SinachPat
33c2af4359
Plain-language rewrite of the three AIBook.fun planning docs, with a product
review folded in:
- Name one core loop (read -> run -> share) and a single North-Star metric
(activation), reported ahead of the fundraising numbers.
- Layer the product: v1 = the core loop; contributor economy, cohorts,
agent-onboarding, and the ecosystem funnel become explicit later layers
instead of co-equal launch goals.
- Add the "Minimum Lovable Library" launch gate: seed 15-20 tested workflows
ourselves before asking anyone to pay, rather than betting the launch on the
crowd filling an empty shelf.
- Reframe the contributor incentive honestly: today's mechanic is affiliate
referral, not payment for writing workflows; make paid contribution a
launch-blocking decision.
- Force the subscription-vs-lifetime pricing tension into a reasoned decision.
- Split the product-validation bar from the funding floor ("funded" != validated).
- Lead the pitch with utility; make ownership the retention layer.
- Trim governance to the two gates that matter (no-crypto scrub, truth in claims).
- Turn the domain "decision" into a same-day chore.
- Translate internal jargon, handles, and merge-history out of the doc bodies.
Old versions preserved in git history; a field-by-field ID mapping can be
produced on request.
11 KiB
title, type, status, owner, launch-target, last-updated, companions
| title | type | status | owner | launch-target | last-updated | companions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIBook.fun — Implementation Plan | implementation-plan | draft | Patrick (Product) | 2026-09-26 | 2026-08-26 |
|
📚 AIBook.fun — Implementation Plan
Status: DRAFT. The schedule below assumes decisions that aren't final yet (see "Do this week"). Dates, owners, and dollar figures are planning assumptions until signed off. This is a living document — update it weekly with actual dates and owners. See Appendix — What changed for how this revision differs from the prior draft.
The clock: today is late August 2026; launch is 9/26/2026 — roughly 4–5 weeks out. Every week counts, and the critical path has little slack. The domain expires 09-05, so step one is non-negotiable and immediate.
The critical path in one line:
renew domain + make the pricing decisions → seed the Minimum Lovable Library → freeze copy → no-crypto scrub → submit to Kickstarter → launch 9/26
Do this week (the real gate zero)
Before any copy or build locks, close these. Most are decisions or de-risking, not building.
| # | Task | Owner | Why it's first |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Renew aibook.fun today. It expires 09-05; launch is 09-26. | Whoever holds the registrar login | It's a chore, not a decision. A lapsed domain 3 weeks before launch is a self-inflicted disaster. |
| 0.2 | Decide the pricing spine — lifetime and royalties together (D-1 + D-2). | Commercial lead (@GTM) | Both block copy freeze; they're linked (see Spec §6). |
| 0.3 | Ratify the North-Star + product-health floors (activation, submissions, renewal). | Product (@pat) + team | So we measure the right thing from Day 1, not just dollars. |
| 0.4 | Ratify the Minimum Lovable Library number and assign every workflow an author. | Product + co-authors | This is the #1 risk; turn it from hope into owned work. |
| 0.5 | Confirm the two unconfirmed co-authors, or cut their verticals from v1 (D-3). | Commercial lead (@GTM) | Scope certainty before outline lock. |
| 0.6 | Open the claims register; assign a post-campaign renewal owner. | Product + Commercial | Truth-in-claims gate; don't leave renewal unstaffed. |
| 0.7 | Set up the Kickstarter creator account + identity verification. | Campaign lead (@THY) | Long lead time; do it early. |
✅ Gate 0 — decisions closed. Pricing spine decided · targets ratified · Minimum Lovable Library scoped with authors · domain renewed · claims register open. Until pricing is decided, don't freeze copy. Until the domain is renewed, don't push anything live.
Phase 1 — Build (the ~3 weeks before launch)
Organized by the four workstreams. The content workstream is the critical path — a beautiful campaign around an empty library fails.
