Have you ever felt that AI can be…a little too flattering? We’ve all seen it: the eager chatbot that keeps telling you your idea is “brilliant.” AI can be incredibly helpful, but flattery doesn’t build companies. Honest feedback does.

That’s why I’ve started doing something a little unorthodox: I hire Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett. Not literally, of course – AI makes that possible in spirit. Often, I need brutally honest product feedback. So, I asked AI to act like Steve Jobs in a product review meeting.

Here’s the prompt I used: “Act as if you are Steve Jobs in a product review meeting. I’m presenting our online community platform. Give brutally honest feedback on design, focus, user experience, and innovation. Challenge what’s missing and what could be revolutionary. Then give clear, high-level directions.”

What came back was sharp, focused, and surprisingly visionary. It cut through the noise, challenging my design assumptions, reminding me to strip back features, focus on user delight, and build something insanely great.

Once the product direction was clear, I turned to the business side. I asked AI to channel Warren Buffett. The response was cool, rational, and financially grounded. It questioned my economic moat, demanded clarity in the business model, and challenged my long-term thinking. It was the kind of advice that doesn’t sugarcoat, and that’s exactly what I needed. In a world of echo chambers and excessive optimism, using AI to simulate the toughest minds in business can help stress-test ideas from both a visionary and pragmatic lens.

Parminder Singh is the cofounder of two AI ventures, ClayboxAI and Kampd, and has held APAC leadership roles at Google and Twitter previously. For feedback, please email to eteyeonai@timesofindia.com