# Banatie Strategy Documentation Index

**Last Updated:** November 3, 2025
**Total Documents:** 18 (numbered in strategy/execution) + research (prefixed)
**Next Available Number:** 18
**Project Stage:** Pre-launch / MVP Development

---

## 📊 Numbering System

**Rule:** Sequential numbering for strategy/ and execution/ folders (01-99)
- Each number is used only once
- New document = next available number
- Deleted documents don't free up numbers
- **Exception:** `discussions/` uses date-based format (YYYY-MM-DD-topic.md)
- **Exception:** `research/` uses flat structure with prefixes (direction-, signals-, analysis-)

**Currently Used:**
- 01 - Market Positioning
- 02 - Reality Check
- 03 - ICP Research Questions
- 06 - Future Topics Backlog
- 07 - Validated ICP (AI Developers)
- 08 - Validation Plan
- 09 - MVP Scope (Archived, superseded by 15)
- 10 - Pricing Strategy
- 11 - Technical Architecture
- 12 - Current Tech State
- 13 - Competitive Analysis
- 14 - ICP Segmentation Unified
- 15 - MVP Scope v2 Realistic
- 16 - Product Features
- 17 - Week 1 Launch Checklist

**Next to assign:** 18

---

## 📖 Quick Links

**For new sessions START HERE:**
- [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md) - Current priorities and status
- [Reality Check](strategy/02-reality-check.md) - Founder constraints
- [Research Methodology](research/passive-research-methodology.md) - Passive research guide (battle-tested)

**For strategic decisions:**
- [Market Positioning](strategy/01-market-positioning-and-segments.md)
- [Validated ICP](strategy/07-validated-icp-ai-developers.md)

**For execution:**
- [Week 1 Launch Checklist](execution/17-week-1-launch-checklist.md) ⭐ ACTIVE
- [MVP Scope v2 Realistic](execution/15-mvp-scope-v2-realistic.md)
- [Product Features](execution/16-product-features.md)
- [Pricing Strategy](execution/10-pricing-strategy.md)
- [Validation Plan](execution/08-validation-plan.md)

---

## 📂 Core Documentation

### Master Files

**[CLAUDE.md](CLAUDE.md)**  
*AI assistant configuration, folder structure, commands*  
Status: 📝 Living document  
Purpose: Guide for @men on how to work with documentation

**[INDEX.md](INDEX.md)** (this file)  
*Complete map of all documents*  
Status: 📝 Living document  
Purpose: Navigation and quick reference

**[ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md)**  
*Current status, active sprint, milestones*  
Status: 📝 Living document  
Purpose: Track progress and priorities

**[FRAMEWORK.md](FRAMEWORK.md)**  
*Discussion and documentation best practices*  
Status: 📝 Living document  
Purpose: Guide for strategic sessions with @men

---

## 📂 Strategy Documents

### Core Strategic Foundation

**[01 - Market Positioning](strategy/01-market-positioning-and-segments.md)** (v2.0, Oct 20)  
*Positioning, competitors, market size ($25B+ dev tools)*  
Status: ✅ Validated  
Key insight: We're in "Developer Tools for AI-Powered Development" ($25B+ subset)

**[02 - Reality Check](strategy/02-reality-check.md)** (Oct 19)  
*Founder situation, financial goals, constraints*  
Status: 📝 Living document, review monthly  
Critical: Solo founder, family of 5, $6K/month sole income, 15-20 hrs/week available

**[07 - Validated ICP](strategy/07-validated-icp-ai-developers.md)** (v1.0, Oct 20)  
*AI-powered developers as primary ICP*  
Confidence: HIGH (80%) - founder IS the ICP  
Target: Developers using Claude Code/Cursor who build web projects

**[11 - Technical Architecture](strategy/11-technical-architecture.md)** (v1.0, Nov 1)
*Platform architecture, tech stack, 6-stage pipeline*
Status: ✅ Validated
Stack: Express, Next.js, Gemini 2.5 Flash, MinIO, PostgreSQL, Cloudflare

**[13 - Competitive Analysis](strategy/13-competitive-analysis.md)** (v1.0, Nov 2)
*Competitive landscape, positioning, moats*
Status: ✅ Updated with Runware + ImageKit research
Key competitors: Runware ($0.0006), ImageKit ($0.10-0.25), positioning as DX premium
Primary moat: Prompt Enhancement (3-6 months to replicate)

**[14 - ICP Segmentation Unified](strategy/14-icp-segmentation-unified.md)** (v1.0, Nov 2)
*Unified product approach, A/B/C/D segments*
Status: ✅ Validated - One product, multiple entry points
Key insight: Direction 1 (Agencies) + Direction 2 (AI Developers) = SAME product
Segments: A (Studios/Agencies), B (Power Users - PRIMARY), C (Freelancers), D (AI-Savvy Freelancers - SECONDARY)

