1. Business model & pricing logic
Value metric: creatures you can put in front of users.
- Free $0 — 8 MIT creatures + full API + downloads — wedge and trust.
- Pro $69 one-time — all 43 + commercial projects + promised wrappers/recipes — obvious ship SKU.
- Team $299 one-time — company-wide + promised theme builder + priority support.
- Studio — redistribution, white-label, commissioned creatures — priced for the work.
Checkout waitlisted on purpose. No fake buy button. derived — index.html#pricing
2. Unit economics
draft Not in source. Placeholder structure for founder fill-in:
| Scale | Cost to serve one activation | Gross margin note |
|---|---|---|
| Static CDN + npm | Near-zero marginal (bandwidth) | High on digital goods — confirm |
| + Studio human time | Hours × rate per commission | Services margin separate — confirm |
Question: what is COGS per Pro license once checkout + support exist?
3. Market map
- Lead segment (derived): solo / small-team AI builders (assistants, copilots, voice, agents).
- Channels (derived): product-led page; Show HN / IH; PH when checkout real. Rejected: paid ads before activation data.
- Sizing: draft not estimated in repo — do not invent TAM slides until founder provides.
4. Competitive landscape & defensibility
| Alternative | When it wins | Glim wedge |
|---|---|---|
| CSS / Lottie spinner | Deterministic loads, designer AE pipeline | Built-in four-state mind for AI latency |
| Rive state machine | Heavy interactive design workflow | Tiny drop-in; no runtime designer toolchain required |
| 3D avatar SDKs | Face/character products | Ambient corner presence; weight & cost lower |
| Nothing | Minimal chrome | Honest guide: when not to use a companion |
Compounds: creature menagerie + taste + trust posture (no fake checkout) + SEO guides. Not a moat alone: thin wrapper claim — pack must keep shipping distinctive bodies and honesty. Guides compare honestly (see guides/).
5. Milestone roadmap
10–20 builders. Goal: 20 feedback taps, 10 starter downloads.
Pro waitlist + Show HN. Goal: 50 taps (kill check), 100 downloads, 25 Pro emails.
PH + X when checkout real. Until then: free live, paid waitlist.
derived — launch.html. Unlocks: validation → demand signal → paid.
6. Team & hiring
draft Appears maker-led (axaylabs) today. No hiring plan in repo.
Question: when does Studio need a second craftsperson vs staying solo?
Governance
- Canon + capability matrix gate marketing claims.
- Kill criteria binding after 50 taps.
- Pack version bumps on substantive brand changes; INDEX refreshed each time.