# /saas-incubator — SaaS Idea-to-Revenue Pipeline

> 10-phase framework for solo founders. From market signal to paying customers, with multiswarm agent orchestration at every step.

## Pipeline Overview

```
DISCOVER → VALIDATE → FINANCIAL → SENTIMENT → NAMING → BRANDING → BUILD → LAUNCH → ADVERTISE → METRICS
   ↓          ↓          ↓            ↓          ↓         ↓         ↓        ↓          ↓          ↓
 Signal    Evidence    Numbers     Features     Name      Brand     Code     Users      Paid       Data
 Found     Gathered   Work Out    Defined     Chosen     Built     Ships   Arrive     Growth     Drives
```

## SOSTAC Strategy Layer

The SOSTAC digital marketing planning model (PR Smith) is woven throughout:

| SOSTAC Stage | Maps To | What Happens |
|-------------|---------|--------------|
| **Situation** | Phase 1-2 (Discover + Validate) | Where are we now? Market analysis, competitor research, customer discovery |
| **Objectives** | Phase 3 (Financial Viability) | Where do we want to be? Revenue targets, unit economics, KPIs |
| **Strategy** | Phase 4-6 (Sentiment + Naming + Branding) | How do we get there? Product definition, positioning, brand identity |
| **Tactics** | Phase 7-8 (Build + Launch) | How exactly? Tech stack, feature set, go-to-market channels |
| **Actions** | Phase 9 (Advertise) | What is our plan? Campaign execution, budget allocation, creative production |
| **Control** | Phase 10 (Metrics) | How do we know? SaaS metrics, attribution, optimization loops |

SOSTAC is circular — Phase 10 Control feeds back into Phase 1 Situation for the next iteration.

## Phase Summary

| # | Phase | Gate | Key Tools | SOSTAC |
|---|-------|------|-----------|--------|
| 1 | DISCOVER | Idea scored 7+/10 | `/d-prospect`, `/problem-statement`, `/market-research`, `/ai-product` | Situation |
| 2 | VALIDATE | Evidence from 3+ sources | `/company-research`, `/competitive-landscape`, `/proto-persona`, `/jobs-to-be-done`, `/tam-sam-som-calculator` | Situation |
| 3 | FINANCIAL VIABILITY | GO / PIVOT / KILL | `/creating-financial-models`, `/startup-financial-modeling`, `/pricing-strategy`, `/finance-based-pricing-advisor` | Objectives |
| 4 | SENTIMENT | User confirms PRD | `/prd-development`, `/product-manager-toolkit`, `/feature-investment-advisor`, `/product-marketing-context` | Strategy |
| 5 | NAMING | User picks name | Naming rules, domain check, web search | Strategy |
| 6 | BRANDING | User approves brand kit | BrandMythos, `/ui-ux-pro-max`, Gemini | Strategy |
| 7 | BUILD | MVP deployed + works | BrandMythos 101+ generators, `/nextjs-supabase-auth`, `/stripe-automation`, `/billing-automation` | Tactics |
| 8 | LAUNCH | Live + users signing up | `/launch-strategy`, `/marketing-ideas`, `/content-engine`, `/email-sequence`, `/referral-program` | Tactics |
| 9 | ADVERTISE | Campaigns live + tracking verified | `/ads plan`, `/ads audit`, ads-mcp (40 tools), `/acquisition-channel-advisor`, `/cross-channel-attribution` | Actions |
| 10 | METRICS | Unit economics healthy | `/saas-revenue-growth-metrics`, `/startup-metrics-framework`, `/saas-economics-efficiency-metrics` | Control |

