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Here’s your lifeline.
Another headline. Another client pays late. The next 10 days shift. You open your bank app before walking into the office.
The hits just keep coming right now.
And as the leader, you’re the one absorbing all of them.
But survival doesn’t come from holding tighter alone.
The Small Business Survivor Guide gives you 83 practical ways to cut costs, stabilize cash flow, and navigate economic pressure with confidence.
Because in times like these, stability isn’t luck. It’s strategy.
And the leaders who stay standing are the ones who prepare for what’s next.
Is this just a gimmick?
I've seen people build personal AI boards of directors before — different personas you can consult for different kinds of thinking.
Some people have a whole set of ChatGPT custom GPTs, one per member. Go in, talk to Steve Jobs about product decisions or whatever.
I'd never done it - usually have just chatted with whatever AI I was using at the time (ChatGPT before, Claude now) without giving it a specific persona to play.
But earlier this week, someone I work closely with mentioned he'd built an Elon Musk skill inside Claude — a reusable advisor he could pull up in any conversation — and that it was really helpful.
So I decided to try a thing.
I told Claude:
"I want to create a board of directors to help me think through things, a group to challenge me on my thinking and help me become more successful in life and in business. Thinking maybe five people max. They could be alive or dead. I have a couple ideas in mind, but based on what you know about me, who do you think I should put on my board of directors?"
I had two people in mind already: Alex Hormozi and Dan Martell. Was thinking maybe Elon Musk, though I don’t like him as a person so wasn’t sure I’d want him on my board.
But I didn’t want to sway the model so I didn’t share their names.
A bit of back and forth and a board was born
Claude came back with five names: Dan Kennedy, Charlie Munger, Alex Hormozi, Naval Ravikant, and Paul Graham.
Hormozi overlapped with my list, so he was in.
I’m familiar with Dan Kennedy and Charlie Munger, but didn't really know much about Naval Ravikant and Paul Graham.
So we went back and forth a little. Claude explained each one: why they'd be useful, what they believe, where they'd push back on me.
When I mentioned Musk, I had the idea that maybe Mark Cuban would be better— similar operator energy, more relevant to what I'm actually building, and someone I actually respect. Easy swap.
I also said I wanted someone who'd be the lifestyle design voice. The anti-hustle person who asks whether I'm building the right life, not just the right business. Dan Martell was already on my list, but that confirmed it.
We landed on five: Kennedy, Munger, Hormozi, Cuban, and Martell.
Then I told Claude to build the thing.
Two Steps to Build my Board
1 - Research and Create the Profiles
I didn't want generic profiles. I told Claude:
Do meaningful research about what each of them believes, actual quotes, things that they've said. Create a folder called "Board of Directors" and create a really deep, rich profile of what each of them would say, how they would act, how they would think, the ways in which they would agree and disagree. Give them a real, nuanced point of view, not a stereotype.
Claude ran five research agents in parallel — one for each board member — and came back with deep profiles for all of them.
Each profile included:
Their role on board (e.g., Alex Hormozi is “The Offer Architect. Value creation enforcer. Modern business builder.”
Who they are
Their core philosophy
Key frameworks
Direct quotes
How they think
What they’d say to me
What they’d push back
Where they’re nuanced
Their blind spots
How might they agree/disagree with the board
Questions they always ask
2 - Build the Skill
Then I told Claude to turn it into a skill with three modes:
Single member — "What would Kennedy say about my pricing?" and you get a full response in his voice, using his actual frameworks.
Full board — "Board meeting on X" and all five weigh in, followed by a "Board Friction" section that names where they actually disagree.
Debate — "Have Kennedy and Martell argue about whether I should hire a VA" and you get a real back-and-forth, not just a summary of two positions.
My actual prompt:
Create a board of directors skill that I can use to have discussions with them. I want to be able to talk to any one of them at a time, or get a reply from each of them, or have them argue with each other.
One thing Claude suggested on its own that I hadn't asked for: a quick board mode.
One punchy gut-check sentence per member for when you just want fast reactions, not a full analysis. I liked that enough to add it.
The profiles are bundled inside the skill, so it works in Claude.ai, in Cowork, mid-conversation, and I can export it to use in other AI tools like Manus.
They're predictable. That's actually the point.
I've used it a few times now. I ran an offer through the board, and they helped me create an AI consulting offer that’s getting good initial feedback.
And yes, they are a little predictable.
Kennedy circles back to LTV and conversion rates. Martell runs it through the DRIP Matrix. Munger always tries to invert it and find the flaw. Hormozi always asks whether the offer is clear enough. Cuban wants numbers.
You could call that stereotypical. But that may be exactly why it's useful.
When I'm in the middle of a decision, I'm usually thinking about it from one angle. Having five people who each consistently come at it from their own framework forces me to see it from angles I'd otherwise skip.
It’s a way of challenging my assumptions.
As an example, here's a quick board I ran on whether to launch a new offer this month:
Kennedy: What's your LTV on current buyers? Have you built a retention system before you add acquisition? Launch when the math works, not when you're excited.
Munger: What would guarantee this fails? Have you seriously tried to kill the idea, or are you protecting it?
Hormozi: Is this actually a Grand Slam Offer, or just a decent product with a price tag? Don't launch until someone with options says yes.
Cuban: Do you know your numbers cold? Are you selling right now, or just creating? Sales solves everything.
Martell: Does this fit your perfect week, or does it add another project you'll resent in 90 days?
That took about 30 seconds.
You can build your own.
Pick five people — alive or dead, real or someone you personally know.
Ask your AI to recommend members based on what you're trying to build.
Have it do the research. Make it real, not generic.
Turn it into a skill you can call up whenever you’re in a conversation.
And then see if it’s helpful and gets you to think about your work differently and come to better decisions.
DIG DEEPER
Hey there! Nice to see you down this far. Before you go…
Did this one land?"
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