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Research Documentation Index

Last Updated: December 26, 2025 Purpose: Navigation hub for all Banatie research materials Status: 📝 Living document

📋 Overview

This folder contains all passive research conducted to validate ICP hypotheses for Banatie.app. The research follows a structured methodology of exploring multiple directions, documenting findings with verifiable sources, and synthesizing insights into actionable strategic decisions.

Research Structure: Flat folder with descriptive filenames (no nested folders) Output Format: Markdown files with strong signals, evidence links, and strategic analysis Current Phase: Phase 1 completed (Directions 0, 1, 2, 6) → Interview preparation active + SEO research active

🛠️ Methodology

passive-research-methodology.md - Complete research guide (battle-tested)

Purpose: Reusable framework for conducting passive research before customer interviews Key Principles:

  • Observe real pain (Reddit/forums) before asking filtered questions
  • Multiple search variations per topic (3-5) to avoid false negatives
  • Document findings continuously with verifiable links
  • Collaborative decision-making (Oleg + @men)

When to use: Before any new ICP validation or market exploration

🔍 SEO Keyword Research ⭐ NEW SECTION

seo-keyword-research-placeholder-images.md ⭐ HIGH PRIORITY

Type: SEO Keyword Research (DataForSEO) Date: December 26, 2025 Status: ✅ COMPLETED - Actionable findings

Key Findings:

  • Entry point: "placeholder images" — 14,800 searches/mo, KD 32
  • GAP: No AI-powered solutions in top-10 Google
  • Low-hanging fruit: "placeholder images api" — KD 12, commercial intent
  • Content plan: 5 articles with specific targets

Action Items:

  1. 🥇 Create /placeholder-images landing page (target: 14,800/mo)
  2. 🥇 Write "Placeholder Images API" tutorial (KD 12)
  3. 🥈 Listicle "Best Placeholder Generators 2025"
  4. 🥈 Tutorial "Image Placeholder in HTML/React"

Strategic Insight: Banatie can offer AI-generated placeholders vs competitors' gray rectangles. Qualitatively different product for same audience.

See also: Discussion 2025-12-26

SEO Research Methodology (DataForSEO)

Tools: DataForSEO API via MCP Server Cost: ~$0.15-0.20 per research session Budget: $0.50 max per session (continue on user request)

Research Protocol:

1. INPUT: 3-5 seed keywords per category
2. PROCESS:
   - Search volume for seeds
   - Related keywords for top-3 by volume
   - Filter: KD < 50, Volume > 50
   - SERP check for finalists
3. OUTPUT:
   - Keywords table with metrics
   - Content gap analysis
   - Recommendations

Keyword Categories:

  • Entry points: placeholder images, mock images, dummy images
  • Solutions: image generation api, generate images programmatically
  • Use-cases: product images api, blog images api
  • Tech stack: nextjs image generation, react generate images

📊 Research Direction Trackers

banatie-research-directions-tracker.md

Main research planning document - Directions 0-10

Structure: Each direction includes:

  • Hypothesis to validate
  • Key questions to answer
  • Specific search topics (5-7 per direction)
  • Findings section (filled during research)

Directions Mapped:

  • ✅ Direction 0: Initial Exploration (COMPLETED)
  • 📋 Direction 1: Prompt URLs + No-Code Generation
  • ✅ Direction 2: AI Agent Ecosystem (COMPLETED - ⭐ STRONGEST)
  • ⏳ Direction 3: Marketing Agencies Pain
  • ⏳ Direction 4: E-commerce Product Variations
  • ⏳ Direction 5: Technical Writers + Documentation
  • ✅ Direction 6: Gemini 2.5 Flash Specific Demand (COMPLETED)
  • ⏳ Direction 7: Indie Hackers + Side Projects
  • ⏳ Direction 8: No-Code Builders (Webflow, Framer)
  • ⏳ Direction 9: Content Creators + YouTubers
  • ⏳ Direction 10: SaaS Founders (Marketing Pages)

banatie-research-directions-tracker-extension1.md

Extended research directions - Directions 11-12

Deep-dive directions discovered from Direction 6 findings:

  • ⏳ Direction 11: E-commerce Product Photography (n8n workflows, $50B market)
  • ⏳ Direction 12: NoCode Automation Builders (n8n, Make, Zapier users)

Status: Parking lot (ICP mismatch with no-code preference, long sales cycle)

🔬 Completed Research (Strong Signals)

direction-1-strong-signals.md

Research: Agencies + Placeholder Hell Status: ✅ COMPLETED - Strong signals found Confidence: Medium (60-70%)

Key Findings:

  • "Placeholder hell" validated (projects stall waiting for client content)
  • Client approval blocked without realistic demo images
  • Agencies struggle with generic stock photos for pitches
  • Pain is real but ICP mismatch (agencies ≠ validated AI developer audience)

Strategic Decision: Secondary market, revisit if primary ICP fails

direction-2-strong-signals.md

Research: AI Coding Agents (Early Phase) Status: ⚠️ PARTIAL - Superseded by part2

Note: This file contains initial findings. For complete research, see direction-2-strong-signals-part2.md below.

direction-2-strong-signals-part2.md ⭐ PRIMARY

Research: AI Coding Agents + Image Generation (COMPLETE) Status: ✅ STRONGEST VALIDATION Confidence: Very High (70-80%)

Key Findings:

  1. ✅ Massive user base (36K+ r/cursor members building real projects)
  2. ✅ Stock photos pain validated (generic, overused, unprofessional)
  3. ✅ Willingness to pay confirmed ($20-200/mo for AI tools)
  4. ✅ Manual Midjourney workflow = tedious
  5. ✅ Aspect ratio limitations = real pain
  6. ✅ Image optimization = time-consuming
  7. ✅ Paid MCP business model validated ($5-20/mo for point tools)

