Phase 1: Idea Capture | Bootspring Docs

Duration: 15-30 minutes

Transform your rough idea into structured data through guided questioning.

Overview#

The Idea Capture phase uses an interactive wizard to systematically extract the key elements of your product idea. Each section builds on the previous, creating a coherent foundation for your documentation.

Starting the Wizard#

# Full wizard experience
bootspring preseed init

# Quick mode with minimal questions
bootspring preseed init --quick

# Use a specific preset
bootspring preseed init --preset=investor

The 8 Sections#

Section 1: Project Identity#

Basic information that identifies your project.

Questions:

What is your project name?
What is your one-line tagline?
Describe your project in 1-2 sentences
Select your category (SaaS, E-commerce, Marketplace, etc.)

Example:

Project name: TaskFlow
Tagline: AI-powered task management for developers
Description: A task management app that uses AI to prioritize
             and organize developer workflows
Category: Developer Tool

Tips:

Keep the tagline under 10 words
Description should explain what it does, not how
Category helps generate relevant templates

Section 2: Problem Statement#

Define the problem you're solving and why it matters.

Questions:

What is the core problem? (1-2 sentences)
What are the specific pain points? (list 3-5)
What solutions exist today? (optional)
Why is now the right time? (timing justification)

Example:

Problem: Developers waste hours daily on task management
         instead of coding

Pain points:
  - Context switching kills productivity
  - Todo apps don't understand code workflows
  - Priorities shift without clear signals
  - Manual syncing between tools

Current solutions:
  - Linear (good but not AI-native)
  - Todoist (not developer-focused)
  - GitHub Issues (no prioritization)

Why now: AI can now understand code context to prioritize
         intelligently, and developers are demanding better tools

Tips:

Be specific about pain points
"Why now" is crucial for investors
Don't worry if you don't know all current solutions

Section 3: Solution Overview#

Describe how you solve the problem.

Questions:

What is your solution? (brief overview)
What are the key features? (list 3-5 for MVP)
What makes you different? (unique value proposition)

Example:

Solution: An AI-powered task manager that understands developer
          workflows and automatically prioritizes based on code
          context, deadlines, and team dependencies

Key features:
  - AI auto-prioritization based on code impact
  - GitHub/GitLab PR integration
  - Focus mode with distraction blocking
  - Team dependency tracking
  - Smart deadline suggestions

Unique value: The only task manager that reads your code to
              understand what actually matters

Tips:

Focus on 3-5 MVP features, not everything
Unique value should be one clear sentence
Differentiation should be defensible

Section 4: Target Audience#

Define who you're building for.

Questions:

Who is your primary audience? (one sentence)
What segments exist within this audience?
Can you describe 2-3 personas?
What is your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)?

Example:

Primary audience: Software developers who want to be more
                  productive

Segments:
  - Solo developers (indie hackers, freelancers)
  - Small team developers (2-10 person teams)
  - Enterprise developers (managed by eng managers)

Personas:
  1. Sarah - Senior engineer, overwhelmed by tasks, uses 5 tools
  2. Mike - Team lead, needs to track team priorities
  3. Alex - Indie hacker, building side project at night

ICP:
  - Role: Software engineer or engineering manager
  - Company size: 10-500 employees
  - Tech stack: GitHub/GitLab users
  - Budget: Has tool allowance ($50-200/mo)
  - Pain: Currently using 3+ tools for task management

Tips:

Start narrow, expand later
Personas should feel like real people
ICP should be specific enough to find

Section 5: Market Opportunity#

Size the market for your product.

Questions:

What is your TAM (Total Addressable Market)?
What is your SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market)?
What is your SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market)?
What trends support this market?
What is the market growth rate?

