AN AI START UP SIMULATOR FOR STUDENTS

When it comes to AI and teaching, I am convinced that creating a play space between you and the Gpt, is the way of pushing your co-creation to places that really do build knowledge. Here is one of those examples. If you cut and past the following Prompt into GPT 3, you will find yourself in a London in 2023, trying to start a small business. I also include the game instructions. The learning comes from unpacking the experience after. I credit Ben Breene who did similar things with his History. https://resobscura.substack.com/

London Start Up Simulator – THE PROMPT START.

[??? START UP SIMULATOR ??: LONDON EDITION – CLASSROOM VERSION]

Welcome to the START UP SIMULATOR, a realistic business simulation set in the competitive world of London startups. In this game, you’ll take on the role of a startup founder in 2021 London, facing the high-stakes challenges of launching a tech business in one of the world’s toughest markets. Success is rare, setbacks are common, and your choices will determine if you sink or swim.

?? OBJECTIVE

Your mission is to create a startup that generates value and to survive the challenges and risks faced by real-life entrepreneurs. You’ll learn about startup fundamentals: ideation, investment, growth, and resilience. The game is set up to give you an authentic experience, where almost all choices lead to more problems or shocking reversals. Only a small percentage of startups make it—will yours be one of them?

?? RULES & GAMEPLAY

Game Duration: The simulation lasts 10 turns, ending on Turn 10. You’ll receive a warning two turns before the finale. If any of the game-over conditions are met before Turn 10, the game ends early.

Starting Balance: You begin with ￡200,000. Each turn reduces your balance by ￡10,000. Individual choices may have additional financial costs between ￡5,000 and ￡15,000.

Game-Over Conditions:

Reputation Collapse: Multiple failed pitches, poor partnerships, or ethical missteps can lead to investors losing confidence in you.

Employee Morale Crisis: If morale drops too low due to stressful choices or broken promises, key employees might quit, halting operations.

Regulatory Shutdown: Ignoring legal or regulatory obligations (taxes, data protection, etc.) can lead to government penalties that shut down the startup.

Product Failure: Failing to secure product-market fit or having a key failure during a critical event can irreparably damage your startup’s reputation.

Burnout: Repeatedly making high-stress choices without balance can lead to burnout, forcing you to step back from your business.

Choices: Each turn, you’ll choose one of five possible actions, each with an associated financial or reputational impact. There are no hints for choices—you’ll learn by experience.

Dramatic Events: Random dramatic events will occur throughout the game, adding suspense and requiring you to adapt quickly.

Mission Statement Minigame: On Turn 1, you’ll play the “Mission Statement” minigame. This involves matching a list of real startup mission statements with their business names and creating your own mission statement. Feedback will be provided on the quality of your mission statement.

Commands: Throughout the game, you can use the following commands to explore different aspects of running a startup:

"Value Proposition"

"Sales Pitch"

"SWOT Analysis"

"Seed Funding"

"Pitch Deck"

"Sip Pitch Competition"

"Help"

??? IN-GAME PROGRESS & STATUS BAR

Each turn, you’ll see an updated status bar to keep track of progress:

Example: [??? START UP SIMULATOR ??: LONDON EDITION | [Your Character’s Name] | [8 turns until game over]]

Financial Balance: This will be updated with each turn based on your spending and choices.

?? CHARACTER PROFILE

Before we start, create a basic profile for your character. Here’s an example:

Attribute

Details

Name

Choose your startup name!

Age

25-35

Education

Your background (e.g., Business, Tech)

Favorite Book

Any inspirational business book

Wealth

￡200,000 starting balance

First Memory

A memory related to business or problem-solving

Personality

Choose a couple of traits that describe your character

PROMPT STOPS.

Startup Simulation Game Instructions

Welcome to the London Startup Simulator! In this simulation, you’ll step into the role of a tech startup founder trying to launch a business in the bustling, competitive world of London. Your choices will determine if your startup survives the city's challenges and makes it to the top.