ICP Match: 70-80% confidence

  • Founder IS the ICP (uses Claude Code daily)
  • Technical fit = perfect (MCP + SDK)
  • Market size = huge
  • Fast path to revenue

Strategic Decision: ✅ PRIMARY ICP - Proceed to customer interviews

direction-6-strong-signals.md

Research: Gemini 2.5 Flash Specific Demand + E-commerce/NoCode Status: ✅ COMPLETED - Mixed signals Confidence: Low for ICP match (30-40%)

Key Findings:

  • ✅ Huge market ($50B product photography)
  • ✅ Clear use case (1 photo → 100 variations)
  • ✅ n8n + Nano Banana workflows actively used in production
  • ⚠️ Free tier preference (16K-31K images/month FREE)
  • ⚠️ No-code preference (not our validated technical ICP)
  • ⚠️ Long sales cycle for e-commerce (B2B)

Strategic Decision: Parking lot - Directions 11-12 created for future exploration if needed

🎯 Strategic Analysis

Key Insights Across All Research

Market Validation:

  • Direction 2 (AI Coding Agents) = ⭐ 70-80% confidence, strongest signals
  • Direction 1 (Agencies) = 60-70% confidence, ICP mismatch concern
  • Direction 6 (E-commerce/NoCode) = 30-40% confidence, pivot required

SEO Opportunities (NEW):

  • "Placeholder images" cluster = ⭐ 14,800 searches/mo, no AI competition
  • Low-competition keywords with commercial intent identified
  • Content strategy defined for Q1 2025

ICP Segmentation (from Direction 2):

  • Segment A: Studios/Agencies (3-10 people, CEO decision, higher ACV)
  • Segment B: Power Users ⭐ PRIMARY (Tech leads with Cursor/Claude Code)
  • Segment C: Freelancers (Solo, price-sensitive, fast decision)
  • Segment D: AI-savvy Freelancers ⭐ SECONDARY (High volume, time=money)

Technical Product: SAME for all segments GTM Strategy: DIFFERS by segment (messaging, pricing emphasis, channels)

📈 Research Outcomes & Next Steps

Phase 1 Completed (Oct 31 - Nov 2, 2025):

  • ✅ 3 directions researched with strong signals
  • ✅ 10 directions mapped, 2 extensions scoped
  • ✅ Reusable methodology documented
  • ✅ ICP refined to A/B/C/D segments
  • ✅ Primary market validated (AI Coding Agents)

SEO Research Phase (Dec 26, 2025): ⭐ NEW

  • ✅ DataForSEO MCP Server integrated
  • ✅ First keyword cluster researched ("placeholder images")
  • ✅ Content plan with 5 articles defined
  • ⏳ Additional clusters pending (use-case, tech stack)

Next Phase: External Validation + Content (January 2025):

  • 10-14 customer interviews across A/B/C/D segments
  • Create /placeholder-images landing page
  • Publish first SEO-optimized tutorials
  • Validate willingness to pay ($20-50/mo)

Success Criteria for GO:

  • 60%+ say "I would use this" (6+ out of 10)
  • 40%+ willing to pay $20+ (4+ out of 10)
  • 30%+ want early access (3+ out of 10)
  • ONE specific pain mentioned by 60%+

🔄 Research Workflow (Quick Reference)

For ICP/Market research sessions:

  1. Load Context:

    • Read: ROADMAP.md, INDEX.md, 12-the-current-tech-state.md
    • Read: Research trackers (main + extensions)
    • Review: Completed research files

  2. Plan Searches:

    • Choose direction from tracker
    • Propose 5-7 specific search queries
    • Discuss → Adjust → Execute

  3. Execute Iteratively:

    • Run search → Scan → Share findings immediately
    • Multiple variations per topic (3-5)
    • Adjust strategy based on results

  4. Document Continuously:

    • Create direction-N-strong-signals.md
    • Format: 🟢 STRONG / 🟡 MEDIUM / 🔴 WEAK signals
    • Include: URL, exact quote, context, interpretation

  5. Decide & Wrap:

    • Summarize findings after 5-7 searches
    • Decide: Keep searching / Move on / Pivot
    • Update tracker with findings

For SEO Keyword research sessions: ⭐ NEW

  1. Define Category: Entry points, solutions, use-cases, tech stack
  2. Run DataForSEO: Search volume → Related → SERP
  3. Filter: KD < 50, Volume > 50
  4. Analyze: Content gaps, competitor presence
  5. Output: Create seo-keyword-research-{topic}.md

📝 File Inventory

Total Files: 8 (excluding this INDEX.md)

Planning Documents (2):

  • banatie-research-directions-tracker.md (Directions 0-10)
  • banatie-research-directions-tracker-extension1.md (Directions 11-12)

Methodology (1):

  • passive-research-methodology.md (Reusable framework)

ICP Research (4):

  • direction-1-strong-signals.md (Agencies + Placeholder Hell)
  • direction-2-strong-signals.md (AI Agents - Partial)
  • direction-2-strong-signals-part2.md (AI Agents - Complete) ⭐
  • direction-6-strong-signals.md (Gemini/E-commerce/NoCode)

SEO Keyword Research (1): ⭐ NEW

  • seo-keyword-research-placeholder-images.md (Entry point cluster)

Future Research:

  • Directions 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 mapped but not yet researched
  • Directions 11, 12 scoped for future exploration if needed
  • Additional keyword clusters: use-case, tech stack, competitor alternatives

🔗 Related Documentation

For strategic context:

For ICP decisions:

For execution:

For discussions:

Document Owner: @men + Oleg Version: 1.1 (SEO research section added) Next Review: After content marketing sprint (January 2025) Maintenance: Update when new research completed or insights synthesized