---

## 🎯 Execution Documents

### Validation & Launch Planning

**[03 - ICP Research Questions](execution/03-icp-research-questions.md)** (v2.0, Oct 20)  
*Interview script, validation framework*  
Status: 🔄 In use - validation in progress  
Goal: 10-15 interviews to validate willingness to pay

**[08 - Validation Plan](execution/08-validation-plan.md)** (Oct 20)  
*2-week sprint plan, 10-15 interviews, stealth outreach*  
Timeline: Oct 20 - Nov 3, 2025  
Channels: Reddit, Indie Hackers, Discord

**[09 - MVP Scope](execution/09-mvp-scope.md)** (Oct 20)
*Must-have features, 4-6 week dev timeline*
Status: 📚 Archived - Superseded by 15-mvp-scope-v2-realistic.md (Nov 2)
Core: MCP integration, Prompt Enhancement, CDN, @references

**[10 - Pricing Strategy](execution/10-pricing-strategy.md)** (v2.0, Oct 20)  
*Hybrid model: Credits + Subscription*  
Tiers:  
- Free: 10 gens/month (watermark)
- Credits: $20-100 for 200-1500 gens
- Pro: $49/month for 500 gens

### MVP Development & Launch (Week 1)

**[15 - MVP Scope v2 Realistic](execution/15-mvp-scope-v2-realistic.md)** (v2.0, Nov 2)
*Realistic timeline for MVP development*
Status: 🔄 Planning - Based on actual dev capacity
Replaces: 09-mvp-scope.md
Timeline: Week 1 (Prompt URLs), Week 2-3 (MCP/SDK/CLI), Week 4+ (Production features)
Current blockers: DB schema update (2 days), endpoints alignment (2 days)

**[16 - Product Features](execution/16-product-features.md)** (v1.0, Nov 2)
*Complete feature inventory and roadmap*
Status: 📝 Living document
Core features: Prompt Enhancement (PRIMARY MOAT), 6 aspect ratios, Prompt URLs, MCP, SDK, CLI
Priority matrix with timelines and status tracking

**[17 - Week 1 Launch Checklist](execution/17-week-1-launch-checklist.md)** (Nov 2)
*Step-by-step ultra-minimal launch guide*
Status: Ready to execute ⭐
Goal: 3-5 early adopters try it, 1 pays (any amount)
Includes: Pre-launch checklist, launch day schedule, Reddit/Discord copy templates, success criteria

### Technical Documentation

**[12 - Current Tech State](execution/12-the-current-tech-state.md)** (v1.0, Nov 1)
*Business-focused overview of platform capabilities*
Status: 📝 Working Document
Key: Platform mostly production-ready, gaps identified

**[Appendix 1](execution/appendex1.md)** - SDK code examples
**[Appendix 2](execution/appendex2.md)** - Use cases & conversion

---

## 🔬 Research Documents

**📂 Complete Research Documentation:** [research/INDEX.md](research/INDEX.md)

### Research Status Summary

**Phase 1 Completed (Oct 31 - Nov 2, 2025):**
- ✅ 3 directions researched with strong signals (Directions 1, 2, 6)
- ✅ 10 research directions mapped (Directions 0-10)
- ✅ 2 extensions scoped (Directions 11-12: E-commerce, NoCode)
- ✅ Reusable methodology documented
- ✅ ICP refined to A/B/C/D segments

**Primary Finding:** Direction 2 (AI Coding Agents) = ⭐ 70-80% confidence
- [direction-2-strong-signals-part2.md](research/direction-2-strong-signals-part2.md) - Complete research
- ICP match = excellent (founder IS the ICP)
- Market size = huge (36K+ r/cursor members)
- Willingness to pay = validated ($20-200/mo)
- Technical fit = perfect (MCP + SDK)

**ICP Segmentation (A/B/C/D):**
- **A:** Studios/Agencies (CEO decision, higher ACV) - Direction 1 focus
- **B:** Power Users (Tech leads with Cursor/Claude Code) - ⭐ PRIMARY
- **C:** Freelancers (Solo decision, price-sensitive) - Cross-direction
- **D:** AI-savvy Freelancers (High volume, time=money) - ⭐ SECONDARY

---

## 💬 Discussion History

**Note:** Discussions use date-based naming (YYYY-MM-DD-topic.md)

**[2025-11-02 - Unified Product Strategy](discussions/2025-11-02-unified-product-strategy.md)** ⭐ LATEST
*Major strategic session - 3 hours with @men*
Outcomes:
- Unified product decision (Direction 1 + 2 = SAME product)
- Week 1 launch plan created (ultra-minimal experiment)
- Competitive analysis completed (Runware, ImageKit)
- ICP segmentation refined (A/B/C/D segments)
- 5 new documents created (13-17)

