Using AI to start a Concierge MVP

I don’t (think I) want to start up a weekly post on how to use AI tools to supercharge Tacklebox content. But, even if you have an immediate visceral negative reaction to these sorts of tools (like I sometimes do), exposing yourself to them is critical.

They can do most of the things you hate doing extraordinarily well. For, like, $20/month.

The best way to ground yourself in how AI tools can help is to watch them help other founders. So, here’s an example of Claude helping us run a Concierge MVP for a bulk food delivery service:

Bulk Food Pickup for Families

Let’s say we want to start a business cooking in bulk for families where both parents work, want home-cooked healthy meals for themselves and their kids, but don’t have the time to make them. Great.

The idea is a subscription service where families pick up, say, 16 lunch portions (four individual lunches for four people) and four dinner portions that’ll feed a family of four each Sunday.

We want to run a concierge MVP. We’ll cook for four families for a month and see what happens. Earn a little wisdom.

This feels manageable until it’s time to start: What do you cook? How do you store it? Will kids eat it? Do you take requests? Do you provide storage containers?

These types of questions stall, or entirely stop, Concierge MVPs. Also, there are a few things founders always forget in the hustle of a Concierge MVP — namely, to be documenting each step so that they can repurpose it as marketing material.

We need to use AI as a project manager to get us going and keep us on track.

I’ll use Claude, and here’s how I’ll start:

“I'm interested in running a concierge MVP for an idea where I make food in larger quantities that families pick up each Sunday. Each family will pick up 16 lunch portions (four individual lunches for four people) and four dinners that’ll feed a family of four. These families are extremely health conscious, both parents work (they don’t have time to cook), and they value their kids eating healthy, organic, home-cooked meals. For this test, each kid will be between 8–13 years old and have no allergies.

I’m starting with four families I know. There’s no need for legal stuff as we aren’t actually going to exchange money for this test. We’ll see how it goes, then charge them for the next month if they’re interested.

I need help with the logistics — what to cook (I’m not a chef), and how to make sure that this test is optimized for marketing. At the end, I want a ton of marketing collateral that I can use to get the next 10 customers.

How might you approach this if the goal is to run the test starting Feb 1?”

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Pro AI tip: Create a ‘prompt library’ — a repository of key context about your startup that you can paste into AI chats. Include details about your customers, your progress so far, and your strengths and weaknesses.

Don't worry about length — even simple questions like. “I've got four hours this week — how should I use them?” become more valuable when you include rich context about your business.

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Here’s what Claude came back with:

“This is a great way to test your meal prep service concept. Let's break this down into key areas to optimize both operations and marketing potential.

Planning Timeline (January):

1. Week 1–2: Menu Planning and Testing

2. Week 3: Prep and Equipment Organization

3. Week 4: Final Run-through and Customer Communication

Let's address each key component:

Menu Planning Approach:

• Focus on dishes that:Scale well (casseroles, sheet pan meals, large-format dishes)

• Hold up well for reheating

• Look visually appealing for photos

• Have broad appeal while feeling special

For your first month, I suggest planning 4 different weekly menus. Here's a sample week:

Lunches (4 portions each):

• Grain bowls with roasted vegetables and protein

• Hearty sandwich wraps

• Pasta salad with vegetables and protein

• Healthy bento-style boxes

Dinner (family-style):

• Sheet pan chicken with roasted vegetables

• Build-your-own taco kit

• Baked pasta dish

• One-pot curry with rice

Marketing Optimization:

• DocumentationTake photos of every step (prep, cooking, packaging)

• Document your process with short videos

• Capture the Sunday pickup experience

• Get photos of families enjoying the meals

• Customer FeedbackCreate a simple feedback form for each meal

• Ask families to take photos of their plated meals

• Do quick video testimonials at pickup

• Track which meals are favorites

• Data CollectionTime spent on prep/cooking

• Cost per meal

• Storage requirements

• Reheating success

Key Success Metrics:

1. Customer satisfaction (overall and per dish)

2. Time management (prep and distribution)

3. Food quality/freshness throughout the week

4. Cost efficiency

5. Marketing content generated

Would you like me to dive deeper into any of these areas? For instance, I could provide specific equipment recommendations, detailed menu planning, or marketing content templates.”

Now, you might dig in on pieces of this. Maybe you don’t know how to take pictures of food. Ask about that:

“I’ve never taken high-quality food images — what’s a primer on doing this well? I’ll be shooting with an iPhone”

Here’s what it came back with:

“Let me help you create professional-looking food photography with minimal equipment. Here's a practical guide focused on what will make your meal prep service look amazing:

Basic Setup Essentials:

• LightingNatural light is your best friend - shoot near a window

• Best times are typically mid-morning or mid-afternoon for soft light

• Avoid direct sunlight (creates harsh shadows)

• If the light is too bright, use a white sheet as a diffuser

• Never use your phone's flash

• Background and PropsStart with plain white or light gray plates

• Use neutral-colored placemats or tablecloths

• Include minimal, relevant props (a fork, fresh herbs, napkin)

• Keep backgrounds simple and uncluttered

Phone Camera Tips:

• Shoot from slightly above (25-45 degree angle) for most dishes

• Get close but don't use digital zoom

• Tap to focus on the most important part of the dish

• For your service, take both plated shots and family-style container shots

• Use your phone's grid feature to help with composition

• If your phone has a "portrait" mode, experiment with it

Composition Guidelines:

• Rule of thirds: place key elements along the grid lines

• Leave some negative space for text overlay later

• Show scale when relevant (especially for family portions)

• Include a human element occasionally (hands serving/preparing)

• Capture multiple angles of the same dish

Food Styling Basics:

• Use small portions on large plates for elegance

• Add fresh herbs or garnishes right before shooting

• Keep food looking fresh with a light mist of water

• Group odd numbers of items (3 or 5 pieces look better than 4)

• Wipe plate edges clean before shooting

Quick Editing Tips:

• Don't over-filter

• Slightly increase:Brightness

• Contrast

• Sharpness

• Adjust temperature to make food look natural

• Most phones have built-in food photography modes - use them

Would you like me to create a simple shot list for your first week of meals? That way you'll know exactly what angles and setups to capture for each dish.”

You can, obviously, use YouTube to find some tutorials for this, too.

I think the main point of a post like this is to show you how useful this tool can be as a research assistant. Nothing it comes back with is rocket science, but it’s great at starting.

Whatever step you’re at in Tacklebox, I’d try to use Claude or ChatGPT to help you plan the next two weeks. Pump in the goals Tacklebox has set and have an AI create a personalized schedule for you.

Play around a bit. This AI thing can be helpful.