1A · Content — seed the Minimum Lovable Library (critical path)
| Task | Owner |
|---|---|
| Lock the chapter outline (chapters per vertical, a named owner each) | Co-authors |
| Publish the Workflow Recipe template + 3 filled examples | Product |
| Seed the Minimum Lovable Library to its floor number (team + co-authors write & test the workflows) | Co-authors + team |
| 3 "clone-and-run" kits, each verified by actually running it | Dev + QA support |
| 2 sample chapters (the backer preview) | Two lead co-authors |
| Contributor onboarding doc + affiliate signup path | Product + Commercial |
| Structured/versioned content format (so editions diff cleanly, and agents can read it later) | Format support |
1B · Site & domain
| Task | Owner |
|---|---|
| Review the staged landing-page proof-of-concept → feedback | Product + Commercial |
| Push landing to production (only after Gate 0) — working HTTPS, analytics continuity | Site admin (@GTM) |
| Landing page runs as a hook A/B test ("run a workflow today" vs. "own a community guide") — learn which message converts before spending ad budget | Site admin + Product |
| Affiliates page + Kickbooster widget | Commercial |
| Email-gated sample-chapter download flow | Email lead (@LDC) + Site admin |
| 09-12 infra freeze — DNS/SSL/registrar untouched after this date | All |
1C · Campaign assets
| Task | Owner |
|---|---|
| Kickstarter page copy (all sections, 9/26 dates) | Campaign lead + exec co-author |
| Copy freeze — commercial terms locked (lifetime/royalties per D-1/D-2) | Commercial lead (sign) |
| No-crypto scrub gate on every asset (translation table) | Campaign lead (owner) |
| Hero video: script → shoot → edit (2–3 min) | Creative lead (@LFG) + co-authors |
| Cover design + 3D mockups | Creative lead |
| Pre-launch email sequence (3 emails) built + tagged | Exec co-author + Email lead |
| LinkedIn organic pre-launch calendar | Creative lead |
1D · Community & the learning loop
| Task | Owner |
|---|---|
| Try-it feedback loop live in the community channel (pinned template) | Product |
| Book Circles playbook (1 page) + pilot cohort announced | Product + community |
| Affiliate program live: Kickbooster account, rates set, co-authors invited | Commercial |
| Workflow-of-the-Week showcase format + first few episodes planned | Product + WeOwn.FM |
✅ Gate 1 — ready to rehearse. Minimum Lovable Library seeded to its floor · site live with working HTTPS · Kickstarter copy frozen · no-crypto scrub passed · pre-launch list on track to 500 · claims register current.
Phase 2 — Launch rehearsal (the final week)
| Task | Owner |
|---|---|
| Full dry run: page live, access-key flow tested, all tracking + affiliate links, test email send | Exec co-author + Commercial |
| Day-1 playbook refreshed (hour-by-hour, 6am→9pm) | Exec co-author |
| Risk sweep: re-read the risk register against current reality | Product |
| Final pre-launch list push (target 500) | All |
| Final claims pass — no draft/open figure on any surface | Product |
✅ Gate 2 — all green → LAUNCH 9/26/2026.
Phase 3 — Campaign (~33 days)
The standard Kickstarter arc:
- Day 1 (09-26): live at 6am · launch email · all-team social · hourly backer monitoring · Day-1 goal ~30% funded + 100 backers.
- Week 1: reply to every comment within ~2h · early-bird urgency (cap 200) · "FUNDED in X days" moment at $5K.
- Week 2 (ads on): LinkedIn A/B (3 creatives) → scale the winner · Meta retargeting · mid emails.
- Week 3 (mid-push): anti-dead-zone tactics — signed/personalized tier, stretch-goal announcements, guest posts, press, a live Workflow-of-the-Week episode.
- Final 48h: 24h / 3h / final-call emails.
- Weekly ritual: metrics vs. targets + a claims check; feed learnings into steering.
✅ Gate 3 — campaign close. ≥$5K minimum (mandatory) · report vs. $35K/$54K · affiliate share vs. 20% target · begin the handoff of backers into the ecosystem funnel. (Remember: hitting the $5K floor proves people will pre-order — it does not prove renewal or contribution. Read the product-health numbers with equal weight.)
