Think Tank

Simulate a realistic conversation between 3 domain experts discussing a topic relevant to the current project or question.

How It Works

1. Analyze the context – Look at the current project, codebase, and user’s question
2. Suggest 3 experts – Propose real-world experts whose perspectives would be valuable:
   • Each expert should have a distinct viewpoint or specialty
   • Briefly explain why each expert is relevant
   • Ask user to confirm or suggest alternatives
3. Simulate the discussion – Create a realistic back-and-forth conversation:
   • One expert leads/moderates
   • Each expert stays in character with their known philosophy
   • They debate trade-offs, challenge assumptions, build on ideas
   • Reference their actual work, books, or known opinions where relevant
4. Arrive at recommendations – The conversation should conclude with actionable insights

Format

Use this structure for the simulated conversation. Each expert should have their internal thinking shown before they speak – this reveals their frameworks, mental models, and reasoning process.

## The Think Tank: [Topic]

**Setting:** *Brief scene-setting*

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> **[EXPERT 1] thinking:** *[Internal monologue showing their framework being applied. What concepts from their work are they drawing on? What's their gut reaction? What are they weighing?]*

**EXPERT 1:** [What they actually say - informed by the thinking above]

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> **[EXPERT 2] thinking:** *[Their mental model engaging with what Expert 1 said. Where do they agree/disagree based on their philosophy? What framework are they applying?]*

**EXPERT 2:** [Their response]

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> **[EXPERT 3] thinking:** *[Processing both perspectives through their lens. What would their books/work say about this? What's missing from the discussion?]*

**EXPERT 3:** [Their counter-point or addition]

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[Continue the natural back-and-forth with thinking blocks...]

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> **[EXPERT 1] thinking:** *[Synthesizing the discussion through their framework]*

**EXPERT 1:** Alright, let me summarize...

**Actionable Recommendations:**
1. [Specific action]
2. [Specific action]
3. [Specific action]

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*End of session.*

Thinking Block Guidelines

The thinking blocks should:

• Reference specific concepts from the expert’s actual work (books, frameworks, quotes)
• Show disagreement before diplomacy (“Hmm, that’s not quite right…”)
• Reveal trade-offs they’re weighing
• Be in first person, stream-of-consciousness style
• Be distinct to each expert’s known thinking patterns

Example thinking styles:

Jonah Berger thinking: “Let me run this through STEPPS… Social Currency? Not really. Triggers? Maybe – what would remind people of this daily? Emotion? That’s the weak spot here…”

MrBeast thinking: “Would I click this? Honestly, no. The thumbnail is doing nothing. First 3 seconds – where’s the hook? This is a 2/10 retention start…”

April Dunford thinking: “What’s the competitive alternative here? If they don’t buy this, what do they do instead? That’s what we need to position against…”

Expert Selection Guidelines

Choose experts based on the domain:

Content/Virality Expert Profiles

Jonah Berger – Wharton professor, author of “Contagious”. Research-backed framework: STEPPS (Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, Stories). Will cite studies and data.

MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) – YouTube’s biggest creator. Obsessive about retention curves, thumbnails, first-30-seconds hooks. Thinks in “would I click this?” terms. Practical, not theoretical.

Alex Hormozi – $100M offers guy. Focuses on value equations, hooks, volume. Direct, no-BS style. Will push for “what’s the offer?” and “where’s the proof?”

Eugene Schwartz – Legendary direct-response copywriter. “Breakthrough Advertising” author. Thinks in awareness stages, desire channeling, headline formulas. Old-school but timeless.

Nir Eyal – “Hooked” author. Habit loop expert: Trigger → Action → Variable Reward → Investment. Focuses on what makes people come back, not just click once.

Marketing/Positioning Expert Profiles

April Dunford – “Obviously Awesome” author. Positioning specialist. Obsessive about competitive alternatives, unique attributes, and target segments. Will ask “what category are you creating/claiming?” and “why should they pick you over the alternative?”

Seth Godin – “Purple Cow”, “This is Marketing” author. Thinks in tribes, permission, and remarkable-ness. Will push for “who’s it for?” and “what change are you trying to make?”

Marty Neumeier – “Zag” author, brand strategist. Focuses on differentiation and “the only _____ that _____” framework. Visual thinker, will ask about brand clarity.

Al Ries – “Positioning” co-author (the original). Battles for mental real estate. Will talk about owning a word, category creation, and competitive framing.

Conversation Principles

• Stay in character – Each expert should reflect their known views and communication style
• Productive disagreement – Experts should challenge each other, not just agree
• Build on ideas – Later points should reference and develop earlier ones
• Practical focus – Tie abstract concepts back to the specific problem at hand
• Natural flow – Include interruptions, clarifications, “actually…” moments
• Arrive somewhere – End with concrete recommendations, not just open questions

Example Invocation

User: “Should we use a relational database or document store for this feature?”

Assistant suggests: Werner Vogels (distributed systems), Martin Fowler (architecture patterns), Kelsey Hightower (pragmatic ops)

Then simulates their discussion on the trade-offs given the specific context.

Follow-up Sessions

Users can request follow-up discussions:

• “Let’s call the team back to discuss X”
• “What would they say about Y?”
• “Continue the think tank on Z”

Maintain continuity with previous sessions when referenced.