preseed
Transform a rough idea into comprehensive foundational documents.
Synopsis#
Description#
The preseed command initiates the foundational documentation workflow that transforms a rough product idea into structured documents. It generates vision documents, audience profiles, market analysis, business models, and product requirements through an interactive wizard.
Tier Information#
Some preseed commands require a Pro subscription:
| Command | Tier | Description |
|---|---|---|
setup, init, from-codebase, generate, sync, status, update, export | Free | Core preseed functionality |
start, merge | Pro | Smart workflows and document merging |
pull, push | Pro | Cloud sync with dashboard |
workflow | Pro | Document approval workflows |
Commands#
start [PRO]#
Smart entry point for preseed. This is the recommended first command.
Analyzes your situation and guides you to the appropriate next step:
- If drop zone has files: Offers to analyze them
- If preseed initialized: Offers to resume workflow
- If authenticated: Offers to pull from dashboard
- Otherwise: Starts fresh with Q&A wizard
Example:
from-codebase#
Generate preseed docs directly from an existing codebase.
Aliases:
This command is designed for projects that already have code. It detects stack/features, builds PRESEED_CONFIG.json, and generates markdown docs in .bootspring/preseed/.
Options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--deep, -d | Deep semantic analysis by reading source files |
--auto, -a | Skip prompts, accept detected defaults |
--preset=<preset> | Document preset (essential, startup, full, technical) |
--with-onboard | Run onboard detection first if missing |
--prompt | Generate an enrichment prompt for any AI assistant |
--enrich, -e | Enrich sparse business sections via Bootspring/Anthropic APIs |
Examples:
After generation:
setup#
Create the context folder structure including the drop zone.
Creates:
.bootspring/preseed/context/
├── drop/ # Universal inbox - accepts anything
├── ideas/ # Rough ideas, brainstorms
├── research/ # Market research, reports
├── competitors/ # Competitor analysis
├── audience/ # User interviews, surveys
├── business/ # Business model notes
└── technical/ # Technical requirements
Example:
init#
Start the preseed wizard to create foundational documents.
Options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--preset=<preset> | Document preset (see below) |
--quick | Quick mode with minimal questions |
Presets:
| Preset | Documents | Best For |
|---|---|---|
essential | 4 | Quick validation, internal projects |
startup | 7 | Standard startup (default) |
full | 8 | Comprehensive documentation |
technical | 4 | Developer tools, API products |
investor | 6 | Fundraising preparation |
Examples:
generate#
Regenerate documents from the configuration.
Options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--doc=<type> | Generate a single document type |
Document Types:
| Type | File |
|---|---|
vision | VISION.md |
audience | AUDIENCE.md |
market | MARKET.md |
competitors | COMPETITORS.md |
business-model | BUSINESS_MODEL.md |
prd | PRD.md |
technical-spec | TECHNICAL_SPEC.md |
roadmap | ROADMAP.md |
Examples:
sync#
Synchronize documents with configuration changes.
This regenerates all documents from the current PRESEED_CONFIG.json. Use after editing the config file directly.
Example:
merge [PRO]#
Merge multiple source files into unified documents.
When you have multiple versions of the same document type (e.g., from different AI assistants), the merge command combines them intelligently.
Features:
- Conservative merge strategy (preserves all unique content)
- Removes only exact duplicate paragraphs
- Generates changelog showing sources used
- Supports multiple source file naming conventions
Expected file structure:
.bootspring/preseed/context/
├── vision/
│ ├── VISION_ChatGPT.md
│ └── VISION_Claude.md
├── prd/
│ ├── PRD_ChatGPT.md
│ └── PRD_Claude.md
└── ...
Example:
Synthesizing to SEED.md#
After preseed is complete, use the seed synthesize command (not preseed):
This reads your preseed markdown files from .bootspring/preseed/ and creates a unified SEED.md.
Note: The synthesize command reads .md files directly - it does NOT require PRESEED_CONFIG.json. If preseed status shows "Not initialized" but your merged documents exist, synthesize will still work.
Example:
status#
Show preseed initialization status.
Output:
⚡ Bootspring Preseed Status
Configuration: .bootspring/preseed/PRESEED_CONFIG.json
Preset: startup (7 documents)
Created: 2026-02-20T10:30:00Z
Last sync: 2026-02-20T10:45:00Z
Documents:
✓ VISION.md (1.2 KB, synced)
✓ AUDIENCE.md (2.4 KB, synced)
✓ MARKET.md (1.8 KB, synced)
✓ COMPETITORS.md (1.6 KB, synced)
✓ BUSINESS_MODEL.md (2.1 KB, synced)
✓ PRD.md (3.5 KB, synced)
✓ ROADMAP.md (1.4 KB, synced)
Config sections filled: 8/8 (100%)
update#
Update a specific value in the configuration.