Phase 4 — Fulfillment & the living book (post-campaign → 2027)
| # | Milestone | Target |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Campaign final update + backer emails (funded / what's next) | +48h |
| 4.2 | Manuscript complete (all verticals) | ~Day 60 |
| 4.3 | Professional editing | ~Day 75 |
| 4.4 | Layout + design | ~Day 85 |
| 4.5 | Final proof | ~Day 90 |
| 4.6 | Print run (hardcopy upcharge) | ~Day 95 |
| 4.7 | Digital access keys issued (ledger + email; content format finalized) | ~Day 100 |
| 4.8 | Signed hardcopies shipped | ~Day 110 |
| 4.9 | All rewards fulfilled | ~Day 120 |
| 4.10 | Subscription renewal system live (year-2 $47/yr; lifetime honored per D-1) | Day 120+ |
| 4.11 | Open contribution live — with a real incentive (per D-2), now that the library exists | Day 120+ |
| 4.12 | Book Circles scale (pilot → several vertical cohorts); showcase becomes a regular series | 2027 Q1 |
| 4.13 | Annual edition v1.1 (changelog; the "stays current" promise honored) | 2027 Q1 |
| 4.14 | Year-1 renewal cohort tracked against the 60% target | 2027 Q4 |
| 4.15 | Decide whether to build the standalone platform; funnel operational | 2027 Q2 |
Note: the source plan's "NFT minting" step becomes, publicly, "digital access key issuance." Same fulfillment, no-crypto framing.
Budget (planning baseline — reforecast at Gate 1)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| LinkedIn ads (campaign wks 2–4) | $1,300 |
| Meta ads | $700 |
| Google ads | $280 |
| Cover / video edit | $0–500 |
| Kickstarter fees (~8% on $35K) | ~$2,800 |
| Kickbooster (~10% on referred pledges) | ~$700 |
| Domain renewal | ~$15–20 |
| Pre-revenue total | ~$6,000 |
| Projected revenue | $35,000–$54,000 |
| Projected net | ~$28,500–$48,000 |
Who owns what
Plain roles, with the internal handle in parentheses for traceability.
| Workstream | Lead | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial + pricing sign-offs (D-1/D-2, domain) | Commercial lead (@GTM) | Campaign lead (@THY) |
| Campaign page, account, launch ops | Campaign lead (@THY) | Exec co-author (@CEO), Creative (@LFG) |
| Content & curation (incl. the Minimum Lovable Library) | Lead co-authors (@THY + @CEO) | Contributors, Product (template), dev/QA (kits) |
| Site / domain / affiliate tech | Site admin (@GTM) | Email lead (@LDC), dev (staged POC) |
| Email / CRM | Email lead (@LDC) | Exec co-author (copy) |
| Creative (cover / video / social) | Creative lead (@LFG) | All |
| Community & learning loop (Circles, showcase) | Product (@pat) | Community channel, design support |
| Spec / PRD / metrics / claims governance | Product (@pat) | Format & governance support |
Dependencies in one line
Renew domain (now) → push site → pre-launch list + affiliate live · Decide pricing (this week) → freeze copy → submit to Kickstarter · Seed the library + sample chapters → hero video + backer preview → launch 9/26.
Review loop
Living artifact. Each week (post-metrics): Product updates this plan with actual dates and owners; the team reviews; deviations are noted here. Keep the claims register and content-format conformance current as you go.
Appendix — What changed in this revision
A plain-language rewrite with the product review folded in:
- Re-sorted around the core loop and the content risk. The old "Phase 0 decisions" now open with renewing the domain and seeding the Minimum Lovable Library — the two things most likely to sink the launch — instead of a flat list of governance gates.
- Domain is a same-day chore, not a gated decision (task 0.1).
- Added the Minimum Lovable Library as an explicit Phase-1 gate — a beautiful campaign around an empty library fails.
- Landing page is now a hook A/B test, not just an email-capture gate — learn which message converts before spending ad budget.
- Paid contribution (D-2) is on the critical path, and "open contribution" in Phase 4 is explicitly tied to having a real incentive.
- Product-health metrics get equal weight at campaign close — "funded" isn't "validated."
- Governance ceremony trimmed to the two gates that matter (no-crypto scrub, truth in claims).
- Jargon translated out — internal seat/role codes and merge-history removed; owners shown as plain roles with handles kept for traceability.