An AI Prompt I've Used for Research

February 09, 2025
by a searcher from Columbia University in Miramar, FL, USA
I've been using this prompt to complement IBIS world analysis and attempt to triangulate information to get the most comprehensive overview..
I'll typically run thru Claude, ChatGPT and I've started using You.com as well and then review the output from all 3. I've liked Claude explanatory mode mostly because it also asks me questions to potentially dive deeper into where as the others I have to drive any deeper analysis. Might be able to be fixed with a prompt change.
Hope it helps!
Please provide a comprehensive overview of the <<INSERT INDUSTRY HERE>> industry to determine its growth potential and investment attractiveness for a potential SMB acquisition.
The target is a <<brief description of company, typically from website>> company so please ensure your analysis specifically incorporates any nuances for that sub-category of the industry.
Your analysis should include the following elements:
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Industry Overview:
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Provide a brief description of the industry, its main products/services, and its role in the broader economy.
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Discuss the current market size and projected growth rate over the next 5 years.
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Identify key trends shaping the industry's future.
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Market Dynamics:
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Analyze the industry using Porter's Five Forces framework:
a. Threat of new entrants
b. Bargaining power of suppliers
c. Bargaining power of buyers
d. Threat of substitute products or services
e. Intensity of competitive rivalry
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Discuss the barriers to entry and exit in this industry.
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Competitive Landscape:
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Identify the major players in the industry and their market shares.
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Analyze the competitive strategies employed by key players.
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Discuss any recent mergers, acquisitions, or partnerships in the industry.
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PESTEL Analysis:
- Evaluate the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors affecting the industry.
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Financial Performance:
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Provide an overview of the industry's financial health, including average profit margins, return on investment, and revenue growth rates.
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Discuss any financial challenges or opportunities specific to this industry.
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Technological Advancements:
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Identify key technological trends and innovations impacting the industry.
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Discuss how these advancements are shaping the competitive landscape and future growth prospects.
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Regulatory Environment:
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Outline the major regulations affecting the industry.
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Discuss any pending legislation or regulatory changes that could impact the industry's future.
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Customer Analysis:
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Describe the primary customer segments in this industry.
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Analyze customer behavior, preferences, and trends.
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Discuss any shifts in customer demand or expectations.
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Supply Chain Analysis:
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Provide an overview of the industry's supply chain structure.
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Identify any vulnerabilities or opportunities in the supply chain.
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Growth Opportunities:
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Discuss potential areas for growth within the industry.
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Identify any untapped markets or emerging niches.
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Risks and Challenges:
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Outline the major risks and challenges facing the industry.
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Discuss strategies for mitigating these risks.
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Investment Attractiveness:
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Summarize the key factors that make this industry attractive (or unattractive) for investment.
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Discuss the potential for value creation through acquisitions in this industry.
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Future Outlook:
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Provide a forecast for the industry's performance over the next 5-10 years.
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Identify potential disruptors or game-changing factors that could affect the industry's trajectory.
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Please provide data-driven insights wherever possible, citing relevant sources using the [[<source_number>]] notation. Include any relevant charts, graphs, or images that help illustrate key points in your analysis.</source_number>
from Columbia University in Miramar, FL, USA
I run this in Claude, DeepSeek and You.com (multiple models) then consolidate into one final output I use to study up.
PART 1
I need a comprehensive analysis of the following SMB acquisition target based on their Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM). Please structure your response to match the quality and depth of analysis provided by top-tier investment banks. Target Company Information Please analyze the following aspects of the target company based on the CIM: 1. Company Overview - Core business model and value proposition - Corporate history and key milestones - Ownership structure and management team backgrounds - Geographic footprint and operational scale 2. Financial Performance - Revenue and EBITDA trends (5-year historical if available) - Margin analysis and profitability drivers - Revenue concentration (top customers/products) - Working capital management and cash flow dynamics - Capital expenditure requirements and historical patterns 3. Growth Strategy - Organic growth initiatives and expansion opportunities - Cross-selling and up-selling potential - New product/service development pipeline - Potential for geographic expansion - Identified operational efficiencies and margin enhancement opportunities 4. Competitive Positioning - Market share and competitive landscape - Key competitive advantages and differentiation factors - Barriers to entry and sustainable competitive moat - Customer loyalty metrics and retention rates - Supplier relationships and bargaining power dynamics 5. Risk Assessment - Customer concentration risks - Regulatory and compliance considerations - Technological disruption potential - Key person dependencies - Cyclicality and macroeconomic sensitivities Industry Analysis Please provide comprehensive industry background information: 1. Market Size and Growth - Total addressable market (TAM) size and growth rate - Relevant sub-segment analysis and growth projections - Key market drivers and potential headwinds - Stage in industry lifecycle (emerging, growing, mature, declining) 2. Industry Trends and Dynamics - Technological disruption potential and innovation trends - Regulatory environment and anticipated changes - Consolidation trends and M&A activity - Pricing dynamics and margin pressures - Customer behavior shifts and evolving preferences 3. Competitive Landscape - Major players and market share distribution - Recent strategic moves by key competitors - Barriers to entry and potential new entrants - Substitute products/services and their threat level - Differentiation strategies employed by market leaders 4. Future Outlook - Long-term industry growth projections (3-5 years) - Emerging opportunities and white spaces - Potential disruptive forces and mitigating factors - Critical success factors for future competitiveness Investment Thesis Based on the above analysis, please construct a compelling investment thesis: 1. Value Creation Levers - Revenue growth opportunities (organic and inorganic) - Margin expansion potential - Working capital optimization possibilities - Potential synergies for strategic buyers - Exit opportunities and likely buyer universe 2. Strategic Recommendations - Key areas for operational improvement - Strategic initiatives to accelerate growth - Risk mitigation strategies - Technology and capability investments - Potential bolt-on acquisitions 3. Valuation Considerations - Key value drivers and their relative importance - Appropriate valuation multiples based on comparable transactions - Premium/discount factors specific to this target - Suggested valuation range with justification My Investment Criteria This is criteria I look for when evaluating companies. If provided, please provide a summary of whether company meets the thresholds specified after you perform analysis above
<<insert your thresholds here>>
Please ensure your analysis is data-driven, objective, and incorporates both the explicit information from the CIM as well as implicit insights that can be derived from the provided materials. Where appropriate, highlight potential areas where additional due diligence would be valuable.
PART 2 Ok now act as my board of advisors who just consumed your analysis and recommendations. Assume you have real world CXO experience and education at Ivy League MBA level. Present critical questions you would ask if this deal was presented to you as is and why you might be hesitant to pursue it further. PART 3 Ok now take a more charitable view as to why the Board would advise making this investment.
from The Johns Hopkins University in Houston, TX, USA
https://chatgpt.com/share/67a7feff-afcc-800d-8caf-df9379dd58b4
The links it cites are appropriate, if not all that "deeply" hidden. They're what I'd find on my own through five minutes of Googling, but then again my problem when researching there's no such thing as five minutes of Googling - only five hours of progressively more distracted tab opening that will never get synthesized. That to me is the main takeaway. It's seductive to tell yourself that the bottleneck when working on a problem is that you don't have enough information, but with or without AI assistants that's very rarely true. Realistically, this report from Deep Research is 95% as good as what I'd come up with on my own. Which doesn't mean I'm now a subject matter expert, only that it's harder for me to pretend that the way to achieve that expertise would be reading one more paper on the subject.