# Session Summary: Unified Product Strategy

**Date:** November 2, 2025 (Evening)  
**Topic:** Research review + MVP planning  
**Status:** ✅ Key decisions made

---

## 🎯 MAJOR DECISION: Unified Product Approach

**Problem:** Direction 1 (Agencies) vs Direction 2 (AI Developers) - which to choose?

**Solution:** BOTH. Same product, multiple entry points.

**Rationale:**
1. Technical implementation = 100% identical
2. Backend = same (enhancement, generation, CDN)
3. Difference = entry point preference (MCP vs Prompt URLs)
4. Many users are BOTH (tech lead at agency uses Cursor + presents to clients)

**Implication:** Build once, launch to both segments sequentially

---

## 🏆 Key Insights from Research

### Competitive Landscape (New Info)

**Runware:** $13M funding, $0.0006/image (166x cheaper)
- BUT: Infrastructure only, no quality layer
- Target: Volume buyers
- We don't compete on price

**ImageKit:** Enterprise scale, URL-based generation
- Validates Prompt URLs concept works at scale
- Target: E-commerce, marketing
- We compete on developer focus + quality

**Our Moats (Updated Priority):**
1. ⭐ **Prompt Enhancement** (PRIMARY) - 3-6 months to replicate
2. ⭐ **Consistency System (@references)** - unique, post-MVP
3. Production Pipeline - deep integration, developer focus

**NOT a moat:** MCP (can be built in 1 week)

---

### Pricing Strategy

**$0.10/image = validated**
- ImageKit effective cost = same range
- Justified through quality layer + complete pipeline

**Free tier strategy:**
- NOT competing with free (OpenRouter 50/day, Google AI Studio 500-1000/day)
- Our free tier = testing only (10/month with watermark)
- Paid = production use (data privacy, professional quality)

**Positioning:**
- Runware = AWS (cheap infrastructure)
- Banatie = Vercel (DX premium)

---

## 📋 MVP Scope (Realistic Timeline)

### Current Blockers (Days 1-4)
- DB schema update (2 days)
- Endpoint alignment (2 days)

### Week 1: Ultra-Minimal Launch (Days 5-7)
**Ship:**
- Prompt URLs (3 days)
- Manual payments via Stripe invoice
- Manual API key distribution

**Launch to:** 5-10 early adopters on r/cursor

**Goal:** Validate core value (prompt enhancement visible)

### Week 2-3: Developer Tools
**Add:**
- MCP Server (3 days)
- SDK (2 days)
- CLI (2 days)
- Automated payments (2-3 days)

**Goal:** 10-20 paying users

### Week 4+: Production Features
**Add:**
- CDN (1 day)
- Transformations (1 day)
- Focal point detection (2-3 days) ← IMPORTANT: Don't forget
- Admin UI (3-5 days)

**Goal:** 50+ users, validate segments

---

## 🎨 Key Product Decisions

### Prompt Enhancement
- ✅ **Always enabled, cannot disable**
- ✅ This is our primary value
- ✅ Justified cost increase (text-to-text + image gen)
- ✅ If in free limit = OK, this is what we sell

### Entry Points Priority
1. **Prompt URLs** (Week 1) - Universal, simplest
2. **MCP Server** (Week 2) - Developer hook
3. **SDK** (Week 2) - Programmatic control
4. **CLI** (Week 2) - Terminal workflows

### Features Priority
**MVP (must-have):**
- Prompt Enhancement ✅
- 6 Aspect Ratios ✅
- Prompt URLs ⏳
- MinIO storage ✅

**Post-MVP (validate need):**
- @references consistency
- Team features
- Focal point detection
- WordPress plugin

---

## 📢 Go-to-Market Strategy

### Phase 1: Developer Focus (Weeks 1-2)
**Target:** Segment B (Power Users) + D (AI Freelancers)

**Why first:**
- Founder IS the ICP
- Fast validation
- Product-led growth
- MCP = differentiator

**Channels:**
- r/cursor, Discord
- Dev.to posts
- Twitter #AIcoding

**Message:** "MCP for image generation in Cursor"

---

### Phase 2: Agency Expansion (Weeks 3-4)
**Target:** Segment A (Studios) + C (Freelancers)

**Why second:**
- Product validated with developers
- Same tech, different messaging
- Add client approval use case

**Channels:**
- r/webdev, r/freelance
- LinkedIn (careful - employer risk)
- Agency communities

**Message:** "Speed up client approval with AI mockups"

---

### Phase 3: Optimize (Weeks 5-8)
**Analyze:**
- Which segment converts better?
- Which has higher LTV?
- Which churns less?

