# See who already tried your business idea and why they stopped

> It names the companies that already tried your idea, when they quit and why, before you spend a dollar.

Before you build, ask AI to search for companies that already tried your idea, what happened to them and why. You get a blunt score instead of polite praise, plus a cheap way to test if people will pay.

- Page: https://thesolocreators.com/prompts/who-already-tried-your-business-idea/
- Category: Make smarter decisions
- Made for: Coaches, Consultants, Creators, Small business owners
- Works in: Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini
- Time: About 10 minutes
- Effort: Just copy and paste
- Note: Needs web search turned on. AI can't tell you if people will pay, so run the small test with real people.
- Published: 2026-11-12

## How do I check if someone already tried my business idea?

Describe your idea to an AI chat with web search on and ask it to find past attempts, what happened to them and why, with sources and a blunt score. Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini can all search, and Perplexity is handy when you want every claim cited. A chat without search will only guess, so turn search on. Whatever the score, the real test is a small offer to real people, so ask it for one you can run this month.

## The prompt

Fill in the parts in [square brackets], or leave them and the AI will ask you for them.

```text
Here's a business idea I'm considering: [YOUR IDEA, e.g. weekly meal-prep coaching for new parents]. My ideal customer is [YOUR IDEAL CLIENT, e.g. first-time parents in their 30s]. Don't be polite. Search the web and find companies or people who already tried this or something close. For each, tell me what they did, whether they're still going, and if they stopped, why (cite sources). Then list the free or cheap alternatives my customer already uses. Score my idea from 1 to 10 for whether someone will pay for it, and explain the score in three sentences. A low score is fine. Finish with one small test I could run this month to get a real person to pay me before I build anything.
```

## Step by step

1. Open Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini with web search on.
2. Paste the prompt below and describe your idea in two or three plain sentences.
3. Open the sources for any company it says failed or pulled out.
4. Run the small paid test it suggests before you build anything.

## What you'll get

A cited list of past attempts and why they stopped, the free options your customer already has, a blunt 1 to 10 score and one small paid test to try.

## Good to know

**How do I check if someone already tried my business idea?** Describe your idea to an AI chat with web search on and ask it to find past attempts, what happened to them and why, with sources and a blunt score. Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini can all search, and Perplexity is handy when you want every claim cited. A chat without search will only guess, so turn search on. Whatever the score, the real test is a small offer to real people, so ask it for one you can run this month.

**Which AI tools does this work in?** It works in Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. On this page, Claude and ChatGPT open with your prompt already typed in. Needs web search turned on. AI can't tell you if people will pay, so run the small test with real people.

**How long does it take?** About 10 minutes. It's rated "Just copy and paste". There are 4 steps, listed above.

**What do I need before I start?** Just your details for 2 blanks: your idea and your ideal client. You can skip any, and your AI will ask for them.

**What will I get back?** A cited list of past attempts and why they stopped, the free options your customer already has, a blunt 1 to 10 score and one small paid test to try.

Idea spotted on Reddit, shared by u/SSShken: https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1xsmi7q/. The prompt is The Solo Creators' own version.

## Go further

Ready-made skills in the Solo Creators AI Studio (https://thesolocreators.com/studio/) that fit this: Board of Advisors (Convene seven AI advisors who debate your decision, vote, and hand back a stress-tested verdict); Fact Checker (Every quote, number, date, and link in your draft checked against its real source, with the fixes handed back as tracked changes you accept or reject).

From AI Use Cases and Prompts by The Solo Creators: https://thesolocreators.com/prompts/. Free to use; please link back to the page when you share it.