Function Brief · Startup Founders
AI research for startup founders who can't afford a research team yet.
You need to know your market better than anyone in the room. The problem is you also need to close customers, ship the product, and run the business. The Department is the research function you don't have headcount for: brief it on your competitive landscape, your target customer segments, and the industry signals that matter—and it returns weekly intelligence to your inbox. Structured. Sourced. Ready to forward to co-founders or share in board updates.
One of several roles served by our AI research assistant for teams guide.
Weekly briefings
Deep dives on demand
Board-ready market intelligence
What founders get every week
Brief your competitive landscape, target segments, and the signals that matter—funding rounds in your space, competitor product launches, hiring at rivals, regulatory moves. Weekly intelligence lands in your inbox while you run the business. No research hire. No weekend spent reading every trade blog hoping you did not miss the move that changes your pitch.
When a finding matters, go deeper
Any signal can escalate to a full deep dive within about an hour—competitive analysis, market sizing context, or a lead list of potential partners and customers. Founders use depth requests before investor updates, partnership calls, and positioning decisions when they cannot afford to be wrong.
Intelligence that builds on itself
Your market picture compounds. The Department remembers last month's competitor launch when this week's briefing flags a new hire at the same company—that thread informs your board update without you rebuilding context. Early-stage teams get a research archive that grows with the company.
“We've been using the Department to track opportunities in immersive history. Unbelievable how it surfaced opportunities we would have missed.”
See how the Department compares to hiring a researcher at seed stage.
Questions for this function.
What teams in this role ask before they file a brief.
Can I use this without a dedicated research hire?
Yes. That is the core use case. File a plain-language brief on your market and competitors; weekly intelligence arrives without headcount, dashboards, or research sprints you do not have time to run.
Can I share briefings with co-founders or investors?
Yes. Output is structured and sourced—forward weekly briefings to co-founders or pull findings into board updates with traceable references.
How fast can I get competitive intelligence on a new rival?
Add the competitor to your brief or request an on-demand deep dive. Most reports return within about an hour.
Does it track funding and hiring in my space?
Include those signal types in your brief. Weekly reports surface funding rounds, executive hires, and product launches from public sources across the competitors and sectors you define.
Can it help with market sizing or TAM research?
Request a deep dive on market dynamics for your segment. The Department synthesizes public sources into sourced analysis—you verify before citing in decks.
How is this different from ChatGPT for founder research?
ChatGPT answers one question at a time with no continuity. The Department runs on a standing brief, monitors your market weekly, and compounds context—last week's competitor move informs this week's briefing.
Can I brief it on multiple markets as we pivot?
Yes. Update your brief as focus shifts. The Department adjusts coverage and retains prior research in your archive for reference.
What does it cost compared to a research contractor?
Starter plan runs continuously on your brief for a monthly subscription—fraction of a contractor or full-time hire. See pricing for current rates and included research credits.
related functions
Consulting & Advisory
Fast sector context, client-ready briefings, and leave-behind drafts for advisory engagements.
Sales Teams
Weekly account intelligence and pre-call prep for reps—prospect research without the manual work.
Digital Marketers
Weekly competitive signals and audience insights for sharper paid and organic campaigns.
Browse all use cases on the Department functions hub.
the department is ready.
No credit card. Your opening briefing arrives within an hour.
Submit your first brief