A practical guide
How to use an assistant when you are starting
Ask one question, then check the answer against what you actually know.
Published November 1, 2026 · Luke F. Walton
You can start a business without an assistant. If you use one, give it a small job.
Pick a tool you can open today
Use whatever you already have. A free account is enough for a first pass. Choosing an assistant lists the common ones, what a free tier usually includes, and what each one is clumsy at. None of them is the planner. This site never calls a model for you.
Ask one question
Open your plan and copy the prompt for a single area, such as who might buy or what the first offer is. Paste that into the assistant. A good question sounds like this:
Here is what I know. What is still a guess? What should I ask a real person before I spend money?
If the prompt is long, copy it. Opening a link is only for the short ones. Copying stays on your device until you paste it or open a link.
Check the answer
Read it as a draft from someone who has not met your customers.
- Did it invent a number, a person, or a source?
- Can you check that claim somewhere other than the chat?
- Would you say this to someone who might pay you?
If a sentence is useful, type it into your own answer. If it suggests a price or a cost, type the number into the calculator yourself. The site does the arithmetic. The assistant does not.
Filing, fees, licenses, and tax rules are not this site’s job. When you are ready for those, use the official page or a Surmado Learn guide that already cites it. Luke runs this site and founded Surmado, and he has a financial interest in Surmado.
You can also skip the assistant and write the plan yourself. Both paths export the same lean plan.