maturing
- Adoption curves
- Disruption potential

CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR TRENDS
- Changing preferences
- New expectations
- Generational shifts

REGULATORY TRENDS
- Pending legislation
- Industry-specific regulations
- Privacy/compliance evolution

ECONOMIC TRENDS
- Market dynamics
- Pricing pressures
- Labor market changes

COMPETITIVE TRENDS
- New entrant patterns
- Business model innovations
- Consolidation/fragmentation

For each trend:
1. Describe the trend
2. Rate probability (High/Medium/Low)
3. Rate impact if it occurs (High/Medium/Low)
4. Indicate timeline
5. Suggest strategic response

Synthesize into: What should we do now to position for these trends?

Strategic Planning Prompts

Business Model Canvas

Help me develop a Business Model Canvas for [business idea/company].

Fill in all 9 sections with specific, actionable content:

1. CUSTOMER SEGMENTS
- Primary segments
- Secondary segments
- Key characteristics of ideal customers

2. VALUE PROPOSITIONS
- Core value delivered
- Problems solved
- Needs satisfied
- Differentiation from alternatives

3. CHANNELS
- How customers discover us
- How we deliver value
- Sales and distribution approach

4. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS
- Type of relationship with each segment
- Acquisition strategy
- Retention strategy

5. REVENUE STREAMS
- Pricing model
- Payment mechanisms
- Revenue sources by segment

6. KEY RESOURCES
- Physical assets
- Intellectual property
- Human resources
- Financial resources

7. KEY ACTIVITIES
- Production/operations
- Problem-solving
- Platform management

8. KEY PARTNERSHIPS
- Strategic alliances
- Suppliers
- Partners who extend capabilities

9. COST STRUCTURE
- Fixed costs
- Variable costs
- Cost drivers

Then assess: What's the riskiest assumption in this model?

Strategic Roadmap Development

Develop a strategic roadmap for [company] to achieve [goal] by [date].

Current state:
- [Key current metrics]
- [Current capabilities]
- [Existing constraints]

Target state:
- [Goal metrics]
- [Required capabilities]
- [Success criteria]

Create a phased roadmap:

PHASE 1: FOUNDATION ([months] months)
- Primary objectives
- Key initiatives (3-5)
- Resources required
- Success milestones

PHASE 2: GROWTH ([months] months)
- Primary objectives
- Key initiatives (3-5)
- Resources required
- Success milestones

PHASE 3: SCALE ([months] months)
- Primary objectives
- Key initiatives (3-5)
- Resources required
- Success milestones

Include:
- Dependencies between phases
- Go/no-go decision points
- Key risks at each phase
- Budget estimates
- Quick wins to build momentum

OKR Development

Develop OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) for [company/team] for [time period].

Context:
- Company mission: [mission]
- Top priorities: [list]
- Constraints: [budget, resources, dependencies]

Create 3-4 Objectives, each with 3-5 Key Results:

OBJECTIVE 1: [Qualitative, inspiring goal]
- KR1: [Measurable result] - Target: [number] 
- KR2: [Measurable result] - Target: [number]
- KR3: [Measurable result] - Target: [number]
(Confidence: 50-60% achievable)
(Owner: [role])

OBJECTIVE 2: [Qualitative goal]
...

For each KR, include:
- Baseline (current state)
- Target (aspirational but possible)
- How it will be measured
- Why this matters

Finally, identify:
- Cross-functional dependencies
- Potential conflicts between OKRs
- Resources needed
- Monthly check-in cadence

Decision-Making Prompts

Decision Framework

Help me make a rigorous decision about [specific decision].

Context:
- Situation: [describe]
- Options I'm considering: [list options]
- Decision criteria: [what matters most]  
- Constraints: [time, money, other]
- Stakeholders: [who's affected]

Analyze using this framework:

1. OPTION ANALYSIS
For each option:
- Pros (list with importance weights)
- Cons (list with severity weights)
- Risks (likelihood × impact)
- Resource requirements
- Reversibility score (1-10)

2. SCORING MATRIX
Rate each option (1-10) against each criterion
Calculate weighted total scores

3. SECOND-ORDER EFFECTS
- What happens if this succeeds?
- What happens if this fails?
- What new options does this enable/close off?

4. GUT CHECK
- Does the quantitative winner feel right?
- If not, what's the analysis missing?

5. RECOMMENDATION
- Recommended choice with confidence level
- Key assumptions this depends on
- Pre-mortem: If this fails, it's because...
- Trigger conditions to revisit this decision

Risk Assessment

Conduct a risk assessment for [initiative/project/decision].

