20 KiB

Raw Blame History

MVP Scope: Banatie for AI Developers

Date: October 20, 2025 Target ICP: AI-powered developers (Claude Code, Cursor users) Development Timeline: 4-6 weeks Launch Goal: First 5-10 beta users by end of November 2025

MVP Philosophy

Principle: Build the MINIMUM to validate willingness to pay, not the complete vision.

Goal: Solve ONE core problem exceptionally well:

"Generate production-ready images from Claude Code without context switching"

Not the goal: Build all planned features (Flow, Namespaces, On-demand URL generation)

Core Value Proposition (MVP)

What users get:

MCP integration for Claude Code â†’ generate images without leaving environment
Prompt Enhancement â†’ write in any language, get optimized results
Production CDN URLs â†’ no manual download/upload/hosting
Contextual references â†’ maintain consistency across assets (@logo, @hero)
Basic transformations â†’ resize, format, optimize automatically

What users DON'T get in MVP:

Flow-based chained generation (future)
Namespaces / project organization (future)
On-demand generation via URL (future)
Advanced focal point analysis (future)
Team collaboration features (future)

MUST HAVE Features (Launch Blockers)

1. MCP Server for Claude Code âœ… CRITICAL

Why it's critical:

This is the KILLER FEATURE
Solves the #1 pain point (context switching)
No competitor has this
Differentiates from "just another AI image API"

Functionality:

// MCP Tools to implement:

banatie_generate({
  prompt: string,           // User's prompt (any language)
  name?: string,           // Optional name for reference (e.g., "logo")
  style?: string,          // Optional style preset
  aspectRatio?: string,    // e.g., "16:9", "1:1", "4:3"
  width?: number,          // Target width for optimization
  referenceImages?: string[] // Array of @names to reference
})
// Returns: {
//   url: "https://cdn.banatie.app/...",
//   name: string (if provided),
//   transformations: { ... } (preset URLs)
// }

banatie_upload({
  file: base64 | url,
  name: string  // Required for referencing
})
// Returns: {
//   name: string,
//   url: "https://cdn.banatie.app/..."
// }

banatie_list_images({
  limit?: number
})
// Returns: Array of previously generated/uploaded images

Implementation notes:

Follow MCP spec: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/
Test with Claude Desktop + Claude Code
Provide clear error messages
Handle API key authentication

Time estimate: 1-2 weeks

2. Prompt Enhancement Agent âœ… CRITICAL

Why it's critical:

Solves #2 pain point (prompt engineering complexity)
Massive value for non-native English speakers (Russian developers)
Improves generation quality automatically
Low-hanging fruit (you already have working version)

Functionality:

Input: User's prompt (any language, casual description)

"Ð¼Ð°Ð³ ÑÐ»ÑŒÑ„Ð¸Ð¹ÑÐºÐ¾Ð¹ ÐºÑ€Ð¾Ð²Ð¸ Ð² ÑÑ€ÐµÐ´Ð½ÐµÐ²ÐµÐºÐ¾Ð²Ð¾Ð¼ Ð³Ð¾Ñ€Ð¾Ð´Ðµ Ð½Ð° Ð·Ð°ÐºÐ°Ñ‚Ðµ"

Process:

Detect language (if not English, translate)
Analyze intent and visual elements
Apply Gemini 2.5 Flash Image best practices:
- Camera parameters for photorealism
- Lighting descriptions
- Composition guidelines
- Style keywords
Generate optimized English prompt

Output: Production-ready prompt

"A photorealistic portrait of an elven-blooded wizard standing in a medieval European city street at golden hour sunset, warm amber lighting, shot with 85mm lens at f/2.8, shallow depth of field, detailed texture on stone buildings, volumetric light rays, cinematic composition"

Implementation notes:

Use Gemini 2.0 Flash (fast, cheap)
Include Google's official guidelines in agent prompt
Cache common translations
Show both original + enhanced prompt to user (educational)

Time estimate: 3-5 days (since you already have working version)

3. Asset Persistence + CDN URLs âœ… CRITICAL

Why it's critical:

Solves #3 pain point (manual file management)
"Production-ready" means hosted + optimized
No competitor bundles this (they just return base64)

Functionality:

Storage:

