Hire an AI market entry and expansion planner

Everything it can hand back

Your task sets the actual outputs. The specialist picks the methods that cover them.

• A ranked short list of small first markets, and the one to own
• A check that the market is real and how much of it you could hold
• The next markets in order, nearest first, with a sign to move on
• Your pitch rewritten around what only you do

How it does the job well

• Start from the user problem and the evidence for it, then the solution.
• Write decisions down with the reason and the options you rejected.
• Keep scope small enough to ship and learn. Name what is out of scope.
• Define how success will be measured before building.

Mistakes it avoids

• Treating opinions or one loud request as proven demand.
• Specs that skip edge cases, error states or dependencies.
• Roadmaps with dates but no owners or confidence levels.

What a good result looks like

An example, not your task: Your product could serve many kinds of buyers and you can't pick where to start.

• Step 1: First market. A ranked list of small groups with scores, the one picked to own, and what to count.
• Step 2: Is it real. Your share at four market sizes, the market buyers compare you in, and a call on whether it is real.
• Step 3: The order. The next markets, nearest first, each with why it is next and a number that says when to move.
• Step 4: The pitch. A one-line pitch, a three-sentence pitch and a thirty-second pitch, with three tests run on them.
• HAND-BACK SUMMARY. Each step's file, any step not run and why, and every MISSING line in one list.

How the work is checked

• Each step passed its own checks, or the run stopped at the step that failed and says why.
• The steps ran in order, and each one used the result of the one before.
• Nothing was invented to fill a gap. Every gap is a MISSING: line.
• Nothing was sent, published or paid for without a clear yes.
• States which checks passed, failed or could not run, and names missing inputs.

These checks have not been run against a model yet. Your AI uses them to check its own work.

A second opinion

Before it hands back, your AI reviews the draft the way Peter Thiel and Reid Hoffman would. This is a way of reviewing the work. It does not mean they wrote or endorse it.

Capabilities

• Picks the first market. Scores each group on size, closeness, need, rivals and reach, cuts the broad ones, and picks one to own.
• Checks the market is real. Works out your share at four sizes of market and finds the one buyers compare you in.
• Orders the markets after it. Lists neighbouring markets, scores how near each is, checks for obstacles and fights, and writes the order with a sign to move.
• Rewrites the pitch. Removes comparisons, "cheaper" and fight words, and rebuilds the pitch on what only you do.

How the role works

1. Checks your task, context and available tools.
2. Picks the methods needed and prepares a work plan.
3. Carries out supported tasks, with each method's limits and review gates.
4. Checks the real deliverables and corrects supported faults.
5. Hands back files, evidence and unresolved gaps.

Your specialist's working setup

Download the base specialist without a task form or account. README.md and SETUP.md explain how to use the folder. SOUL.md defines its scope. INTAKE.md asks missing questions inside your AI. PLAYBOOK.md, SKILLS.md, BEST_PRACTICES.md, CHECKS.md and HANDOFF.md guide the work and its checked deliverables.

Complete associated skills, supporting files and licences are included. Choose only the methods needed for the actual task. Keep context, working files and accepted feedback in your AI project.

Use this specialist through MCP or the API

Call prepare_specialist with role_id first-small-market only. No task is required to load it. Your AI asks what job you need done, what you want back and which relevant context it can use.

For task-led hiring, call find_specialist, explain the suggested specialists and let the user accept or change the team.

Complete ZIP: Download base specialist. API: GET /api/v1/specialists/first-small-market/pack. The host AI supplies its own model, tools and execution; a pack does not connect accounts or run a task.

Inputs and helpful context

The specialist starts from the task brief. Only active methods require their inputs.

For the primary method, when used

• What your product does and the problem it solves
• Groups of buyers you think could use it (optional)
• Places and people you can reach now (optional)

Helpful context (optional)

• Lists of buyers you can reach
• Your share of the first market
• Customer words about why they bought

Tools and access

• Claude: Holds the group scores, the share sums and the plan in one run.
• Any good chat AI: Listing and scoring groups against fixed tests is text work that any strong chat AI does with this skill.
• Any good chat AI: Sums over a few lists of buyers and a verdict are text work that any strong chat AI does with this skill.
• Any good chat AI: Ordering and checking a short list of moves is text work that any strong chat AI does with this skill.
• Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini: Finding frames and rewriting a short pitch is text work. No files, web access or paid tools needed.

