Is this a fit?
Research anything a client doesn't have time for — competitors, markets, vendors, pricing — using AI to dramatically increase how much real research one person can produce. A strong fit for analytical people who aren't designers, marketers, or developers.
Skills to bring or develop
- Research
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- AI Prompting
The starting sequence
- Choose a research specialty and target buyer
- Build a research methodology and report template
- Produce 2-3 sample reports on real, public topics
- Offer 3-5 free or discounted research sprints
- Set pricing and publish a simple service page
Find your first customers
Treat this customer profile as a starting hypothesis. Talk to people in this role and find out what they already do, what it costs them, and whether they want help.
Role
Founder, consultant, or business development lead
Industry
Agencies, consulting, B2B services
Problems to investigate
- Knows research would help a decision but never has time to do it properly
- Google searches only get surface-level information, not synthesized insight
- Has made a bad vendor/hire/market decision before due to insufficient research
Channels to test
- Referrals
- Cold Email
- Communities
First launch approach
Pick one research specialty (competitor intel, vendor research, market sizing) and one target buyer type (agencies, consultants, small B2B companies). Do 3-5 free or heavily-discounted research sprints for real contacts to build case studies before charging full price.
Ways to find your first customer
- Offer a free "sample research sprint" to 3-5 people in your network to build proof and testimonials
- Post a real (anonymized) research finding on LinkedIn to demonstrate the quality of your work
- Reach out directly to agencies and consultants who constantly need client/market research but don't have time
- Partner with a consultant or agency who can refer overflow research work to you
Content ideas
- Anonymized excerpts from real research reports showing the format and depth
- A framework post: "How I research a competitor in 4 hours"
- Before/after: a messy research question turned into a clear, actionable report
Shape the offer & delivery
These are example packages to adapt, not current market rates or promises of sales. Choose one deliverable, set a revision limit, and test the scope with a real buyer before expanding.
Research Sprint
$250-$750 example price
- One focused research question answered
- Written report with sources
- 3-5 business day turnaround
Market Intelligence Report
$750-$2,000 example price
- Deep-dive competitor or market analysis
- Structured findings with recommendations
- 1-2 week turnaround
Monthly Research Desk
$1,000-$3,000/mo example price
- Ongoing research on-demand
- Weekly or biweekly deliverables
- Priority turnaround
Build and deliver the offer
Service delivery
Packages
Name
Research Sprint
Deliverables
- Written report answering one focused research question
- Cited sources
Timeline
3-5 business days
Included in this example
- One live findings call (15-20 min)
- Verified sources, not just AI-generated claims
Name
Market Intelligence Report
Deliverables
- Deep-dive competitor or market analysis
- Structured findings with recommendations
Timeline
1-2 weeks
Included in this example
- Executive summary + full findings
- 1 revision round
Client onboarding
Step
Get a clear, specific research question from the client (not "research my industry")
Who handles it
client
Step
Confirm sources the client trusts/distrusts before starting
Who handles it
you
Step
Deliver findings with every factual claim traceable to a real source
Who handles it
you
Kickoff conversation
- Nail down the exact research question and what decision it will inform
- Confirm scope and any sources to prioritize or avoid
- Set delivery format and turnaround
Your launch roadmap
Work through the phases at your own pace. Durations and task hours are estimates; client conversations, sales, and other outcomes depend on the response you receive. Growth and exit steps are optional later decisions.
0 of 10 tasks checked
01 · Foundation 1 week · suggested pace
Pick a research specialty and build your first sample reports
Pick one type of research (competitor intelligence, vendor research, market sizing, pricing research) and one buyer type (agencies, B2B founders, consultants). Narrow beats broad here — "I research anything" is a harder sell than "I research competitors for B2B SaaS companies."
Target deliverable: A one-line positioning statement: who you research for and what kind of question you answer
Tool examples: Notion
Planning allowance: 2 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Define your actual process: which AI tools you use for search/synthesis, how you verify claims before including them, and what a finished report looks like (structure, length, executive summary format).