MinIO (S3-compatible) âœ… Already implemented
Organized by user/project
Permanent URLs (no expiry)

CDN Delivery:

Cloudflare CDN integration
Global caching
Automatic optimization

URL structure:

https://cdn.banatie.app/u/{user_id}/{image_id}.webp?w=800&q=90

Metadata stored (PostgreSQL):

image_id (UUID)
user_id
original_prompt (user's input)
enhanced_prompt (after agent)
generation_params (style, aspect ratio, etc.)
reference_images (if used)
name (if provided, for @references)
created_at
generation_cost (for billing)

Time estimate: 1 week (storage already done, need CDN setup)

4. Basic Image Transformations âœ… IMPORTANT

Why it's important:

Solves #4 pain point (responsive images, formats)
Demonstrates "production-ready" value
Common use case (mobile vs. desktop)

Functionality:

Via URL query parameters:

?w=800           // Width resize
?h=600           // Height resize
?ar=16:9         // Aspect ratio crop
?f=webp          // Format (webp, png, jpg, avif)
?q=85            // Quality (1-100)
?fit=cover       // Fit mode (cover, contain, fill)

Preset transformations (returned in API response):

{
  "url": "https://cdn.banatie.app/u/123/img456.webp",
  "transformations": {
    "mobile": "...?w=400&f=webp&q=85",
    "tablet": "...?w=768&f=webp&q=85",
    "desktop": "...?w=1200&f=webp&q=90",
    "thumbnail": "...?w=150&h=150&fit=cover&f=webp"
  }
}

Implementation:

Imageflow-Server (as per tech spec) âœ… Planned
OR Cloudflare Image Resizing (simpler for MVP)
Cache transformed versions (don't regenerate)

Time estimate: 1 week

5. Contextual Asset Referencing (@name) âœ… UNIQUE FEATURE

Why it's critical:

Solves #5 pain point (consistency across assets)
UNIQUE to Banatie (no competitor has this)
Enables powerful workflows (brand consistency, character consistency)

Functionality:

Naming assets:

// Generate and name
banatie.generate("fictional water brand logo", {name: "logo"})

// Upload and name
banatie.upload("./logo.png", {name: "logo"})

Referencing in future generations:

// Use @name in prompt
banatie.generate("product photo with @logo on table")
banatie.generate("hero banner with @logo in nature background")

Behind the scenes:

Parse prompt for @references
Fetch referenced images from storage
Include as image inputs to Gemini API
Generate with visual context

Implementation notes:

Simple regex to find @names in prompts
Replace @names with actual image references
Support multiple @references in one prompt
Show which references were used (transparency)

Time estimate: 3-5 days

6. REST API âœ… FOUNDATION

Why it's critical:

MCP is built on top of this
Enables direct integration for power users
Future SDK/libraries depend on this

Endpoints:

POST /v1/generate
Body: {
  prompt: string,
  name?: string,
  style?: string,
  aspectRatio?: string,
  width?: number,
  referenceImages?: string[]
}
Response: {
  id: string,
  url: string,
  enhanced_prompt: string,
  transformations: {...}
}

POST /v1/upload
Body: { file: base64, name: string }
Response: { name: string, url: string }

GET /v1/images
Query: ?limit=20
Response: [ {...image objects} ]

GET /v1/images/:id
Response: {...image object with metadata}

DELETE /v1/images/:id
Response: { success: boolean }

GET /v1/account/usage
Response: {
  generations_used: number,
  credits_remaining: number,
  tier: "free" | "credits" | "pro"
}

Authentication:

API key in header: Authorization: Bearer bnt_xxx
Rate limiting (by tier)
Usage tracking (for billing)

Time estimate: 1 week (partially done)

7. Simple UI / Playground âœ… IMPORTANT

Why it's important:

First impression (users want to "see it work")
Visual proof of quality
Educational (shows code snippets)
Low barrier to test

Pages:

1. Homepage (Landing)

Value prop headline
3-step explanation (MCP â†’ Generate â†’ CDN)
"Try Demo" CTA
Features overview
Pricing overview

2. Demo/Playground

API key input (no registration needed for MVP)
Prompt textarea (accepts Russian, English, etc.)
Style dropdown (optional)
Aspect ratio selector
Generate button
Results display:
- Generated image
- Original + enhanced prompt (side by side)
- Transformation previews
- Code snippets panel (cURL, Python, JS, MCP)
- Copy-to-clipboard for URLs