**Action:** Double down on winner

---

## ⚠️ Risks & Open Questions

### Risks
1. **Free tier competition** (16K-31K/month free via OpenRouter + Google)
   - Mitigation: Premium positioning, quality differentiation
   
2. **Prompt enhancement cost** (additional API call)
   - Monitor: Calculate actual cost per generation
   - Decision point: If exceeds free limit

3. **Segment confusion** (trying to serve everyone)
   - Mitigation: Sequential launch, clear messaging per segment

### Open Questions
1. Which transformation service? (Need name)
2. Focal point implementation details
3. Admin UI approach (custom vs nextjs-saas-starter)
4. Payment automation complexity

---

## 📝 Documents Created/Updated

**Created:**
- `/strategy/13-competitive-analysis.md` (Runware, ImageKit insights)
- `/strategy/14-icp-segmentation-unified.md` (A/B/C/D with one product approach)
- `/execution/15-mvp-scope-v2-realistic.md` (real timelines, priorities)
- `/execution/16-product-features.md` (all features including focal point)
- `/execution/17-week-1-launch-checklist.md` (step-by-step launch guide)

**Updated:**
- `/ROADMAP.md` (unified approach, realistic MVP timeline)

**To review later:**
- 01-market-positioning-v4.md (in project-knowledge, not on disk yet)
- COMPETITIVE-ANALYSIS-QUICK-REF.md (in project-knowledge)
- UPDATES-SUMMARY.md (in project-knowledge)

---

## 🚀 Launch Strategy (Week 1)

### Mental Model: Experiment, NOT Product

**Week 1 MVP = Coffee with potential customer**
- NOT: Mass launch, professional polish, 100 users
- YES: 3-5 early adopters, validation, feedback

**Goal:**
- Prove someone will pay (even $20)
- Discover which feature matters (MCP vs URLs?)
- Validate ICP hypothesis

---

### What's Needed BESIDES Code

**1. Landing Page (2 hours)**
```
Hero: "Generate professional images without leaving Cursor"
What: 3 bullets (enhancement, aspect ratios, CDN)
Pricing: Free/Credits/Pro (simple)
CTA: Email signup
```

**2. Documentation (2 hours)**
```
Prompt URLs format + example
API curl example
"Email us for API key"
```

**3. Signup Flow (30 min)**
- Google Form: Name, Email, Use case
- Manual review → Invoice → API key

**Total non-tech:** ~5 hours

---

### Launch Day (Day 9)

**Morning: Soft launch**
- r/cursor post (Show HN style)
- Discord Cursor channel
- Message: Problem, Solution, Early access

**Afternoon: Engage**
- Answer every question
- Collect feedback
- Send API keys to first 3-5

**Success metrics:**
- Minimum: 3 try, 1 pays
- Strong: 5+ try, 2+ pay
- Failure: <2 try, no payment

---

### Week 2-3: Iterate Based on Feedback

**If success:**
- Fix top 2 issues
- Build most requested feature (MCP?)
- Expand reach (Dev.to)

**If unclear:**
- 1-on-1 calls with early adopters
- Iterate messaging/features

**If failure:**
- Analysis session
- Pivot or rethink

---

## 🎯 Next Actions

**For Oleg:**
1. Clear DB blocker (Days 1-2)
2. Align endpoints (Days 3-4)
3. Build Prompt URLs (Days 5-7)
4. Setup manual Stripe invoicing (Day 8)
5. Launch to 5-10 early adopters

**For next session with @men:**
1. Discuss messaging for r/cursor launch post
2. Plan interview questions (if needed after early adopters)
3. Review payment automation approach
4. Discuss focal point detection implementation

---

## 🎓 Key Learnings

**Product Strategy:**
- Direction 1 + 2 = same product, different entry points
- Many users are BOTH segments (tech lead at agency)
- Build once, launch sequentially

**Competitive Position:**
- NOT competing on price (Runware $0.0006)
- Competing on quality layer + DX (Vercel approach)
- Prompt Enhancement = primary moat

**Launch Philosophy:**
- Week 1 = experiment, not product
- 3-5 users > 100 confused visitors
- Manual processes OK (automate after validation)
- Simple better than polished for early adopters

**Next Critical Path:**
1. Clear tech debt (Days 1-4)
2. Build Prompt URLs (Days 5-7)
3. Create landing/docs (Day 8, 5 hours)
4. Launch to r/cursor (Day 9)
5. Collect feedback, iterate (Days 10+)

---

**Session completed:** November 2, 2025 ~23:30  
**Session duration:** ~3 hours  
**Next session:** After DB blocker cleared OR for launch planning  
**Critical files:** [17-week-1-launch-checklist.md](../execution/17-week-1-launch-checklist.md) (execute this)