Memory Maker - Project Proposal

Client: Sheri Dudley (615-473-7818, [email protected]) Date: 2025-12-17 (Updated 2026-01-06) Status: Phase 1 Approved - Ready for Development

Live Site: memory-maker-tribute.netlify.app Business Case: business-case.md

Quote Summary

Recommendation: Start with Phase 1. It's a complete business - you can sell books immediately. Add Phases 2-3 only if traction warrants.

Break-even: ~70 books sold at $39 average (Phase 1 only)

Phase 1 Breakdown (36 SP / $2,700)

Note: PDF generation is the highest-risk item. Technical spike early in Phase 1 to validate approach.

Scope Includes

• Supabase project setup with Row Level Security
• Cloudflare Pages deployment
• Magic link authentication (no passwords)
• Book creation with QR code generation
• Public contributor form with photo uploads
• AI-assisted tribute cleanup (Grammarly-style)
• Owner dashboard to view all submissions
• Stripe integration with 3 pricing tiers ($19/$39/$69)
• Beta coupon codes (100% off for 5 testers)
• PDF export of tribute book
• Bug fixes based on beta tester feedback
• Social media sharing template for contributors

Scope Excludes (Available A La Carte)

The Idea

A platform to collect tributes from friends and family for someone while they're still alive - "What would you say at their memorial?" delivered before the person is gone.

"We want you to know all the things people love and would say about you when you're still here to receive it—versus when you are dead and cannot hear it anymore."

Use Cases

• Significant birthdays (50th, 60th, etc.)
• Retirement parties
• Weddings / Anniversaries
• Teacher appreciation
• Memorial (pre-mortem) - while terminally ill
• Any meaningful occasion

Competitive Landscape

There are several established players in this space:

Direct Competitors

Competitive Analysis

Established players have:

• Polished UX and templates
• Print partnerships already established
• Auto-reminder systems
• Years of refinement

Gaps in the market:

• Most focus on death/memorial or retirement - less on "celebrate while alive" framing
• Premium options are expensive ($200+ for nice books)
• No AI-assisted writing prompts
• Most require manual chase-down of contributors

Memory Maker differentiation opportunities:

1. "Living tribute" positioning - Not a funeral thing, not just retirement
2. Guided questions + AI cleanup - Structured prompts help people write; Grammarly-style polish keeps their voice
3. QR code at events - Guests at retirement party/birthday can contribute on the spot
4. Simpler/cheaper entry - $15-30 digital tier
5. SMS invitations - Not just email (better response rates)
6. Local/personal service - Not a faceless platform

Suggested Pricing

Based on competitive analysis:

Pass-through costs to research:

• Print-on-demand (Lulu, Blurb, BookBaby) - typically $15-40 per book depending on pages
• Mark up 50-100% for margin

AI costs:

• Claude Flash: ~$0.01/call for cleanup suggestions
• Estimated $0.50-1.50 per book (cleanup only, no generative AI)

Guided Writing + AI Cleanup (Key Differentiator)

None of the competitors help contributors write better tributes. This is a real gap.

The Problem

People stare at a blank text box and write:

"You're great! Love you!"

That's not a tribute. That's a text message.

The Solution: Structured Questions + Light Cleanup

Step 1: Guided Questions (No AI)

Instead of a blank text box, we ask specific questions based on relationship and occasion. These are algorithmic (not AI) - predetermined question sets that draw out meaningful content.

Example flow for a retirement tribute:

1. "You've worked with [Name] for 15 years. What's one project you'll never forget working on together?"
2. "What's something [Name] taught you that you still use today?"
3. "If you had to describe [Name]'s leadership style in one word, what would it be? Tell me a story that shows that."
4. "What do you want [Name] to know as they start this next chapter?"

Example flow for a birthday tribute:

1. "You've known [Name] since childhood. What's your earliest memory of them?"
2. "What's something [Name] always says that makes you laugh?"
3. "How has [Name] been there for you during a difficult time?"
4. "What do you hope for [Name] in the year ahead?"

Step 2: AI Cleanup (Grammarly-style)

After the contributor writes their answers in their own words, AI offers light suggestions:

• Grammar and spelling fixes
• Sentence structure improvements
• "This sentence could be clearer" suggestions
• The contributor accepts or rejects each suggestion

What AI does NOT do:

• Write the tribute for them
• Combine their answers into a new paragraph
• Change the voice or meaning
• Add content they didn't write

The words remain theirs. AI just helps polish them.

