# Banatie Passive Research: Search Directions Tracker **Date Started:** November 1, 2025 **Purpose:** Track all passive research directions, searches, and findings **Status:** Active Research --- ## Research Methodology **Tools:** Brave Search MCP, Perplexity MCP **Approach:** Multiple search variations per direction to avoid false negatives **Output Focus:** Verifiable Reddit/forum post links + brief conclusions **Language:** Russian for notes, English for search queries --- ## 🎯 Priority Directions (Start Here) ### ✅ Direction 0: Initial Exploration (COMPLETED) **Status:** Completed Oct 31, 2025 **Document:** `reddit-passive-research.md` **Key Findings:** - ✅ "Placeholder hell" validated (projects stall waiting for client content) - ❌ Context switching NOT a real pain (no complaints found) - ❌ MCP not a differentiator (already exists) - ✅ Competitor gaps found (fal.ai pricing issues, Replicate support problems) --- ### 🔄 Direction 1: Prompt URLs + No-Code Generation **Hypothesis:** Web developers want to generate images directly from HTML without code. **Key Questions:** - Do developers want `` approach? - Is placeholder replacement a bottleneck in their workflow? - Would they pay for AI-powered placeholders? **Search Topics:** - [ ] **Search 1.1:** "placeholder images" + "dynamic generation" (r/webdev, r/Frontend) - [ ] **Search 1.2:** "HTML img tag" + "AI generation" (r/webdev) - [ ] **Search 1.3:** "landing page images" + "automated" (r/SideProject, r/buildinpublic) - [ ] **Search 1.4:** "placeholder.com alternative" + "AI" (r/web_design) - [ ] **Search 1.5:** "unsplash.it" + "dynamic images" (r/webdev) **Findings:** - (To be filled after searches) --- ### 🔄 Direction 2: AI Agent Ecosystem **Hypothesis:** AI agent builders need visual output for their products. **Key Questions:** - Do LangChain/CrewAI builders struggle with image generation? - Is there demand for "AI agent → image generation" integration? - Would prompt enhancement help AI agents create better visuals? **Search Topics:** - [ ] **Search 2.1:** "LangChain" + "image generation" (r/LangChain, r/OpenAI) - [ ] **Search 2.2:** "AI agent" + "visual output" (r/ArtificialIntelligence) - [ ] **Search 2.3:** "CrewAI" + "images" (r/CrewAI if exists, r/AI_Agents) - [ ] **Search 2.4:** "Custom GPT" + "image generation" (r/OpenAI, r/ChatGPT) - [ ] **Search 2.5:** "AI SaaS" + "image API" (r/SaaS, r/Entrepreneur) - [ ] **Search 2.6:** "AutoGPT" + "images" (r/AutoGPT if exists) **Findings:** - (To be filled after searches) --- ### ⏳ Direction 3: Marketing Agencies Pain **Hypothesis:** Digital marketing agencies struggle with high-volume content creation for clients. **Key Questions:** - Do agencies complain about social media visual creation? - Is stock photo cost/limitation a real pain? - Would agencies pay for AI-generated marketing visuals? **Search Topics:** - [ ] **Search 3.1:** "agency" + "content creation" + "scale" (r/marketing, r/digital_marketing) - [ ] **Search 3.2:** "social media images" + "workflow" (r/socialmedia) - [ ] **Search 3.3:** "stock photos" + "expensive" OR "limitations" (r/marketing) - [ ] **Search 3.4:** "client content" + "bottleneck" (r/Entrepreneur - agency owners) - [ ] **Search 3.5:** "marketing agency tools" + "AI" (r/digital_marketing) **Findings:** - (To be filled after searches) --- ### ⏳ Direction 4: E-commerce Product Variations **Hypothesis:** E-commerce sellers need product image variations for A/B tests and channels. **Key Questions:** - Do sellers struggle with product photography costs? - Is there demand for AI-generated product variations? - Would Shopify integration be valuable? **Search Topics:** - [ ] **Search 4.1:** "product photography" + "expensive" (r/shopify, r/ecommerce) - [ ] **Search 4.2:** "product images" + "variations" (r/shopify) - [ ] **Search 4.3:** "Amazon listing images" + "AI" (r/FulfillmentByAmazon, r/AmazonSeller) - [ ] **Search 4.4:** "A/B test product images" (r/ecommerce) - [ ] **Search 4.5:** "Shopify" + "AI image generation" (r/shopify) **Findings:** - (To be filled after searches) --- ### ⏳ Direction 5: Technical Writers + Documentation **Hypothesis:** Tech writers need quick illustrations, diagrams, UI mockups for docs. **Key Questions:** - Do documentation teams struggle with illustration bottlenecks? - Would AI-generated technical diagrams be valuable? - Is there budget for documentation tools? **Search Topics:** - [ ] **Search 5.1:** "technical illustration" + "bottleneck" (r/technicalwriting) - [ ] **Search 5.2:** "documentation images" + "workflow" (r/technicalwriting) - [ ] **Search 5.3:** "API