3. Dashboard (After API key entered)

Generation history (last 20)
Usage stats (generations used, credits left)
API key management
Billing / credits (if applicable)

Tech stack:

Next.js âœ… Already implemented
Tailwind CSS âœ… Already used
Simple, developer-focused design (not marketing fluff)

Time estimate: 1 week (refine existing demo UI)

8. Credit-Based Payment System âœ… REQUIRED FOR REVENUE

Why it's critical:

Can't validate willingness to pay without payment system
Credits model validated in ICP research
Stripe integration straightforward

Functionality:

Credit packs for purchase:

$20 = 200 generations (90-day expiry)
$50 = 600 generations (90-day expiry)
$100 = 1,500 generations (90-day expiry)

Free tier:

10 generations/month
Resets monthly
Watermark (SynthID) on images

Payment flow:

User clicks "Buy Credits"
Stripe Checkout (hosted page)
Webhook on success â†’ add credits to account
Credits deducted per generation

Stripe setup:

Products: 3 credit packs
Webhook handler for checkout.session.completed
Customer portal (manage payment methods)

Database schema additions:

credits_transactions (
  id, user_id, amount, pack_size,
  expires_at, stripe_session_id, created_at
)

users.credits_balance (integer)
users.credits_expiry (timestamp)

Time estimate: 1 week

NICE TO HAVE (If Time Permits)

9. @last Reference (Shortcut)

Functionality:

banatie.generate("hero in armor")
banatie.generate("make @last more detailed")  // References previous generation

Why nice-to-have:

Convenient for iteration
Simple to implement (just cache last generation ID)

Time estimate: 1-2 days

10. Batch Generation (Multiple Prompts)

Functionality:

banatie.generateBatch([
  "hero level 1",
  "hero level 2",
  "hero level 3"
])

Why nice-to-have:

Useful for game asset generation (Oleg's use case)
Not critical for initial validation

Time estimate: 2-3 days

CUT FROM MVP (Future Roadmap)

âŒ Flow-Based Chained Generation

Why cut:

Complex to build (requires state management, execution engine)
Hard to explain (cognitive load)
Niche use case (not every developer needs this)
Can add after PMF

Future priority: HIGH (after 50+ users)

âŒ Namespaces / Project Organization

Why cut:

Users can manage with @names for MVP
Adds UI complexity (project switcher, settings)
Not blocking for core workflow

Future priority: MEDIUM (after 100+ users)

âŒ On-Demand Generation via URL

Why cut:

Clever feature but not core pain point
Requires caching strategy, URL signing
Better to validate core workflow first

Future priority: HIGH (cool differentiator, but after PMF)

âŒ Advanced Focal Point Analysis

Why cut:

Nice-to-have for auto-cropping
Not critical if transformations are manual
Can use basic center-crop for MVP

Future priority: LOW (automation, not essential)

âŒ Style Presets / Fine-Tuning

Why cut:

Gemini 2.5 Flash Image is already great
Adds complexity (preset management, UI)
Prompt Enhancement covers most use cases

Future priority: MEDIUM (after users request specific styles)

âŒ Team Collaboration / Multi-User

Why cut:

ICP is solo developers
Adds auth complexity (invites, roles, permissions)
Can add when agencies become customers

Future priority: MEDIUM (for agency expansion)

âŒ Image Editing / Inpainting

Why cut:

Out of scope (we're generation, not editing)
Complex UI (selection tools, masks)
Gemini supports it, but not MVP focus

Future priority: LOW (different product direction)

Technical Architecture (MVP)

Backend (Express + Node.js) âœ… Existing

Core services:

API Gateway (REST endpoints)
Prompt Enhancement Agent (Gemini 2.0 Flash)
Image Generation (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)
Asset Manager (MinIO integration)
Transformation Service (Imageflow or Cloudflare)
Billing Service (Stripe webhooks)

Database (PostgreSQL):

users (id, email, api_key, credits_balance, tier, created_at)
images (id, user_id, prompt, enhanced_prompt, url, name, metadata, created_at)
credits_transactions (id, user_id, amount, expires_at, stripe_session_id)
api_keys (id, user_id, key_hash, last_used, created_at)

