config/projects/ideas/product-ideas.md

Product Ideas — Research 2026-02-17

Selected: SnapAPI (Screenshot API)

Concept

URL → PNG/JPEG/WebP screenshot via API. Full-page capture, custom viewports, wait-for-selector, device emulation.

Why

• Reuses DocFast's Puppeteer/Playwright infra (90% shared)
• Can run on same Hetzner VPS
• Mid-tier market underserved (Urlbox $99+, cheap options have bad DX)
• Proven demand — developers need this constantly

Pricing (EUR)

• Free: 100 screenshots/mo
• Starter: €9/mo (1K)
• Pro: €29/mo (5K)
• Business: €79/mo (25K)

Competitors

Competitor	Price	Weakness
Urlbox	$99+/mo	Enterprise-only, overpriced
ScreenshotOne	$9/mo for 1.5K	Limited customization
ScreenshotAPI.net	$9/mo for 1K	Bad docs, slow support
CaptureKit	$7/1K	Newer, limited track record

Tech Stack

• Node.js + Puppeteer/Playwright in Docker
• Same auth/billing pattern as DocFast (Stripe)
• PostgreSQL for usage tracking
• Hetzner CAX11 or shared with DocFast

MVP Timeline: 2-3 weeks

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CEO Setup Plan for SnapAPI

Phase 1: Infrastructure (Day 1-2)

1. Create Forgejo repo openclawd/snapapi
2. Set up Hetzner server (or colocate with DocFast)
3. Domain: pick a domain (snapapi.dev? screenshotapi.eu? capturefast.dev?)
4. SSL + nginx reverse proxy
5. PostgreSQL database

Phase 2: Core Product (Day 3-7)

1. API endpoint: POST /v1/screenshot with URL, viewport, format, full-page options
2. Puppeteer worker pool (reuse DocFast patterns)
3. Auth system (API keys, email verification)
4. Usage tracking + rate limiting
5. Free/paid tier enforcement

Phase 3: Billing (Day 7-10)

1. Stripe integration (checkout, webhooks, subscription management)
2. Pro key provisioning on payment
3. Cancellation → downgrade flow

Phase 4: Website & Docs (Day 10-14)

1. Landing page (same build-time templating as DocFast)
2. API documentation
3. Legal pages (Impressum, Privacy, Terms)
4. SEO basics (meta tags, sitemap, JSON-LD)

Phase 5: Operations (Day 14-17)

1. CEO skill file (copy DocFast CEO pattern)
2. Uptime monitor cron
3. Support mailbox (FreeScout)
4. Support agent cron
5. CEO scheduling (morning/afternoon/evening sessions)
6. Off-site backup (BorgBackup to Storage Box)

Phase 6: Launch (Day 17-21)

1. Marketing specialist for launch copy
2. Product Hunt listing
3. SEO quick wins
4. Monitor first users

Key Learnings from DocFast to Apply

• Ship with .env persistence from day 1 (no recurring checkout failures)
• CI/CD with secrets from Forgejo from the start
• overflow-x: clip not hidden for sticky nav
• FreeScout text field needs HTML for formatting
• FreeScout threads are reverse chronological
• needs-reply must check unassigned tickets too
• Support agent MUST have hard security rules (never leak keys)
• Build-time HTML templating (zero deps)
• Status page from day 1
• Brotli compression from day 1
• Server healthcheck cron from day 1

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Other Ideas (Backlog)

OGPix — OG Image Generation API

HTML template + data → 1200×630 social preview image. Same Puppeteer infra. Vercel's solution is platform-locked. €12-39/mo. Low-medium competition.

HookBin — Webhook Testing & Debugging

Temporary endpoints to capture webhooks. Real-time inspection, forwarding, replay. Webhook.site: free→$49 gap. €7-19/mo. Easiest to build (1-2 weeks).

MailProbe — Email Validation API

Syntax, MX, SMTP verification, disposable detection. Undercut at €0.001-0.003/email vs competitors at $0.005-0.008. High competition but high demand.

ResizeNow — Image Optimization API

Resize, compress, convert images. Cloudinary charges $89+/mo. Sharp/libvips is fast. Risk: Cloudinary free tier is generous (25K transforms).

WaitlistAPI — Waitlist Management

Email collection + referral tracking + position. €12-29/mo. Low competition but churny (customers leave after launch).

CronPing — Cron Job Monitoring

Dead man's switch for cron jobs. Cronitor $24/mo, Healthchecks.io is open source competitor. €7-19/mo. Simplest product (1-2 weeks).