**[2025-10-19 - Initial Strategic Session](discussions/2025-10-19-initial-strategic-session.md)**
*First strategic session - 2 hours with @men*
Outcomes:
- ICP direction clarified (AI developers)
- Pricing model validated (hybrid)
- Documentation framework established

---

## 📋 Backlog & Future

**[06 - Future Topics](backlog/06-future-topics-backlog.md)** (Oct 19)  
*Upcoming discussions prioritized by urgency*  
Current priorities:  
- Soon: MVP scope finalization, pre-launch strategy
- Eventually: Social media, Google Ads, employer risk management

---

## 🔗 Document Dependencies

### Critical path for new @men sessions:
```
ROADMAP.md → 02-reality-check.md → 14-icp-segmentation-unified.md → 17-week-1-launch-checklist.md
```

### For strategic pivots:
```
01-market-positioning.md → 13-competitive-analysis.md → 14-icp-segmentation-unified.md → research/INDEX.md
```

### For tactical execution (ACTIVE):
```
15-mvp-scope-v2-realistic.md → 16-product-features.md → 17-week-1-launch-checklist.md
```

### Legacy path (archived):
```
08-validation-plan.md → 09-mvp-scope.md (superseded by 15) → 10-pricing-strategy.md
```

---

## 📈 Document Status Legend

- ✅ **Validated** - confirmed through research/data
- 🔄 **In Progress** - actively being executed
- ⏳ **Pending** - waiting for prerequisite
- 🔮 **Future** - planned but not yet started
- 📝 **Living** - continuously updated

---

## 🔍 Key Relationships

**Market Positioning (01) + Competitive Analysis (13) inform:**
- Validated ICP (07) + ICP Segmentation (14) - target audience selection
- Pricing Strategy (10) - competitive benchmarking
- MVP Scope v2 (15) - feature prioritization
- Positioning: DX premium vs infrastructure play

**Reality Check (02) constrains:**
- MVP Scope v2 (15) - realistic timeline with blockers
- Week 1 Launch (17) - ultra-minimal approach
- Product Features (16) - priority matrix

**Research (research/) + Competitive Analysis (13) validate:**
- ICP Segmentation (14) - unified product approach
- Direction 1 + 2 = same product, different entry points
- Prompt Enhancement as PRIMARY MOAT (3-6 months to replicate)

**ICP Segmentation (14) drives:**
- Product Features (16) - which interfaces to build (MCP vs Prompt URLs)
- Week 1 Launch (17) - target segments B/D (developers first)
- GTM strategy - sequential launch approach

**MVP Scope v2 (15) → Product Features (16) → Week 1 Launch (17):**
- Active execution path
- 15 defines timeline and blockers
- 16 details all features with priorities
- 17 provides step-by-step launch guide

**Technical Architecture (11) + Current Tech State (12) define:**
- What platform can do (architecture + implementation status)
- MVP Scope v2 (15) - what MUST be built vs already done
- Product Features (16) - technical feasibility

**Discussion Framework (FRAMEWORK.md) guides:**
- All strategic sessions
- Documentation creation process
- Decision-making workflows

---

## 📝 Quick Reference: Where to Save New Documents

**Strategic decisions & insights** → `strategy/`
- Market analysis updates
- ICP pivots or refinements
- Positioning changes
- Competitive intelligence

**Plans & execution tasks** → `execution/`
- Launch plans
- Feature specifications
- Marketing campaigns
- Sales processes

**Research findings** → `research/` (use prefixes)
- `direction-N-*.md` - Research directions
- `signals-*.md` - Strong signals found
- `analysis-*.md` - Strategic analysis
- `methodology-*.md` - Research methods (if needed)

**Session summaries** → `discussions/` (date-based: YYYY-MM-DD-topic.md)
- Strategic planning sessions
- Major decision meetings
- Retrospectives

**Ideas & parking lot** → `backlog/`
- Future features
- Potential experiments
- Topics for later discussion

---

**Navigation tip:** Use Ctrl+F to search by topic, document name, or status emoji.

**Maintenance:** Update this INDEX.md whenever:
- New document created (assign number/prefix, add to section)
- Document status changes (update emoji and notes)
- New relationships identified (add to Dependencies)
- Quarterly review (prune deprecated docs, reorganize)

---

**Last maintained by:** @men
**Version:** 4.0 (5 new documents added: 13-17, unified product strategy integrated)
**Next review:** After Week 1 launch (Nov 9-10, 2025)