## State Machine

```
         ┌─────────┐
         │DISCOVER │
         └────┬────┘
              ↓
         ┌─────────┐
         │VALIDATE │
         └────┬────┘
              ↓
      ┌───────────────┐
      │   FINANCIAL    │──→ KILL (exit)
      │   VIABILITY    │──→ PIVOT (back to DISCOVER)
      └───────┬───────┘
              ↓ GO
         ┌─────────┐
         │SENTIMENT│
         └────┬────┘
              ↓
         ┌────────┐
         │NAMING  │
         └────┬───┘
              ↓
         ┌─────────┐
         │BRANDING │
         └────┬────┘
              ↓
         ┌────────┐
         │ BUILD  │
         └────┬───┘
              ↓
         ┌────────┐
         │LAUNCH  │
         └────┬───┘
              ↓
         ┌──────────┐
         │ADVERTISE │
         └────┬─────┘
              ↓
         ┌─────────┐
         │ METRICS │──→ loops back to SITUATION (SOSTAC cycle)
         └─────────┘
```

Valid transitions:
- Forward: Any phase → next phase (after checkpoint passes)
- PIVOT: Phase 3 → Phase 1 (restart with new angle)
- KILL: Phase 3 → exit (idea doesn't work financially)
- LOOP: Phase 10 → Phase 1 (SOSTAC control → situation cycle)
- SKIP: Phase 5-6 can skip if brand already exists

## Reference Files

| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `phases/discover.md` | Phase 1 — Market signal detection |
| `phases/validate.md` | Phase 2 — Evidence gathering |
| `phases/financial-viability.md` | Phase 3 — Unit economics + GO/PIVOT/KILL |
| `phases/sentiment.md` | Phase 4 — Competitor pain points + PRD |
| `phases/naming.md` | Phase 5 — Name generation + domain check |
| `phases/branding.md` | Phase 6 — Brand kit creation |
| `phases/build.md` | Phase 7 — MVP development |
| `phases/launch.md` | Phase 8 — Go-to-market execution |
| `phases/advertise.md` | Phase 9 — Paid growth engine |
| `phases/metrics.md` | Phase 10 — SaaS metrics + optimization |
| `references/saas-benchmarks.md` | Unit economics benchmarks |
| `references/naming-rules.md` | Name generation heuristics |
| `references/trustmrr-api.md` | TrustMRR API for competitor data |
| `references/sostac-mapping.md` | SOSTAC framework deep reference |
| `references/seo-aeo-geo-playbook.md` | Search visibility strategy |

## The Solo-Founder Stack

| Layer | Choice | Why |
|-------|--------|-----|
| Framework | Next.js App Router | Full-stack, SSR, API routes |
| Database | Supabase Postgres | Free tier, auth, realtime, storage |
| Auth | Supabase Auth or Clerk | Don't build auth |
| Payments | Stripe | Industry standard, webhooks |
| Email | Resend | Transactional + marketing |
| UI | shadcn/ui + Tailwind CSS 4 | Accessible, customizable |
| Hosting | Vercel or Netlify | Free tier, edge functions |
| Analytics | GA4 + PostHog | Product analytics from day 1 |
| Error tracking | Sentry | Production debugging |
| DNS | Cloudflare or GoDaddy MCP | Domain management |

## SEO / AEO / GEO — Baked Into Every Phase

Search visibility is not a phase — it's a principle applied at every step. Three pillars:

### SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Applied in: Phase 4 (keyword research in PRD), Phase 7 (technical SEO, schema, metadata), Phase 8 (content marketing, link building)
- Skills: `/seo-core`, `/seo-technical`, `/seo-content-writer`, `/seo-keyword-strategist`, `/seo-schema`, `/seo-structure-architect`, `/seo-authority-builder`, `/link-building`, `/seo-sitemap`, `/seo-hreflang`, `/seo-content-planner`, `/seo-snippet-hunter`, `/seo-content-refresher`, `/seo-cannibalization-detector`, `/seo-images`, `/seo-meta-optimizer`, `/seo-content-auditor`, `/seo-geo`, `/seo-page`, `/programmatic-seo`, `/local-seo`
- Every page: title (50-60 chars), description (150-160 chars), canonical URL, OG image, H1-H3 hierarchy, JSON-LD schema
- Technical: Core Web Vitals (LCP <2.5s, INP <200ms, CLS <0.1), mobile-first, structured data