"We help you find the words, not replace them." - from napkin session

Cost: ~$0.01-0.02 per contributor (Claude Flash for cleanup only)

QR Code Event Mode

At live events (retirement party, birthday), display a QR code that links directly to the contribution form. Guests can:

1. Scan QR → lands on mobile-optimized form
2. Enter name + quick selfie (optional)
3. Answer 2-3 guided questions
4. Review AI suggestions (optional)
5. Submit in 2-3 minutes

This captures tributes from people who would never respond to an email.

Suggested Architecture

Phase 0: Landing Page Only (Free for Sheri) - COMPLETE

Goal: Validate interest, capture leads

Status: DONE (2025-12-17)

Static Site (Astro + React)
    └── Landing page with warm gold/rose theme
    └── "Try It Now" AI demo (Gemini API)
    └── "Coming Soon" email capture
    └── Hosted on Netlify (free tier)

What was built:

• Landing page with hero, how it works, AI differentiator, QR code feature
• Interactive AI demo - users answer 5 questions, get a generated tribute
• Gemini 1.5 Flash integration for AI prompting
• Signal dashboard for project tracking (/signal)

Repository: ubiquitouszero/sheri-tribute-book

Cost: $0 (domain ~$12/year if she wants custom) Actual effort: 8 SP (single session)

Phase 1: Core Product

Goal: Working product with key differentiators

Astro + React
    └── Landing page
    └── Create book form
    └── Contributor form (public link + QR code)
    └── AI-assisted prompts (Claude API)
    └── View submissions (owner only)
    └── Magic link auth (email)
    └── Basic PDF export

Supabase (free tier)
    └── Auth
    └── Database (books, contributors, tributes)
    └── Storage (photos)

Stripe
    └── One-time payments
    └── $19 / $39 / $69 tiers

Features:

• Create a tribute book (name, occasion, recipient)
• QR code generation for events
• Email invitations to contributors
• AI-assisted prompts - contextual questions based on relationship
• Contributors: name, relationship, photo, AI-guided tribute
• Owner: view all submissions, download as PDF
• Stripe payments

NOT included in Phase 1:

• SMS invitations (email + QR only)
• Print-on-demand integration (manual - download PDF, upload to Lulu/Blurb)
• Auto-reminders
• Fancy templates

Estimate: 35-40 SP Cost @ discounted $75/SP: $2,625 - $3,000

Phase 2: Premium Features

Goal: SMS, print integration, polish

Add to Phase 1:
    └── SMS invitations (Twilio)
    └── Auto-reminders
    └── Print-on-demand integration (Lulu/Blurb API)
    └── Multiple templates/layouts
    └── Preview before publish

Estimate: 20-25 SP additional Cost @ discounted $75/SP: $1,500 - $1,875

Phase 3: Advanced Features

Goal: Full-featured competitor

Add to Phase 2:
    └── Audio/video tributes
    └── Co-organizers
    └── Gift cards / credits
    └── Analytics dashboard

Estimate: 15-20 SP additional Cost @ discounted $75/SP: $1,125 - $1,500

Total Project Estimate

Friend pricing: $5,000 - $6,500 for full build

Note: Can use Google's free Gemini API tier for initial AI testing - no cost until scale.

Recommended Path

1. Now: I build landing page for free. Sheri validates interest. DONE
2. Next: Phase 1 MVP ($2,625-$3,000). Sheri starts selling, manual print fulfillment.
3. If traction: Phase 2 ($1,500-$1,875). SMS, auto-reminders, integrated POD.
4. If scaling: Phase 3 ($1,125-$1,500). Premium features.

Sheri's next steps:

• Finalize product name and secure domain
• Research POD pricing (Lulu, Blurb) for printed book margins
• Identify 3-5 beta customers (friends with upcoming milestone events)
• Approve Phase 1 quote to begin development

Technical Stack

Hosting Strategy:

• Prototype (Phase 0-1): Netlify free tier - quick deployment, serverless functions
• Production (Phase 2+): Cloudflare Workers or Azure - better scaling, lower latency

Estimated monthly operating cost at launch: $0-20/month (before Stripe fees)

Napkin Sketch Reference

See: PXL_20251217_215846839.jpg

Site → Sign Up → Create Account → Owner
                                    ↓
                    Define Type of Event
                                    ↓
                    Create Object ←── Users (receive text/email → fill form)
                                    ↓
                    Collect Responses
                                    ↓
                    Order Output & Optimize
                                    ↓
                    Publish → Physical / Digital

Sources

• Newlywords - Memory book service
• Your Kith & Kin - $69 base pricing
• Fondfolio - Premium handmade books ($200+)
• Storyworth Celebrations - Subscription model
• Tribute Technology - Funeral home B2B
• LifeOnRecord - Audio keepsakes