Example:

TAM: $5B (all productivity tools for developers)
SAM: $500M (AI-powered developer tools)
SOM: $10M (first 2-3 years, developer task management)

Trends:
  - AI adoption in developer tools accelerating
  - Remote work increasing need for async productivity
  - Developer tool budgets expanding

Growth rate: 25% CAGR for developer productivity tools

Tips:

Use bottom-up math when possible
SOM should be achievable in 2-3 years
Trends should support your thesis

Section 6: Competitive Landscape#

Understand your competition.

Questions:

Who are your direct competitors?
Who are indirect competitors?
How do you position against them?
What are your key differentiators?

Example:

Direct competitors:
  - Linear ($50M ARR, teams focus)
  - Height (AI features, complex)
  - Shortcut (Jira alternative)

Indirect competitors:
  - Notion (general productivity)
  - Todoist (personal tasks)
  - GitHub Projects (basic tracking)

Positioning: "The AI task manager built specifically for
             developers" vs. generic productivity tools

Differentiators:
  - Code context awareness (we read your PRs)
  - Developer-first UX (keyboard shortcuts, CLI)
  - AI that learns your patterns

Tips:

Include both direct and indirect
Positioning should be memorable
Differentiators should be defensible

Section 7: Business Model#

How you'll make money.

Questions:

What is your revenue model? (subscription, usage, etc.)
What are your revenue streams?
What is your pricing structure?
What are your unit economics targets?

Example:

Revenue model: Subscription (SaaS)

Revenue streams:
  - Monthly subscriptions (primary)
  - Annual prepay discount (retention)
  - Enterprise contracts (expansion)

Pricing:
  Free: $0/mo (1 project, basic features)
  Pro: $12/mo (unlimited, full AI)
  Team: $8/user/mo (collaboration, SSO)
  Enterprise: Custom (SLA, support)

Unit economics targets:
  CAC: $50
  LTV: $600
  LTV:CAC: 12:1
  Payback: 3 months
  Gross margin: 85%

Tips:

Pick one primary model
Include a free tier for PLG
Unit economics are estimates, refine later

Section 8: Product Vision#

Where you're going long-term.

Questions:

What is your product vision? (5 years out)
What features are must-have for MVP?
What features are planned for later?
What user stories define success?
What does your roadmap look like?

Example:

Vision: Become the default productivity system for every
        developer, automating everything except coding

MVP features (must-have):
  - Task creation and organization
  - AI prioritization
  - GitHub integration
  - Basic analytics

Future features:
  - Team collaboration
  - Calendar integration
  - IDE extensions
  - Mobile app
  - API platform

Key user stories:
  - As a developer, I want AI to prioritize my tasks
  - As a developer, I want to see related PRs for each task
  - As a team lead, I want visibility into team priorities

Roadmap:
  Phase 1 (0-3 mo): MVP launch
  Phase 2 (3-6 mo): Team features
  Phase 3 (6-12 mo): Enterprise
  Phase 4 (12+ mo): Platform/API

Tips:

Vision should be ambitious but believable
MVP should be launchable in weeks
Roadmap phases should align with funding

Quick Mode#

For rapid idea capture, use quick mode:

bootspring preseed init --quick

Quick mode asks only 7 questions:

Project name
Tagline
Problem (1 sentence)
Solution (1 sentence)
Target audience
Business model (select)
Key features (comma-separated)

This generates a minimal but functional preseed that you can expand later.

Tips for Better Answers#

Be Specific#

Instead of "developers," say "senior full-stack developers at Series A startups."

Embrace "I Don't Know"#

The wizard accepts uncertainty. Mark unknowns to research later.

Think Like Your Customer#

Answer from their perspective, not yours.

Don't Overthink#

First answers are often best. You can refine in Phase 3.

Use Real Numbers#

Even rough estimates beat "lots" or "significant."

What Happens Next#

Once you complete all 8 sections:

Answers are saved to PRESEED_CONFIG.json
Documents are generated based on your preset
You move to Phase 2: Document Generation

✓ Preseed initialized
✓ Generated 7 documents

Next: Review documents in .bootspring/preseed/