Frontend (Next.js) âœ… Existing

Pages:

/ - Landing page
/demo - Playground (API key input + generation)
/dashboard - History + usage (after auth)
/pricing - Credit packs
/docs - API documentation

Components:

ImageGenerator (prompt input + results)
CodeSnippets (cURL, Python, JS, MCP examples)
TransformationPreview (show different sizes/formats)
ApiKeyInput (simple auth for demo)

Infrastructure

Hosting:

VPS (Contabo, Singapore) âœ… Existing
Docker containers (backend + frontend)

Storage:

MinIO (S3-compatible) âœ… Existing

CDN:

Cloudflare (free tier OK for MVP)

Payments:

Stripe (standard integration)

Monitoring:

Basic logging (PM2 logs)
Uptime monitoring (UptimeRobot free tier)
Error tracking (Sentry free tier)

Development Timeline (4-6 Weeks)

Week 1: Core Generation Pipeline

Finalize REST API endpoints
Prompt Enhancement Agent (refine existing)
Image generation with reference support
Basic storage + CDN integration

Deliverable: Working API (generate + upload + references)

Week 2: MCP Implementation

MCP server setup (follow spec)
Implement 3 tools (generate, upload, list)
Test with Claude Desktop
Documentation for MCP usage

Deliverable: Working MCP integration

Week 3: Transformations + UI

Image transformation service (Imageflow or Cloudflare)
Refine demo UI (code snippets, previews)
Dashboard (history, usage stats)
API key management

Deliverable: Functional UI for testing

Week 4: Payments + Polish

Stripe integration (credit packs)
Free tier limits enforcement
Watermark for free tier
Landing page copy + design
API documentation

Deliverable: Monetization-ready product

Week 5-6: Beta Testing + Iteration

Invite 5-10 validated users from research
High-touch onboarding (help with setup)
Gather feedback, fix bugs
Iterate on UX pain points
Prepare for public launch

Deliverable: Product-market fit signals or pivot triggers

Success Metrics (MVP)

Technical Metrics

MCP integration works reliably (95%+ success rate)
Image generation latency <10 seconds (p95)
CDN delivery fast (global, <500ms)
API uptime >99%

Product Metrics

5-10 beta users onboarded
50+ generations completed
3+ users generate >10 images (engaged)
2+ users purchase credits (willingness to pay validated)

Qualitative Metrics

"This solves my problem" feedback (3+ users)
Feature requests are refinements, not fundamental changes
Users recommend to others
Low churn (users stick around after trial)

What "Done" Looks Like (MVP Launch)

A developer can:

Install Banatie MCP in Claude Desktop (5 min setup)
Use Claude Code to generate a Next.js site

Generate images via MCP without leaving Claude Code:

Human: Create a hero image for this landing page about eco-friendly water bottles

Claude: [calls banatie_generate MCP tool]
I've generated a hero image and inserted the production CDN URL in the code.

Reference previous images for consistency:

Human: Now create a product photo with the same bottle @hero

Claude: [calls banatie_generate with @hero reference]
Done! Product photo maintains the same bottle design.

See generated images in demo UI (history, transformations)
Copy code snippets (cURL, Python, JS) for direct API use
Purchase credits ($20 pack) via Stripe
Use credits for additional generations

And it feels:

Fast (no waiting, instant CDN URLs)
Seamless (no context switching)
Professional (production-ready, not prototype)
Trustworthy (stable, reliable, documented)

Risk Mitigation

Risk 1: MCP Integration Complexity

Mitigation:

Study existing MCP servers (examples in repo)
Test early and often with Claude Desktop
Provide clear error messages
Fallback: REST API works even if MCP has issues

Risk 2: Prompt Enhancement Quality

Mitigation:

Use Gemini 2.0 Flash (fast, capable)
Include Google's official guidelines in agent prompt
Show both prompts to user (transparency)
Allow user to override/edit enhanced prompt

Risk 3: CDN/Transformation Service Complexity

Mitigation:

Start with Cloudflare Image Resizing (simpler)
Fallback: Imageflow-Server if Cloudflare insufficient
Precompute common transformations (cache)

Risk 4: Payment Fraud / Abuse

Mitigation:

Stripe handles fraud detection
Rate limit free tier aggressively (10/month)
Monitor usage patterns (flag anomalies)
Require email verification for credits purchase

Risk 5: Gemini API Costs Exceeding Revenue

Mitigation:

Track cost per generation (Gemini API fees)
Ensure pricing covers costs + margin
Free tier is truly limited (10/month)
Monitor burn rate daily

Post-MVP Roadmap (Prioritized)

Phase 2 (After PMF):

Flow-based generation (chained workflows)
On-demand generation via URL (programmatic)
Pro subscription tier (500 gen/month included)
Advanced style presets
Batch generation

Phase 3 (Agency Expansion):

Namespaces / project organization
Team collaboration (multi-user)
Usage analytics dashboard
White-label / reseller options

Phase 4 (Platform Play):

Public API marketplace (share custom agents)
Community styles / presets
Integrations (Figma, Vercel, Netlify)
Enterprise tier (SLA, support, SSO)

Decision Gates

After 4 weeks (MVP complete):

Beta test with 5-10 users
If 60%+ engaged â†’ continue
If <60% engaged â†’ reassess features/ICP

After 6 weeks (Beta feedback):

If 2+ purchased credits â†’ validated willingness to pay
If 0 purchases â†’ pricing issue or value unclear
If bugs/UX issues â†’ iterate 1-2 more weeks

After 8 weeks (Soft Launch):

Post in r/ClaudeAI, Indie Hackers
Track sign-ups, usage, conversion
If $500+ MRR â†’ full launch
If <$500 MRR â†’ pivot or iterate

Document owner: @men + Oleg (joint) Status: Draft for MVP development Next review: After validation complete (if GO decision) Related docs: strategy/07-validated-icp-ai-developers.md, execution/10-pricing-strategy.md

20 KiB Raw Blame History

MVP Scope: Banatie for AI Developers

MVP Philosophy

Core Value Proposition (MVP)

MUST HAVE Features (Launch Blockers)

1. MCP Server for Claude Code âœ… CRITICAL

2. Prompt Enhancement Agent âœ… CRITICAL

3. Asset Persistence + CDN URLs âœ… CRITICAL

4. Basic Image Transformations âœ… IMPORTANT

5. Contextual Asset Referencing (@name) âœ… UNIQUE FEATURE

6. REST API âœ… FOUNDATION

7. Simple UI / Playground âœ… IMPORTANT

8. Credit-Based Payment System âœ… REQUIRED FOR REVENUE

NICE TO HAVE (If Time Permits)

9. @last Reference (Shortcut)

10. Batch Generation (Multiple Prompts)

CUT FROM MVP (Future Roadmap)

âŒ Flow-Based Chained Generation

âŒ Namespaces / Project Organization

âŒ On-Demand Generation via URL

âŒ Advanced Focal Point Analysis

âŒ Style Presets / Fine-Tuning

âŒ Team Collaboration / Multi-User

âŒ Image Editing / Inpainting

Technical Architecture (MVP)

Backend (Express + Node.js) âœ… Existing

Frontend (Next.js) âœ… Existing

Infrastructure

Development Timeline (4-6 Weeks)

Week 1: Core Generation Pipeline

Week 2: MCP Implementation

Week 3: Transformations + UI

Week 4: Payments + Polish

Week 5-6: Beta Testing + Iteration

Success Metrics (MVP)

Technical Metrics

Product Metrics

Qualitative Metrics

What "Done" Looks Like (MVP Launch)

Risk Mitigation

Risk 1: MCP Integration Complexity

Risk 2: Prompt Enhancement Quality

Risk 3: CDN/Transformation Service Complexity

Risk 4: Payment Fraud / Abuse

Risk 5: Gemini API Costs Exceeding Revenue

Post-MVP Roadmap (Prioritized)

Phase 2 (After PMF):

Phase 3 (Agency Expansion):

Phase 4 (Platform Play):

Decision Gates

20 KiB

Raw Blame History

âŒ Flow-Based Chained Generation

âŒ Namespaces / Project Organization

âŒ On-Demand Generation via URL

âŒ Advanced Focal Point Analysis

âŒ Style Presets / Fine-Tuning

âŒ Team Collaboration / Multi-User

âŒ Image Editing / Inpainting