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How to Create Your AI Peer Group: A Complete Beginner’s Guide. This is a follow on from prior post where I explain the need for a Peer group

Post by Peter Hanley coachhanley.com

If you’ve read about AI masterminds or peer groups and thought “that sounds cool, but I have no idea how to actually do it,” this guide is for you. I’m going to walk you through the entire process step-by-step, assuming you’ve never done anything like this before.

No technical jargon. No assumptions. Just a clear path from “I don’t get it” to “I just had my first AI mastermind session.”

What Is an AI Peer Group, Really?

Think of it like this: Imagine you could have five smart, experienced people available 24/7 to give you advice on your business problems. Each person has different expertise and a different way of thinking.

• One person is action-oriented and tells you to stop overthinking
• Another is analytical and asks you for data
• A third focuses on marketing and brand
• The fourth asks deep questions about your motivations
• The fifth thinks about long-term strategy and scalability

You present a problem to all five, hear their different perspectives, and then make a better decision than you would’ve made alone.

That’s an AI peer group. You’re using AI (like ChatGPT or Claude) to simulate these five advisors. It’s not magic—it’s just a structured way to think about problems from multiple angles instead of getting stuck in your own head.

What You’ll Need (The Simple Version)

1. An AI platform

• ChatGPT (free version works, but Plus is better – $20/month)
• Claude (free version works, but Pro is better – $20/month)
• Pick ONE. Don’t overthink it.

2. A place to save your “advisor profiles”

• A Google Doc works fine
• Your phone’s Notes app works fine
• Notion if you want to get fancy (but you don’t need to)

3. A place to take notes during sessions

• Another Google Doc
• A notebook
• Wherever you normally write things down

That’s it. You don’t need fancy software or complicated setups.

Step 1: Create Your First Advisor (15 Minutes)

Let’s create one advisor together right now. We’ll call him Alex, and he’s going to be your “action-oriented” advisor who pushes you to stop overthinking.

Open a blank document and write this:

ADVISOR: Alex (The Action Taker)

WHEN TO USE: When I'm overthinking, stuck in planning mode, or need a push to just do something

THE PROMPT:
You are Alex, an entrepreneur who has started multiple businesses. Some failed, some succeeded. You learned by doing, not by planning forever.

Your main belief: Action beats planning. Testing beats theorizing. Done is better than perfect.

Your style: Direct and impatient with over-complication. You say things like:
- "Just try it and see what happens"
- "What could you test TODAY?"
- "You're overthinking this"
- "What's the simplest version?"

When I bring you a problem, ask me:
- What's the fastest way to test this?
- What can be done in 48 hours?
- What am I overcomplicating?
- If I had zero budget, what would I do?

Push me toward action and simplicity.

Save this document. You’ve just created your first AI advisor.

Step 2: Test Your Advisor (10 Minutes)

Let’s make sure it works.

1. Open ChatGPT or Claude

2. Copy the entire prompt (everything under “THE PROMPT” in your document)

3. Paste it into the chat

4. The AI will usually say something like “Got it, I’m Alex. What challenge are you facing?”

5. Present a real problem. Something simple to start. For example:

“I want to start a blog about productivity tools, but I’m stuck trying to pick the perfect name, design the perfect logo, and plan out 50 articles before I start. I’ve been ‘planning’ for three weeks.”

6. See what Alex says.

If you set it up right, “Alex” should push you to stop planning and start doing. He might say something like: “You’ve been planning for three weeks? Just pick a name TODAY—literally any name—buy the domain, install WordPress, and write your first article this weekend. You can change the name later if you hate it. Stop planning and start publishing.”

That’s how you know it’s working. The AI is responding as the character you created.

Step 3: Create Four More Advisors (1 Hour Total)

Now that you understand the formula, create four more. Here’s a simple framework:

Advisor 2: The Analyst

• When to use: Need data, want to think systematically
• Core belief: Decisions should be based on data, not gut feeling
• Questions they ask: “What does the data show?” “How does this scale?” “What are the numbers?”

Advisor 3: The Marketer

• When to use: Working on messaging, branding, customer-facing stuff
• Core belief: People buy from people they trust. Story matters more than features.
• Questions they ask: “How does this make customers feel?” “What’s the story here?” “Is this authentic?”

Advisor 4: The Psychologist

• When to use: Need to examine your own motivations or assumptions
• Core belief: Most problems have underlying psychological patterns
• Questions they ask: “What are you afraid of?” “What assumption are you making?” “Why does this matter to you?”

Advisor 5: The Strategist

• When to use: Making long-term decisions, thinking about the future
• Core belief: Think long-term, build for scale, avoid short-term thinking
• Questions they ask: “Where does this lead in 5 years?” “What happens at 10x scale?” “What are we building toward?”

For each one, write a prompt using the same format as Alex:

1. Who they are
2. What they believe
3. How they talk
4. What questions they always ask

Save all five in your document.

Step 4: Run Your First Mastermind Session (60-90 Minutes)

Pick a real problem you’re facing right now. Not a hypothetical—something you actually need to decide.