Overview: [brief description]
Investment: [resources being committed]
Timeline: [expected duration]
Success criteria: [how we'll know it worked]

Identify and analyze risks:

For each risk:
1. RISK DESCRIPTION
- What could go wrong

2. CATEGORY
- Strategic / Operational / Financial / Technical / External

3. LIKELIHOOD
- Probability (1-5 scale)

4. IMPACT
- Severity if it occurs (1-5 scale)

5. RISK SCORE
- Likelihood × Impact

6. MITIGATION STRATEGY
- How to reduce likelihood or impact

7. CONTINGENCY PLAN
- What to do if it happens

8. OWNER
- Who monitors and responds

Create a risk matrix visualization (High/Medium/Low).

Summarize:
- Top 3 risks requiring immediate attention
- Acceptable risks with monitoring
- Risks that might be deal-breakers
- Overall risk appetite recommendation

Scenario Planning

Develop scenario plans for [business situation].

Current situation: [describe]
Planning horizon: [time period]
Key uncertainties: [list main uncertainties]

Create 3-4 distinct scenarios:

SCENARIO 1: [Name - e.g., "Best Case"]
- Key assumptions
- What triggers this scenario
- How the market evolves
- Impact on our business
- Best strategic response

SCENARIO 2: [Name - e.g., "Status Quo"]
...

SCENARIO 3: [Name - e.g., "Disruption"]
...

SCENARIO 4: [Name - e.g., "Worst Case"]
...

Then analyze:
- Common strategies that work across scenarios
- Scenario-specific strategies
- Early warning indicators for each scenario
- No-regrets moves (valuable regardless of scenario)
- Big bets and when to make them

Strategy Presentation Prompts

Executive Summary Generation

Create an executive summary for this strategy document:

[Paste full document or key sections]

The summary should be:
- Maximum 1 page (300-400 words)
- Written for [C-suite / board / investors]
- Emphasis on: [what matters most to this audience]

Structure:
1. SITUATION SUMMARY (2-3 sentences)
2. KEY FINDINGS (3-4 bullet points)
3. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION (clear, actionable)
4. EXPECTED OUTCOMES (quantified where possible)
5. INVESTMENT REQUIRED (high level)
6. NEXT STEPS (immediate actions)

Make it compelling and decision-enabling.

Strategy Presentation Outline

Create a presentation outline for a strategy proposal:

Topic: [strategy being proposed]
Audience: [who you're presenting to]
Time: [minutes/slides available]
Goal: [what decision or action you need]

Create a slide-by-slide outline:

SLIDE 1: Title and hook
- Compelling title
- One sentence that captures attention

SLIDE 2-3: Situation analysis
- Current state
- Why action is needed

SLIDE 4-5: Core insight/finding
- Key discovery or analysis
- Data that supports it

SLIDE 6-7: Strategic options
- Options considered
- Why recommended option is best

SLIDE 8-9: Recommendation details
- Specific actions
- Timeline and milestones

SLIDE 10: Ask
- What you need from audience
- Clear call to action

For each slide:
- Main message (one sentence)
- Key data/visual
- Speaking notes summary

Frequently Asked Questions

Can AI replace business strategists?

No. AI is a powerful analytical partner, but strategy requires judgment, creativity, organizational politics, and implementation leadership that AI can't provide. Use AI to accelerate analysis, not replace strategic thinking.

How do I validate AI strategic analysis?

Always validate AI outputs against:

• Actual data from your market
• Insights from customers and employees
• Industry expert perspectives
• Historical patterns in your business

Is AI-generated strategy confidential?

Major AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic) state they don't train on API inputs. However, for highly sensitive strategic planning, consider:

• Using self-hosted models
• Anonymizing company-specific details
• Following your organization's AI policy

What's the best model for strategy work?

GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 Sonnet both excel at strategic analysis. Claude tends to offer more nuanced, balanced perspectives. GPT-4 often provides more structured frameworks. Test both with your specific needs.

Conclusion

AI transforms strategic planning by accelerating analysis, challenging assumptions, and generating frameworks you might not have considered. Use these prompts as starting points, then iterate based on your specific context.

Remember:

• AI augments, doesn't replace, strategic judgment
• Always validate outputs with real data
• The best strategies come from combining AI analysis with human insight
• Use these frameworks as starting points, not final answers

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Ready to accelerate your strategic planning? Browse our business prompts collection or read our productivity prompts guide for more ways AI can support your work.