Niche-finder prompt — pick a profitable angle in a crowded market

Paste into ChatGPT or Claude:

'I want to start a business in [GENERAL INDUSTRY OR MARKET, e.g. photography / coaching / handmade goods / cleaning services / food], but I know it's competitive. Help me find a specific niche where I can stand out without needing a big budget or brand name.

My constraints: [LOCATION / TIME / BUDGET / SKILLS — be specific]
Who I could realistically reach: [e.g. local community / specific social media audience / a type of business / a type of person]

Do this:

1. MAP THE MARKET:
Describe the general market as it exists today — who the main players are, how most businesses in this space compete (usually on price or vague quality claims), and where the market is fragmented vs. consolidated.

2. FIND THE UNDERSERVED CORNERS:
List 5-7 specific niches within [MARKET] that are:
   a) Real and searchable (people actually look for this)
   b) Underserved (poor existing options or obvious gaps in quality)
   c) Reachable by a solo operator with my constraints

For each niche: name it, describe the specific customer, and say what they're currently stuck with that they hate.

3. RANK BY OPPORTUNITY:
Score each niche on:
   - Search demand: are people actively looking? (High / Medium / Low)
   - Competition: how strong are the existing players? (Strong / Mixed / Weak)
   - Fit for me: does it match my skills and constraints? (Strong / Ok / Poor)

4. THE NICHE PITCH:
For the top 2 niches: write the one-sentence positioning statement I'd use — "I help [SPECIFIC CUSTOMER] who [SPECIFIC PROBLEM] do [SPECIFIC OUTCOME] without [THE THING THEY HATE]." This should be specific enough that the right person immediately says "that's me."

5. HOW TO TEST IT IN 2 WEEKS:
For the #1 pick: give me a 2-week test plan with zero or near-zero budget to validate there's demand before I build anything.'

Tip: the best niches are often defined by who you serve (a specific type of person) rather than what you do — 'photography for Airbnb hosts' wins over 'real estate photography' because it has a specific, findable customer.