Here’s exactly what to do:

1. Block 90 minutes on your calendar. Friday morning works great, but pick whatever works for you.

2. Write out your problem clearly. Use this template:

PROBLEM: [What I'm trying to figure out in one sentence]

BACKGROUND: [2-3 sentences of context]

CONSTRAINTS: 
- [Time, money, resources - what limits you?]
- [Any other constraints]

OPTIONS I'M CONSIDERING:
- Option A: [describe]
- Option B: [describe]
- Option C: [describe]

WHAT I NEED HELP WITH: [Specific question]

3. Open five separate chat windows (or five tabs) in ChatGPT or Claude

• OR just use one chat and do them one at a time

4. In each chat, paste one advisor’s prompt

• Chat 1: Paste Alex’s prompt
• Chat 2: Paste The Analyst’s prompt
• Chat 3: Paste The Marketer’s prompt
• Chat 4: Paste The Psychologist’s prompt
• Chat 5: Paste The Strategist’s prompt

5. Copy your problem description and paste it to each chat

Wait for each advisor to respond. Read their advice carefully.

6. Take notes as you go. For each advisor, write down:

• Their main advice
• Any questions they raised that you hadn’t thought about
• Anything that made you uncomfortable (that’s usually important)

7. After hearing from all five, write a summary:

WHAT I LEARNED:

Alex said: [main point]
The Analyst said: [main point]
The Marketer said: [main point]
The Psychologist said: [main point]
The Strategist said: [main point]

PATTERNS I NOTICED:
- [Did 2-3 advisors say similar things?]
- [What blind spots did they expose?]

MY DECISION:
[What I'm actually going to do]

ACTION ITEMS:
- [ ] First thing I'll do
- [ ] Second thing I'll do
- [ ] Third thing I'll do

That’s it. You just ran your first AI mastermind session.

A Real Example (So You Can See How It Works)

Let me show you what this looks like with a real problem:

MY PROBLEM: “I’m trying to decide if I should raise my prices from $49/month to $79/month. I’m worried I’ll lose customers, but my costs are going up and I need more revenue.”

ALEX (Action Taker) SAYS: “Just raise it to $79 and email everyone today. If you lose 20% of customers but make 60% more per customer, you still win. Stop agonizing and test it. You can always adjust later.”

THE ANALYST SAYS: “Do you know your current churn rate? Your customer acquisition cost? If 20% cancel, can you replace them? You need these numbers before you decide. Also, have you surveyed customers about what they’d pay?”

THE MARKETER SAYS: “What does $49 vs $79 say about your brand? Are you the budget option or the premium solution? Maybe the real question is whether you’re positioning yourself correctly. Premium pricing can actually increase perceived value.”

THE PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS: “Why are you worried about losing customers? Is this about money or about feeling rejected? Sometimes we underprice because we don’t believe in our own value. What would you charge if you weren’t afraid?”

THE STRATEGIST SAYS: “Think long-term. What’s your vision for this product in two years? If you’re building toward being a premium solution, start positioning now. If you’re building for volume, maybe stay low-price. The right price depends on where you’re going.”

MY SYNTHESIS: Alex pushes me to act. The Analyst shows me I’m missing data. The Marketer makes me rethink my positioning. The Psychologist exposes my fear. The Strategist connects this to my long-term vision.

MY DECISION: Before I change pricing, I need to survey customers and get my churn data (Analyst was right). While I do that, I’ll work on repositioning as premium (Marketer was right). Then I’ll raise prices with confidence (Alex was right). And I’ll journal about my pricing fears (Psychologist was right).

See how that works? No single advisor had the complete answer, but together they helped me see the full picture.

Making This a Habit

Pick a recurring time:

• Every Friday morning
• Every Monday to plan your week
• Once every two weeks

Put “AI Mastermind Session” on your calendar

Start with small decisions to build the habit. You don’t need earth-shattering problems. Practice with:

• Should I write about Topic A or Topic B this week?
• How should I respond to this difficult customer?
• Which marketing channel should I focus on next?

The more you use it, the more natural it becomes.

Common Beginner Questions

Q: This feels like I’m just talking to myself. Is that weird? A: Yes and no. You ARE thinking through problems yourself, but the structure forces you to consider perspectives you’d normally ignore. That’s the value.

Q: What if the AI gives me bad advice? A: It will sometimes. That’s why you have five different perspectives and why YOU make the final decision. This isn’t about outsourcing your thinking—it’s about improving it.

Q: Can I just use one or two advisors instead of five? A: Absolutely. Start with whatever feels manageable. Even one advisor is better than just your own echo chamber.

Q: Do I need to use the exact prompts you gave me? A: No! Customize them. Change the names, the personalities, the questions. Make them work for YOUR needs.

Q: How long before I see results? A: You’ll get value from your very first session. The real compound effect happens after 4-6 sessions when patterns start emerging.

Your Assignment This Week

Don’t try to do everything at once. Here’s your simple plan:

Monday: Create one advisor (use Alex as a template) Tuesday: Test that advisor with a small problem Wednesday: Create two more advisors Thursday: Create your final two advisors Friday: Run your first full mastermind session with all five

By the end of the week, you’ll have your own AI peer group ready to go.

And here’s the truth: This isn’t complicated. It’s just structured thinking. You’re creating a system that forces you to look at problems from multiple angles instead of getting stuck in your own patterns.

That’s it. That’s the whole thing. Now go create your first advisor and test it out. You’ll be surprised how quickly this becomes one of your most valuable decision-making tools.

Next I will report on my results but following this advice I am thrilled with the results.

This is all done for you in Michael Cheneys Millionaires Apprentice program