Target deliverable: A reusable report template + a documented verification step for any AI-sourced claim
Tool examples: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity
Planning allowance: 4 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Research something genuinely useful (a competitor in your own network's industry, a real market question) and produce a full report to that standard. This becomes your portfolio.
Target deliverable: 2-3 polished sample reports to show prospective clients
Tool examples: ChatGPT, Claude, Google
Planning allowance: 8 hours
02 · First Clients 2-3 weeks · suggested pace
Land the first paid research engagements and build real case studies
Reach out to your network and offer a heavily-discounted or free first research sprint in exchange for a testimonial and permission to reference it (anonymized if needed).
Target deliverable: 3-5 completed sprints with testimonials
Tool examples: LinkedIn, Email
Planning allowance: 6 hours
Use your real sample reports and testimonials to set pricing for the 3-tier structure (sprint, deep report, monthly desk) and get a basic page live so people can see what you offer.
Target deliverable: A live service page with pricing and samples
Tool examples: Notion, Carrd
Planning allowance: 4 hours
03 · Exit 60 days · suggested pace
Prepare your AI research analyst business for sale, acquisition, or hands-off operation
Create comprehensive standard operating procedures covering every repeatable process in your AI research analyst business — client onboarding, delivery workflows, billing, and support. A buyer needs to run this without you.
Target deliverable: Complete SOP handbook with video walkthroughs
Tool examples: Notion, Loom, Google Docs
Planning allowance: 12 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Record the questions this step raises for your business, location, and circumstances. Confirm requirements and assumptions with current official sources and a qualified professional before acting.
Target deliverable: Valuation estimate with supporting financials
Tool examples: Google Sheets, ChatGPT
Planning allowance: 6 hours · AI can assist; review the output
Organize all financial records, contracts, customer data, IP documentation, and legal documents into a virtual data room that a buyer or their advisor can review.
Target deliverable: Organized virtual data room
Tool examples: Google Drive, Google Sheets
Planning allowance: 10 hours
Identify every area where the business depends on you personally. Delegate, automate, or document each one. Test by taking 2 weeks off and measuring impact.
Target deliverable: Owner dependency scorecard (before/after)
Tool examples: Notion, Zapier, Slack
Planning allowance: 20 hours
Create a teaser document (blind profile) for your AI research analyst business and either list on marketplaces (Acquire.com, Flippa, Quiet Light) or reach out directly to 5-10 potential acquirers.
Target deliverable: Teaser document + 5-10 buyer conversations started
Tool examples: Acquire.com, Google Docs, Email
Planning allowance: 8 hours · AI can assist; review the output
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Tools, budget & effort
These are tools named in the original playbook, offered as examples to evaluate. Check current capabilities, pricing, licensing, and data handling with the provider before subscribing. Start with the tools you already have.
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Perplexity
Tools to evaluate
Item
ChatGPT/Claude paid tier
Why consider it
Free tiers cap usage too low for real research volume
Item
Perplexity (or similar AI search tool)
Why consider it
Purpose-built for cited, sourced research answers — faster and more verifiable than a general chatbot alone
Make the numbers your own
Include setup, subscriptions, selling, fulfillment, revisions, support, and your time. Use your actual inputs and compare a cautious case with a better case.
Open the experiment calculator →AI roles & prompt templates
Assign a clear job, provide approved inputs, and review the result. These are role and prompt ideas; this page does not run AI or connect your accounts.
Business Advisor
Help me figure out which 3 questions actually matter most for this research request
Sales Optimizer
Draft an outreach message offering a free sample research sprint to an agency owner
Use the first task above as your opening prompt. Include your audience, desired output, constraints, and how you will judge quality.
Your first small test
- Choose one customer. Find five people who have the problem described in this guide.
- Show one useful sample. Ask about their current process, priorities, and objections.
- Offer a clearly scoped pilot. Agree on deliverables, a price to test, and what success means.
- Record the evidence. Track responses, costs, hours, and what the buyer actually used. Decide whether to continue, change, or pause.
Explore related ideas
Adapted from Ashley’s Waymaker side-hustle playbooks, imported October 15, 2026. This is a published snapshot, not a live connection to your Waymaker account. Source examples are planning material, not verified customer outcomes. Explore Waymaker.