Step 1: Start the Game with the Prompt

Open ChatGPT: Go to the ChatGPT interface on OpenAI’s website (or wherever you access GPT).

Copy & Paste the Game Prompt: Copy the entire game setup prompt from the previous message (including objectives, rules, and gameplay). Paste it into ChatGPT in one go and hit enter.

Step 2: Input Your Startup Business Idea

Before you begin making choices, ChatGPT will prompt you to describe your startup idea. Here’s what to include:

????????????Startup Name: Come up with a catchy, memorable name.

????????????Product or Service: Describe what your startup offers (e.g., a mobile app, a tech service, a platform).

????????????Value Proposition: Explain what problem your startup solves or the unique value it provides to customers.

Take a few moments to think this through, as this will influence your journey in the game!

Step 3: Create Your Character Profile

Now, create a basic profile for yourself as the founder. This will help ChatGPT respond based on your personality and background. Fill out these details:

Attribute

Details

Name

Choose your founder name!

Age

25-35

Education

Your background (e.g., Business, Tech)

Favorite Business Book

Any inspirational business book

Wealth

￡200,000 starting balance

First Memory

A memory related to business or problem-solving

Personality Traits

Choose 1-2 traits that describe your character

Step 4: Playing the Game

Each turn, ChatGPT will present 5 action choices for you to choose from, each with a specific emoji. Here’s how to proceed:

Make a Choice: Type the number or description of the choice you want (e.g., “1” or “Negotiate a lower rent with the office landlord ??”).

Turn Tracking: The game lasts 10 turns. After each turn, ChatGPT should update the number of turns remaining. If it doesn’t, you can remind it by asking, “How many turns are left?” or “What’s my current balance?”

Financial Updates: Each turn reduces your balance by ￡10,000, plus any additional costs from your choices (typically ￡5,000-￡15,000). Keep track of your balance on a notepad or calculator to avoid losing track.

Status Updates: At the end of each turn, ask ChatGPT for an update:

????????????Example Prompt: “Show my status bar with current balance and turns remaining.”

Random Events: Expect random dramatic events to happen on some turns, adding suspense and new challenges.

Step 5: Mission Statement Minigame

On Turn 1, ChatGPT will prompt you for the “Mission Statement” minigame. Here’s how it works:

You’ll be shown five real-life mission statements from London startups, and your goal is to match each mission statement with the correct startup name.

After matching, create your own mission statement for your startup, describing what it does and why it’s valuable.

Feedback: ChatGPT will provide feedback on your mission statement’s clarity and relevance.

Step 6: Game-Over Conditions

The game may end early if you meet any of these conditions:

????????????Reputation Collapse: Multiple failed pitches, poor partnerships, or ethical missteps can cause investors to lose trust.

????????????Employee Morale Crisis: Poor morale can lead to key employees quitting, making it impossible to operate.

????????????Regulatory Shutdown: Ignoring legal obligations (e.g., tax, data protection) can lead to government penalties that close the business.

????????????Product Failure: Failing to secure product-market fit or having a product failure at a critical event may damage your reputation beyond repair.

????????????Burnout: Making high-stress choices without balancing actions can lead to burnout, ending the game early.

Step 7: Ending the Game

The game ends either when:

????????????You reach Turn 10 with a balance above zero, or

????????????You trigger a game-over condition.

At the end, ask ChatGPT for a summary of your journey, including successes, setbacks, and final balance.

Additional Commands

At any point, you can use these commands to explore specific startup activities:

????????????"Value Proposition"

????????????"Sales Pitch"

????????????"SWOT Analysis"

????????????"Seed Funding"

????????????"Pitch Deck"

????????????"Sip Pitch Competition"

????????????"Help"

These commands give additional options and context to help you in your journey.

Tips for Smooth Play

????????????Remind ChatGPT of the turn number or your balance if it forgets, or refer back to your notes if necessary.

????????????Keep track of your balance and turns manually, as ChatGPT may not always remember these details perfectly.

Good luck with your startup journey! Every decision you make brings you closer to success—or potential failure. Enjoy the experience and learn from each choice!

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