### AEO (AI Engine Optimization)
Applied in: Phase 7 (llms.txt, citeable content structure), Phase 8 (content written for AI citation)
- Skills: `/seo-content-writer` (with AEO principles), `/schema-markup`
- Every page: self-contained passages, definitive language, brand name in citeable text
- Technical: llms.txt at root, allow ChatGPT-User + PerplexityBot in robots.txt, content in initial HTML

### GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Applied in: Phase 4 (positioning for AI search), Phase 8 (content optimized for AI Overviews)
- Skills: `/geo-fundamentals`, `/seo-geo`
- Strategy: Answer questions directly, include statistics and citations, structured data for entity recognition
- Content format: definition → explanation → example (AI cites this pattern)

### Visibility Checklist (apply to every page built)
- [ ] Title tag with primary keyword (50-60 chars)
- [ ] Meta description with CTA (150-160 chars)
- [ ] One H1, logical H2-H3 hierarchy
- [ ] Canonical URL (absolute, self-referencing)
- [ ] OG image (1200x630, branded)
- [ ] JSON-LD schema (Organization, BreadcrumbList, page-specific)
- [ ] Self-contained citeable passages under each H2
- [ ] Brand name in citeable text
- [ ] Internal links (3-5 per 1000 words)
- [ ] Core Web Vitals passing
- [ ] llms.txt at site root
- [ ] robots.txt with AI crawler policy

## 90+ Companion Skills Index

### Research & Discovery
`/d-prospect`, `/problem-statement`, `/market-research`, `/ai-product`, `/product-strategy-session`, `/deep-research`, `/exa-search`, `/company-research`, `/competitive-landscape`, `/market-sizing-analysis`, `/market-environment-analysis`

### Customer & Product
`/proto-persona`, `/jobs-to-be-done`, `/customer-journey-map`, `/discovery-process`, `/discovery-interview-prep`, `/user-story`, `/user-story-mapping`, `/prd-development`, `/product-manager-toolkit`, `/feature-investment-advisor`, `/product-marketing-context`, `/positioning-statement`, `/positioning-workshop`, `/epic-breakdown-advisor`, `/opportunity-solution-tree`, `/lean-ux-canvas`

### Financial & Economics
`/creating-financial-models`, `/startup-financial-modeling`, `/pricing-strategy`, `/finance-based-pricing-advisor`, `/startup-analyst`, `/tam-sam-som-calculator`, `/pestel-analysis`, `/investor-outreach`, `/investor-materials`, `/saas-revenue-growth-metrics`, `/startup-metrics-framework`, `/saas-economics-efficiency-metrics`, `/startup-business-analyst-financial-projections`, `/startup-business-analyst-market-opportunity`, `/startup-business-analyst-business-case`

### Naming & Branding
`/ui-ux-pro-max`, `/design-orchestration`, `/frontend-design`, `/3d-web-experience`, `/stitch-ui-design`, `/brandmythos` (101+ generators)

### Design & Build
`/nextjs-supabase-auth`, `/payment-integration`, `/stripe-automation`, `/billing-automation`, `/email-systems`, `/legal-advisor`, `/gdpr-data-handling`, `/ai-wrapper-product`, `/web-accessibility`, `/web-performance`, `/signup-flow-cro`, `/form-cro`, `/clerk-auth`, `/nextjs-best-practices`, `/nextjs-app-router-patterns`, `/react-best-practices`, `/tailwind-design-system`

### Content & Copy
`/copywriting`, `/content-creator`, `/seo-content-writer`, `/content-strategy`, `/content-engine`, `/beautiful-prose`, `/social-content`, `/email-sequence`, `/video-script`, `/article-writing`, `/content-marketer`, `/press-release`

### SEO & Visibility
`/seo-core`, `/seo-technical`, `/seo-schema`, `/schema-markup`, `/seo-keyword-strategist`, `/seo-structure-architect`, `/seo-authority-builder`, `/seo-content-planner`, `/seo-snippet-hunter`, `/seo-content-refresher`, `/seo-cannibalization-detector`, `/seo-sitemap`, `/seo-hreflang`, `/seo-images`, `/seo-meta-optimizer`, `/seo-content-auditor`, `/seo-geo`, `/seo-page`, `/seo-plan`, `/seo-fundamentals`, `/programmatic-seo`, `/local-seo`, `/link-building`, `/geo-fundamentals`, `/analytics-tracking`