Arguments:
| Argument | Description |
|---|---|
path | Dot-notation path to config value |
value | New value (JSON for objects/arrays) |
Common Paths:
| Path | Description |
|---|---|
identity.name | Project name |
identity.tagline | One-line tagline |
problem.statement | Problem statement |
problem.painPoints | Array of pain points |
solution.overview | Solution description |
solution.keyFeatures | Array of key features |
solution.uniqueValue | Unique value proposition |
audience.primary | Primary audience |
audience.personas | Array of personas |
audience.icp | Ideal customer profile |
market.tam | Total addressable market |
market.sam | Serviceable addressable market |
market.som | Serviceable obtainable market |
competitors.direct | Direct competitors |
competitors.positioning | Positioning statement |
business.model | Revenue model |
business.pricing | Pricing structure |
product.mvpFeatures | MVP feature list |
roadmap.phases | Development phases |
Examples:
export#
Export the preseed configuration.
Options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--format=<fmt> | Output format: json (default) or yaml |
--output=<file> | Write to file instead of stdout |
Examples:
workflow [PRO]#
Document approval workflow commands.
| Subcommand | Description |
|---|---|
start | Begin guided document approval workflow |
resume | Continue from where you left off |
status | Show workflow progress |
reset | Reset workflow state |
Examples:
doc#
Manage individual documents within a workflow.
Document Types:
| Type | File |
|---|---|
vision | VISION.md |
audience | AUDIENCE.md |
market | MARKET.md |
competitors | COMPETITORS.md |
business-model | BUSINESS_MODEL.md |
prd | PRD.md |
technical-spec | TECHNICAL_SPEC.md |
roadmap | ROADMAP.md |
Actions:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
approve | Approve document and move to next |
reject | Reject with feedback for revision |
edit | Open in $EDITOR for manual editing |
view | Display document content |
review | Submit for review (calculates quality score) |
Examples:
pull [PRO]#
Download preseed documents from the dashboard.
Options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--project=<id> | Project ID (uses current if not specified) |
--doc=<name> | Pull single document (VISION, PRD, etc.) |
--force | Overwrite without prompting |
Examples:
push [PRO]#
Upload preseed documents to the dashboard.
Options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--project=<id> | Project ID |
--doc=<name> | Push single document |
Examples:
File Structure#
After running preseed setup and preseed init:
.bootspring/
└── preseed/
├── PRESEED_CONFIG.json # Source of truth (editable)
├── VISION.md # Problem/solution foundation
├── AUDIENCE.md # Target audience and personas
├── MARKET.md # Market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM)
├── COMPETITORS.md # Competitive landscape
├── BUSINESS_MODEL.md # Revenue model and pricing
├── PRD.md # Product requirements
├── TECHNICAL_SPEC.md # Architecture decisions
├── ROADMAP.md # Development timeline
├── context/ # Input context folders
│ ├── drop/ # Universal inbox - drop anything here
│ ├── vision/ # Vision docs → VISION.md
│ ├── audience/ # Personas, interviews → AUDIENCE.md
│ ├── market/ # Market research → MARKET.md
│ ├── competitors/ # Competitor analysis → COMPETITORS.md
│ ├── business/ # Business model notes → BUSINESS_MODEL.md
│ ├── prd/ # Product requirements → PRD.md
│ ├── technical/ # Tech specs → TECHNICAL_SPEC.md
│ ├── roadmap/ # Timeline docs → ROADMAP.md
│ ├── ideas/ # Rough ideas, brainstorms
│ └── research/ # General research materials
└── prompts/ # Generated AI prompts (free tier)
Note: Each document-specific folder (vision/, audience/, etc.) can contain multiple source files with different suffixes (e.g., VISION_ChatGPT.md, VISION_Claude.md). Use preseed merge to combine them.
Configuration Schema#
The PRESEED_CONFIG.json follows this structure:
Preset Details#
Essential (4 documents)#
vision, audience, business-model, prd
Best for: Quick validation, internal tools, hackathon projects.
Startup (7 documents) - Default#
vision, audience, market, competitors, business-model, prd, roadmap
Best for: Standard startup documentation, pitch preparation.
Full (8 documents)#
vision, audience, market, competitors, business-model, prd, technical-spec, roadmap
Best for: Complex products, technical founders, comprehensive planning.
Technical (4 documents)#
vision, prd, technical-spec, roadmap
Best for: Developer tools, APIs, open source projects.
Investor (6 documents)#
vision, audience, market, competitors, business-model, roadmap
Best for: Fundraising preparation, pitch deck support.
Integration with Seed#
Preseed flows into the Seed workflow:
Examples#
Complete Workflow (End-to-End)#
Note: After merge, preseed status may show "Not initialized" because there's no PRESEED_CONFIG.json. This is expected - the merged documents work directly with seed synthesize.
Q&A Wizard Workflow#
Quick Start#
Investor Preparation#
Related Commands#
bootspring seed- Build from preseedbootspring mvp- Generate MVP codebootspring prd- Manage PRD
Related Workflows#
- Preseed Workflow - Complete workflow guide
- Seed Workflow - Next phase after preseed
- Business Model - Deep dive on business model