The 10-Prompt Framework for Spotting Real Demand

Because even the Mad Hatter needs proof someone wants the tea.

Every leader believes their idea is brilliant.

But in Wonderland, brilliance doesn’t mean believability — it just means the tea sparkles.

So before you start pouring capital, pour questions.

Ten prompts can reveal whether people actually want your product or just enjoy the story.

🐇 1 — The Curiosity Prompt

“List five frustrations that make people in this niche mutter out loud.”

Real demand begins with real annoyance. No frustration, no fortune.

What to do:

After CoPilot lists them, ask:

“Which of these would people pay to make disappear?”

Then check Reddit, X, or niche forums. If strangers are complaining, you’ve found traction before you’ve spent a dollar.

🪞 2 — The Mirror Prompt

“Act as my customer. Finish the sentence: ‘I wish there was a way to …’”

When AI finishes that line, you’re staring straight at intent.

What to do:

Keep the natural, emotionally charged completions — they’re your future ad copy.

That’s the voice you’re selling to, not writing for.

🫖 3 — The Tea-Table Prompt

“Name five solutions people already try — and what they secretly hate about each.”

Competitor analysis, minus the spreadsheets.

What to do:

Collect the “hates” in a column called Promises I’ll Never Break.

You just wrote the backbone of your value proposition.

💡 4 — The Cheshire Prompt

“If my idea suddenly vanished, who would notice — and why?”

If the answer is no one, you’re chasing vapor. If it’s everyone, you’ve found gravity.

What to do:

Ask, “Would anyone panic if this disappeared?”

If not, re-frame until at least one persona can’t live without it.

🕰️ 5 — The White Rabbit Prompt

“What’s changing so fast in this market that old solutions can’t keep up?”

Momentum multiplies value; stagnation strangles it.

What to do:

Have CoPilot sketch three short future scenes.

Pick the one that makes you nervous — that’s your six-month window of opportunity.

🧠 6 — The Caterpillar Prompt

“Challenge my core assumption until something breaks.”

A little smoke, a lot of truth.

What to do:

Highlight the broken assumption in red.

Ask, “Can I rebuild this or should I replace it?”

Congratulations — you just ran pre-mortem analysis without a spreadsheet.

👑 7 — The Queen of Hearts Prompt

“What’s the boldest promise this idea could make — and still be true?”

Overpromise in imagination, then scale back to honesty.

What to do:

Turn the boldest promise into a headline.

Trim until it’s true, then test whether it still excites you.

If it doesn’t thrill you, it won’t move them.

🪞 8 — The Looking-Glass Prompt

“Describe how a paying customer would talk about this product to a friend.”

If it sounds natural, you’ve nailed messaging.

If it sounds rehearsed, you’re still pitching.

What to do:

Feed the AI’s answer back and ask, “Does this sound genuine or salesy?”

When it feels like conversation, you’ve found connection.

⏱️ 9 — The Pocket Watch Prompt

“If I had to prove demand in 24 hours with $50, how would I do it?”

AI will outline micro-tests: landing pages, polls, or ads.

What to do:

Actually spend the $50. Run a single ad or quick poll.

Clicks, comments, or pre-orders = evidence.

Silence = lesson.

✨ 10 — The Wonder Prompt

“Which answer surprised me the most — and why am I ignoring it?”

This one keeps you honest. Wonder is wasted if you won’t listen to it.

What to do:

Tag each surprise with 💡 in your notes.

Review them weekly; most pivots hide right there, smirking.

🧭 The Takeaway

Spreadsheets confirm what conversations already prove.

These ten prompts turn curiosity into customer clarity — and clarity into traction.

Ask them before you invest, build, or boast.

If the answers grin back, you’ve found real demand.

💬 Copy these into your next chat:

“Let’s run the 10-Prompt Demand Test on my new idea.”

You’ll know within a cup of tea whether your dream has buyers — or just believers.