### Advertising & Growth
`/ads plan`, `/ads google`, `/ads meta`, `/ads budget`, `/ads creative`, `/ads audit`, `/ads landing`, `/ads competitor`, `/ads-tiktok`, `/ads-linkedin`, `/ads-youtube`, `/ads-microsoft`, `/ads-ctv`, `/acquisition-channel-advisor`, `/marketing-psychology`, `/cross-channel-attribution`, `/paid-ads`

### CRO & Optimization
`/page-cro`, `/signup-flow-cro`, `/form-cro`, `/onboarding-cro`, `/popup-cro`, `/paywall-upgrade-cro`, `/ab-test-setup`

### Launch & Distribution
`/launch-strategy`, `/marketing-ideas`, `/free-tool-strategy`, `/referral-program`, `/viral-generator-builder`, `/app-store-optimization`

### Analytics & Tracking
`/analytics-tracking`, `/cross-channel-attribution`, `/google-analytics-automation`, `/posthog-automation`, `/sentry-automation`, `/ab-test-setup`

### Deployment & Infrastructure
`/vercel-deployment`, `/publishing-astro-websites`, `/astro-seo`, BrandMythos generators (deploy configs, CI/CD, security headers, error tracking)

### Agent Management
`/orchestrating-swarms`, `/dispatching-parallel-agents`, `/multi-agent-patterns`, `/parallel-agents`, `/agent-manager-skill`, `/planning-with-files`, `/executing-plans`, `/subagent-driven-development`, `/autonomous-agent-patterns`, `/context-manager`

## Community Skill Repos (Online)

Supplement the pipeline with community-contributed skills:

| Repo | Skills | Focus |
|------|--------|-------|
| [rameerez/claude-code-startup-skills](https://github.com/rameerez/claude-code-startup-skills) | Startup-specific | Building and running SaaS businesses |
| [ncklrs/startup-os-skills](https://github.com/ncklrs/startup-os-skills) | Startup OS | Collection of startup operating skills |
| [alirezarezvani/claude-skills](https://github.com/alirezarezvani/claude-skills) | 169 skills | Engineering, marketing, product, compliance, C-level advisory |
| [VoltAgent/awesome-agent-skills](https://github.com/VoltAgent/awesome-agent-skills) | 500+ skills | Community skills compatible with Claude, Codex, Gemini |
| [VoltAgent/awesome-openclaw-skills](https://github.com/VoltAgent/awesome-openclaw-skills) | 5,400+ skills | Filtered/categorized from OpenClaw registry |
| [ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills) | Curated list | Resources and tools for Claude workflows |

Install community skills:
```bash
# Via plugin marketplace (if supported)
/plugin marketplace add rameerez/claude-code-startup-skills

# Via git clone
git clone https://github.com/rameerez/claude-code-startup-skills ~/.claude/skills/startup-skills
```

## Antigravity Build Templates Integration

The `/templates-and-tools/antigravity-build-templates/templates/` directory contains 17 planning templates that plug directly into this pipeline:

| Template | Pipeline Phase | What It Provides |
|----------|---------------|-----------------|
| 01-PROJECT-OVERVIEW | Phase 3-4 | Scope, goals, business model, tech stack |
| 02-DESIGN-SYSTEM | Phase 6 | Colors, typography, spacing, components |
| 03-SITE-ARCHITECTURE | Phase 7 | Page hierarchy, routing, navigation |
| 04-SEO-GUIDELINES | Phase 7-8 | Keywords, meta tags, structured data |
| 05-CONTENT-STRATEGY | Phase 8 | Content plan, editorial calendar |
| 06-TECHNICAL-SETUP | Phase 7 | Framework, hosting, tooling decisions |
| 07-AFFILIATE-MONETIZATION | Phase 8 | Revenue model (if applicable) |
| 08-IMAGE-SOURCING | Phase 7 | Image guidelines, assets, optimization |
| 13-ANALYTICS-TRACKING | Phase 7-10 | Event tracking plan, UTM standards |
| 14-PRE-LAUNCH-CHECKLIST | Phase 8 | 40+ checks before go-live |
| 15-LAUNCH-PLAYBOOK | Phase 8 | T-7 to T+7 timeline with rollback plan |
| 17-SECURITY-COMPLIANCE | Phase 7 | Security headers, GDPR, accessibility |
| SWARM-ORCHESTRATION | All phases | Multi-agent coordination architecture |
| OVERNIGHT-BUILD-TEMPLATE | Phase 7 | Autonomous overnight build instructions |

## MULTISWARM AGENT ORCHESTRATION

Every pipeline phase uses parallel agent swarms. Never single-thread a SaaS build.

### Swarm Infrastructure

The swarm system lives at `templates-and-tools/antigravity-build-templates/templates/swarm/`:
- **spawn-agent.sh** — Create isolated agents with worktrees + tmux
- **check-agents.sh** — Monitor all agents (10min cron)
- **ops-runner.sh** — Execute 10 task types autonomously
- **proactive-scan.sh** — Auto-find work (errors, features, maintenance)
- **inbound-handler.sh** — Handle external requests
- **OPENCLAW-BOOTSTRAP.md** — Agent orchestration initialization prompt

### Agent Management Skills
- `/orchestrating-swarms` — High-level swarm coordination patterns
- `/dispatching-parallel-agents` — Agent dispatch and task routing
- `/multi-agent-patterns` — Design patterns for multi-agent systems
- `/parallel-agents` — Running agents concurrently
- `/agent-manager-skill` — Agent lifecycle management
- `/planning-with-files` — File-based planning for agent coordination
- `/executing-plans` — Plan execution and verification
- `/subagent-driven-development` — Development via subagent delegation
- `/autonomous-agent-patterns` — Patterns for autonomous agent behavior
- `/context-manager` — Managing context across agent swarms

### Swarm Definitions

**Swarm 1: RESEARCH** (Phases 1-3)
```
Agent 1: [Explore] Market research + competitor analysis
Agent 2: [general-purpose] Customer discovery + review mining
Agent 3: [general-purpose] Financial modeling + pricing research
Agent 4: [general-purpose] SEO keyword research + search demand
```

**Swarm 2: DEFINE** (Phases 4-6)
```
Agent 1: [Plan] PRD creation + feature prioritization
Agent 2: [general-purpose] Brand identity + design system
Agent 3: [general-purpose] Name generation + domain validation
Agent 4: [general-purpose] Content strategy + SEO architecture
```

**Swarm 3: BUILD** (Phase 7)
```
Agent 1: [implementer] Homepage + marketing pages
Agent 2: [implementer] Core product feature
Agent 3: [implementer] Auth + payments + billing
Agent 4: [implementer] Shared layout (navbar, footer, SEO components)
Agent 5: [implementer] Legal pages + compliance (GDPR, privacy, terms)
Gemini: OG images, copy variants, llms.txt, meta descriptions
```

**Swarm 4: QUALITY** (Phase 7, post-build)
```
Agent 1: [code-reviewer] Code quality + React best practices
Agent 2: [security-auditor] OWASP top 10 + dependency audit
Agent 3: [output-evaluator] BrandMythos anti-slop + design quality
Agent 4: [general-purpose] SEO audit (metadata, schema, sitemap, robots)
Agent 5: [general-purpose] Accessibility audit (WCAG AA)
Agent 6: [general-purpose] Performance audit (Core Web Vitals, bundle size)
```

**Swarm 5: LAUNCH + ADS** (Phases 8-9)
```
Agent 1: [implementer] Deploy + DNS + SSL
Agent 2: [general-purpose] GA4 + GSC + tracking setup
Agent 3: [general-purpose] Content production (blog posts, social, email)
Agent 4: [general-purpose] Ad campaign creation (Google + Meta via ads-mcp)
Agent 5: [general-purpose] Launch validation (40+ checks)
```

