AI Focus Groups?

This week’s newsletter comes with a bit of a pivot in how I approach Low Code CTO. I am not including any new low-code solutions. It’s about someone who has changed my approach in a meaningful way. I'm still writing about low-code—it's a deep passion—but I've also stepped more fully into helping build the Launch by Lunch community.

The benefits of community are amazing. And it's helped my meditation practice each morning. So, a lot of the learnings will end up here. Lazy me.

Also, when I say founders, I mean myself and other founders.

First, this week, someone special in the Launch by Lunch community is hosting an expert session: Ian Venskus. He’s an AI marketing strategist preparing to launch a new venture. He has a process where he builds virtual focus groups and exercises these virtual experts to gain insights into an idea or direction.

This process uses ChatGPT and explores some of the edges of the AI and LLM world. By prompting GPT to use sub-experts, Ian harnesses the statistical power of the model in a unique way—it allows the LLM to return different perspectives, almost like running a panel of advisors who aren’t you.

His approach has impacted every project since I had a series of conversations with him and was introduced to his approach.

Maturing an idea is addictive for founders for a few reasons. We’re always told: “Talk to your customers.” Great advice—but it's hard to do, and often unrewarding. Founders begin with the belief that they have unique insight, that their approach is special.

Getting outside feedback is tough on the ego.

We suffer from use-case blindness. We know we need to fit the market, but deep down, we believe: “If I build it, they will come.” It’s the Field of Dreams fallacy—and it’s dangerous. It tricks us into thinking we know what others need.

Over the past twenty years, I have repeatedly encountered this same failure in my thinking. Even though I know it's an issue, it's just too easy not to repeat.

That’s what makes Ian’s method so powerful. It brings the focus group process within reach. The first two times I used it, I was blown away. I got feedback with language, problems, and understanding I never would have surfaced on my own. One feature I tested this way would have been expensive to build and useless in practice.

So, while a virtual focus group isn’t made of real people, it’s a mathematical simulation of people who aren’t me—the founder. Ian takes his method to the extreme. This approach is grounded in his work at a number of marketing agencies.

The teacher-student experience always brings value. Ian teaches as he shares.

Two weeks ago, I went back to Ian for a refresher. I even booked time with him to work through a concept. His process has been so useful that I started exploring persistent virtual focus groups—an AI agent that returns focus group feedback on demand, tied to a token or session.

Twice this week, I folded this into my morning meditation. I had a challenge to address, so I spent 15 minutes with a virtual focus group. The result helped me narrow my thinking, sharpen the solution, and start the day ahead.

I got more done with more joy!

There’s something powerful about starting your day with perspective. It takes the stress and urgency out of decision-making. While this doesn’t qualify as AGI, it’s absolutely a bridge to a new kind of startup experience.

- Time is always short.
- Testing ideas takes time.
- If I can reduce solution thrash by even 5%, I win.

For serial founders, there’s another layer. When a startup idea runs its course, we always walk away having learned a ton—but most of us wish we’d known sooner.

I’ve said this out loud more than once: “Damn, I wish I figured out this was a dead end at month 3, not month 9.”

I’ve heard others say the same.

So I’m hoping this focus group approach helps break the pattern. Helps me spot the signal early. Helps me not overcommit. Let the win—or the lack of one—decide the engagement. Let revenue drive duration, not ego.

After Ian’s class, I’m setting up a meeting agent on three different AI platforms. These agents will listen to meeting transcripts and do the following:

This could be called an MCP. I don’t. Because it does not need the whole multi-agent architecture, simplicity is powerful. Simple is fast. No code.

This is the next level of founder tooling. Passive, structured pattern-checking is built into the week. It doesn’t replace instincts—it strengthens them.

Access to Ian’s session requires a Launch by Lunch membership. It will be recorded, and we’re hopeful that we can keep Ian active in the community so he can continue to run sessions for other founders.

In parallel, we’re also exploring how to integrate this type of focus group agent into various agent frameworks—so founders can directly incorporate these tools into their stacks.

More to come.

Launch by Lunch is a growing community of founders and fractional experts. What makes it special is the mix—the constant exchange of ideas, challenges, and solutions from both sides of the startup table.

As a founder, the value I get is clear: I see new ideas early and hear how others are solving them in public. That kind of transparency significantly speeds up problem-solving.

For fractional experts, the community offers something equally valuable—a place to show their expertise, build trust, and grow their brand. Our ultimate goal is to transform this into a platform that generates both idea-sharing and revenue for contributors.

If you are a fractional CTO/CRO/CEO, etc, come build your brand in the community.