This study examines the use of proto-personas in marketing to quickly determine the profile of the ideal customer using the bonsai market as an example. The evolution of the marketing concept developed by the American Marketing Association (AMA) is presented, complemented with the explanation of McCarthy’s 4 P’s. The holistic and ethical approach proposed by Drucker and others is emphasized, and includes the Marketing Mix, reconceptualized as Solution, Access, Value and Education. A reflection on the definition of marketing integrated with the moral and ethical values of society is presented. The article details the development of personas, a concept established in the 1980s by designers and incorporated by marketing professionals as a strategic tool to facilitate segmentation and marketing. Buyer personas are necessarily anchored in detailed research and should reflect the objectives, needs and interests of users based on both structured and unstructured databases, and market research. However, the creation of proto-personas has emerged as an agile and economical alternative, ideal for situations with limited resources or insufficient data. Proto-personas are created through the existing knowledge of stakeholders called experts and are structured as simplified and empathic versions of so-called ideal customers. Although initially based on expert knowledge, they must be validated and improved through subsequent market research. This research employs a qualitative and bibliographical methodology to understand the application of proto-personas in marketing. The lack of formal academic studies on this concept in the marketing sector led researchers to include, in addition to scientific literature, reliable gray literature and market practices. The practical study involved the creation of two proto-personas in the context of the bonsai market, with the participation of experts in this sector. The process included in-depth interviews and the use of technological tools such as the AWS artificial intelligence platform and ChatGPT 4.0 to transcribe the interviews and generate insights into the development of proto-personas and their images. The study concludes that proto-personas are efficient and effective in quickly identifying the ideal customer, especially at the beginning of product/service development in competitive markets. They provide valuable insights for professionals, contributing to more dynamic and personalized marketing strategies. Despite limitations, such as the specific choice of experts, the application of this technique in varied contexts for future research and development is recommended.