Functions and deliverables

• Market entry and expansion planner: Choose a small first market, test whether buyers recognise it and plan later markets and a pitch based on supported strengths.
  • A ranked short list of small first markets, and the one to own
  • A check that the market is real and how much of it you could hold
  • The next markets in order, nearest first, with a sign to move on
  • Your pitch rewritten around what only you do
• First market picker: Find the small group of buyers you can win first. Give it your product. You get a ranked short list and the one group to own.
  • A scored list of groups
  • A ranked short list with reasons
  • The one group to own first
  • What to count to confirm it
• Market definition and share checker: Share your product, buyers and market figures. Get share comparisons and a check of which market buyers actually use.
  • The claim you make, broken into its parts
  • Your share at four sizes of market
  • The market a buyer compares you in
  • A call: own, reach, sliver or fiction, and what to change
• Market expansion roadmap planner: Share your first market and product. Get an ordered expansion plan, obstacles to check and conditions for each move.
  • Neighbouring markets scored for nearness
  • Obstacle and fight check for each move
  • A plan in order with dates
  • A sign to move at each step
• Rival-free pitch rewriter: Rewrite your pitch so it stands without a rival. Get one-line, three-sentence and 30-second versions built on what only you do.
  • Every rival frame in your pitch marked, with what it hides
  • The one thing only you do, in plain words
  • A one-line, three-sentence and thirty-second pitch
  • The results of three tests: stranger, delete and fight
  • A private note on the comparison buyers will make
• Product context file writer: Share product facts, audience and positioning. Get a reviewed context file that other marketing skills can reference.
  • A product marketing context file
  • A summary of what the file already holds
  • A change log of updates
  • Gaps you still need to fill
  Source: Corey Haines.
• Peter Thiel: Test a startup idea with Peter Thiel's public approach. Find your market, your real edge and the weakest of seven questions. Not for investment calls.
  • Your problem worked on the way Peter Thiel would: their questions, their method, their push-back
  • The answer or the work, in Peter Thiel's voice, using their ideas by name
  • Anything that goes beyond their public record, marked
  • One suggested next step
• Reid Hoffman: Review a growth or launch plan using Reid Hoffman’s recorded approach. Check network effects, routes to users and the conditions that justify moving fast.
  • Your problem worked on the way Reid Hoffman would: their questions, their method, their push-back
  • The answer or the work, in Reid Hoffman's voice, using their ideas by name
  • Anything that goes beyond their public record, marked
  • One suggested next step

Tasks you can use it for

• Your product could serve many kinds of buyers and you can't pick where to start.
• You are winning a small group and need to know where to go next.
• Your pitch starts with "like [big name], but" and you want one that stands alone.

Limits to check before starting

• You already have a proven first market: skip this and use the Market expansion roadmap planner step alone to plan what comes next.
• You sell to one clearly defined type of buyer: you have no group to pick, so write your pitch with the Business mission writer.
• You want to know if your edge can hold up against rivals: use the Competitive advantage tester.

Best way to use this role

Give it one clear outcome, the actual files and a definition of done. Keep the work in one AI project so it can reuse checked context and earlier files.

• Download the handoff pack. It's a zip with HANDOFF.md plus one skill file for each step.
• Give the folder to Claude (in Claude Code, or as files in a Claude Project) and say "Follow HANDOFF.md".
• Describe your product and where you can reach people. Count the numbers it asks for before you act on the pick.
• Use the pitch with one real buyer in the first market and see if they repeat it.

Read it as data

Read the complete role setup as JSON. Connect your AI to the AI Blocks MCP library and read aiblocks://roles/first-small-market for its role instructions and pinned sources.

This is a prepared AI role. No task has run. Your AI carries out authorized work using its available tools and reports the actual deliverables and checks.