### Project Management for Swarms

#### State File
Track pipeline progress in `~/.claude/memory/saas-incubator-state.md`:
```markdown
# SaaS Incubator — [Project Name]
## Current Phase: [1-10]
## Status: [in-progress | blocked | checkpoint-pending]
## SOSTAC Stage: [situation | objectives | strategy | tactics | actions | control]

### Phase 1: DISCOVER
- Status: complete
- Score: 8/10
- Key findings: [summary]

### Phase 2: VALIDATE
- Status: in-progress
- Agents active: 3
- Blockers: [none | description]
```

#### Progress Tracking
- Use `/planning-with-files` for phase-level task decomposition
- Each phase creates a progress file: `~/.claude/memory/saas-incubator/{phase}.md`
- Agent handoffs include: what was done, what's next, open questions, file paths modified

#### Error Recovery
- If an agent fails: log the error, retry with adjusted parameters, escalate to user after 2 retries
- If a checkpoint fails: document why, suggest fixes, wait for user decision
- If a swarm stalls: use `/context-manager` to restore state and re-dispatch

### Agent Count by Build Size

| Pipeline Scope | Swarm 1 | Swarm 2 | Swarm 3 | Swarm 4 | Swarm 5 | Total |
|---------------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|-------|
| MVP (1-3 pages) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 19 |
| Standard (4-8 pages) | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 24 |
| Full product (9+ pages) | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 27 |

## MCP Dependencies

| MCP | Phase | What It Does |
|-----|-------|-------------|
| ads-mcp | 9 | 40 tools: Google Ads + Meta Ads (read + deploy) |
| envato-mcp | 6-7 | Stock photos from Envato Elements |
| StitchMCP | 6-8 | Gemini content generation |
| supabase-mcp | 7 | Database, auth, storage, edge functions |
| cloudflare | 7-8 | Deploy to Cloudflare Pages |
| netlify | 7-8 | Deploy to Netlify |
| godaddy-mcp | 7-8 | DNS management |
| gtm-mcp | 7-10 | Google Tag Manager (99 operations) |
| pagespeed-mcp | 7-10 | Core Web Vitals audits |
| gsc | 7-10 | Google Search Console |

## Quick Start

```
User: /saas-incubator

→ Claude reads this SKILL.md
→ Checks for existing state in ~/.claude/memory/saas-incubator-state.md
→ If new: starts Phase 1 (DISCOVER)
→ If resuming: picks up at current phase
→ Each phase reads its phases/*.md file for detailed instructions
→ Checkpoints require explicit user approval before advancing
→ SOSTAC cycle: Phase 10 feeds back to Phase 1
```

## Rules

1. **Never skip checkpoints.** Each phase has a gate. User must approve before advancing.
2. **Use BrandMythos for all builds.** 101+ generators. No building from scratch.
3. **Deploy campaigns PAUSED.** All ad campaigns deploy paused. Use `validate_only: true` for dry runs.
4. **Track everything.** GA4 + GSC from day 1. No launching without analytics.
5. **SOSTAC is circular.** Phase 10 metrics feed back into Phase 1 situation analysis.
6. **SEO/AEO/GEO at every step.** Search visibility is not a phase — it's a principle.
7. **Multiswarm by default.** Never single-thread. Always parallelize with agents.
8. **State persistence.** Update `saas-incubator-state.md` at every phase transition.
9. **AC Funnel Convention.** All paid campaigns use O1/O2/O3/O4 funnel stages.
10. **Solo-founder stack.** Next.js + Supabase + Stripe unless user specifies otherwise.
11. **Kill fast.** Phase 3 is the kill gate. If numbers don't work, pivot or stop.
12. **Real assets only.** No placeholder logos, no AI-generated stock. Use Envato MCP + Brandfetch API.
13. **Anti-slop.** Every build passes BrandMythos anti-slop audit (score >= 80).