Zoom Meeting - Phase 1 Kickoff
Date: January 19, 2026 Attendees: Sheri Dudley, Bert Carroll Format: Zoom
Agenda
- Invoice status / payment confirmation - received, thank you!
- Name decision: "Say It Now" under consideration
- Domain availability check (see cloudflare-tlds.md)
- Phase 1 timeline discussion
- Beta tester planning
- Sheri's business setup status (LLC, bank, Stripe)
Key Decisions
Product Name
Candidate: Say It Now
- Captures the "while they're alive" positioning
- Action-oriented, clear intent
- Domain check needed: sayitnow.com, sayitnowbook.com, etc.
Notes
Business Setup Status
- LLC formed
- Business bank account opened
- Stripe account (in progress)
- Phase 1 invoice paid ($2,700) - received, thank you!
Name/Domain
- "Say It Now" is preferred name
- Exists as a movement in Australia - checked USPTO, no conflicts
- Searching domains via Cloudflare (quietly, to avoid autobuyers)
Storage Questions Raised
- How long do we keep tributes?
- What format for photos/media?
- Phase 2: audio and video support
Current plan (ADR-0005):
- Never delete - tribute books are sentimental
- Tiered storage: hot (6 months) → cold (R2 Infrequent Access)
- Zero egress fees on R2 means downloads stay cheap forever
Contributor Flow Insight
Photo-first prompt idea:
"Upload a favorite picture. Now tell the story of that picture."
Bert's example: digital photo frame showing old pictures of kids, grandparents - each one triggers a memory. The photo becomes the prompt.
This is powerful because:
- Photo triggers the memory naturally
- Removes "blank page" anxiety
- Each tribute comes with a visual
- Story has built-in context
Pricing Discussion
Sheri's tension: Wants it accessible but meaningful. Too cheap feels throwaway.
Proposed base tier: $29 one-time charge
Questions to resolve:
- What does each tier include?
- How many tiers?
- What's the upgrade path?
Cost inputs needed for pricing decision:
| Cost | Per Book | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Storage (photos) | ~$0.01-0.05 | Depends on # contributors, photo sizes |
| Storage (PDF) | ~$0.01-0.02 | ~5-10MB per book |
| AI cleanup | ~$0.50-1.50 | ~$0.01/call × ~50 contributors |
| Stripe fees | 2.9% + $0.30 | On $29 = ~$1.14 |
| Total variable cost | ~$2-3/book |
At $29/book with ~$2.50 variable cost = ~$26.50 margin (91%)
Action: Bert to create tier selection page showing what each tier includes
Print-on-Demand Research Needed
Sheri needs: Document comparing 3rd party printers
Acceptance criteria to evaluate:
- API availability and integration effort
- Print quality (paper, binding, colors)
- Turnaround / lead time
- Shipping options and costs
- Minimum order quantities
- Price per book (varies by page count)
- File format requirements (PDF specs)
Candidates to research:
- Lulu
- Blurb
- BookBaby
- Printful (maybe)
Plan:
- Bert documents API/specs for each
- Order sample prints from top 2-3
- Compare quality
- Schedule calls with finalists
Action Items
Bert:
- Provide Sheri with list of prompt options to review
- Add "choose which prompts to include" feature to book generation
- Create initial iteration of book/PDF design for review
- Research domain options for "Say It Now" (see cloudflare-tlds.md)
- Research print-on-demand options (see print-on-demand-research.md)
Sheri:
- Review prompt options and provide feedback
- Review book design iteration and provide feedback
- Complete Stripe setup and notify Bert when done
- Find websites with colors/look-and-feel she likes (design inspiration)
Next Steps
Phase 1 Timeline
Target: 4-6 weeks from kickoff
- Bert's internal estimate: ~2 weeks for MVP development
- Buffer: 3-4 weeks total to account for unknowns
- Sheri will recruit beta testers when MVP is ready for testing