documentation" + "visual examples" (r/devdocs if exists, r/programming) - [ ] **Search 5.4:** "UI mockups" + "documentation" (r/technicalwriting) - [ ] **Search 5.5:** "diagram generation" + "automated" (Hacker News, r/programming) **Findings:** - (To be filled after searches) --- ### 🆕 Direction 6: Gemini 2.5 Flash Specific Demand **Hypothesis:** There are users who specifically want Gemini 2.5 Flash Image and would pay premium for it. **Key Questions:** - What makes Gemini 2.5 better than competitors (DALL-E, Midjourney, Flux)? - Who prefers Gemini 2.5 and why? - Is there willingness to pay more for Gemini access via API? **Search Topics:** - [ ] **Search 6.1:** "Gemini 2.5 Flash" + "image generation" (r/GoogleGeminiAI, r/AI_Agents) - [ ] **Search 6.2:** "Gemini vs DALL-E" + "image quality" (r/ArtificialIntelligence) - [ ] **Search 6.3:** "Gemini vs Midjourney" (r/StableDiffusion, r/ArtificialIntelligence) - [ ] **Search 6.4:** "Gemini 2.5" + "API" (r/GoogleGeminiAI, r/MachineLearning) - [ ] **Search 6.5:** "Gemini image generation" + "pricing" (r/GoogleGeminiAI) - [ ] **Search 6.6:** "Why use Gemini over" + alternatives (r/ArtificialIntelligence) **Findings:** - (To be filled after searches) --- ### 🆕 Direction 7: MCP Stability & Quality Issues **Hypothesis:** Existing MCP image generation servers are unstable and low-quality. **Key Questions:** - Do developers complain about existing MCP image tools crashing? - Is prompt quality a problem with current MCP solutions? - Do reference images work properly in existing tools? **Search Topics:** - [ ] **Search 7.1:** "MCP image generation" + "crash" OR "unstable" (r/mcp, r/ClaudeAI) - [ ] **Search 7.2:** "Draw Things MCP" + issues (r/mcp, r/cursor) - [ ] **Search 7.3:** "MCP Flux Studio" + problems (r/mcp) - [ ] **Search 7.4:** "MCP image" + "prompt quality" (r/ClaudeAI, r/mcp) - [ ] **Search 7.5:** "MCP" + "reference images" (r/mcp) **Findings:** - (To be filled after searches) --- ## 🔮 Future Directions (Backlog) ### Direction 8: Indie Hackers / Solo Builders **Hypothesis:** Solo developers building SaaS need quick visual assets **Priority:** Medium **Reason to explore:** High overlap with current ICP (AI developers) ### Direction 9: Game Development (Unity/Unreal) **Hypothesis:** Indie game devs need concept art, textures, UI assets **Priority:** Low **Reason to explore:** Different market, but high volume potential ### Direction 10: Education / E-learning **Hypothesis:** Course creators need illustrations for educational content **Priority:** Low **Reason to explore:** Recurring need, willingness to pay for tools --- ## 🎯 Research Execution Strategy **Phase 1: Quick Validation (Directions 1, 2, 6, 7)** - **Timeline:** Nov 1-2, 2025 - **Goal:** Find strong signals or kill directions fast - **Success:** 2-3 Reddit threads per direction showing real pain **Phase 2: Deep Dive (Top 2 directions from Phase 1)** - **Timeline:** Nov 3-4, 2025 - **Goal:** Extract specific pain points, feature requests, pricing expectations - **Success:** 10+ detailed use cases, clear ICP profile **Phase 3: Synthesis (Nov 5)** - **Goal:** Update ICP hypothesis based on findings - **Output:** Revised validation interview script --- ## 📊 Scoring Framework (Apply After Each Direction) For each completed direction, score: **Signal Strength:** - 🔴 Weak (0-2 relevant posts): No clear pain - 🟡 Medium (3-5 relevant posts): Some interest, unclear pain - 🟢 Strong (6+ relevant posts): Clear, recurring pain **Actionability:** - 🔴 Vague: Generic complaints, no specific requests - 🟡 Moderate: Some specifics, but unclear what to build - 🟢 Clear: Specific features/workflows requested **Willingness to Pay:** - 🔴 No mentions of budget/tools - 🟡 Use free tools, complain about paid - 🟢 Already paying for similar tools **Strategic Fit:** - 🔴 Requires major pivot (different product) - 🟡 Requires some features we don't have - 🟢 Aligns with current tech stack and differentiators --- ## 📝 Notes & Insights ### Cross-Direction Patterns - (To be filled as patterns emerge) ### Unexpected Findings - (To be filled with surprises) ### Dead Ends - (To be filled with directions that clearly don't work) --- ## 🚀 Next Steps After Research **If 2+ directions score 🟢🟢🟢🟢:** - Update ICP hypothesis (07-validated-icp-ai-developers.md) - Revise interview script (03-icp-research-questions.md) - Plan external validation **If 0-1 directions score well:** - Explore backlog directions - Consider fundamental pivot - Discuss with @men --- **Document Status:** Active **Last Updated:** November 1, 2025 **Next Review:** After Phase 1 completion (Nov 2-3)