From 58f737a173f1f829a35b3cc388e373d5bec04514 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Hermes Agent <hermes@nous.local>
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:29:32 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] =?UTF-8?q?Add=20PRODUCT-SPEC.md=20draft=20=E2=80=94=20sel?=
 =?UTF-8?q?lable=20subscription=20model?=
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First draft of the product spec covering pricing tiers, billing,
auth model, distribution, support, hosting, and compliance posture.
10 questions with proposed defaults per phase 2 of the sellable
DashCaddy roadmap. Awaiting Sami's review.
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+# DashCaddy — Sellable Subscription Product Spec
+
+> **Status:** DRAFT (awaiting Sami approval)
+> **Created:** 2026-07-13
+> **Owner:** Sami Ahmed
+
+This spec covers what DashCaddy needs to become a sellable subscription
+product. Decisions below are the proposed defaults — override anything
+that doesn't match your business instincts.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Pricing & Business Model
+
+### Q1. Pricing Model
+**Proposed:** Tiered self-hosted + free.
+
+| Tier | Price | Use case |
+|---|---|---|
+| **Free** | $0 | Single host, unlimited services, community support |
+| **Pro** | $9/mo per host | Multi-host, priority support, cloud config backup |
+| **Business** | $29/mo per host | SAML SSO, audit log export, custom branding |
+
+License keys gate Pro/Business features. Keys validated against the
+dashcaddy-license-server on DNS2.
+
+### Q2. Free Tier Limits
+**Proposed:** Unlimited features in self-hosted mode, just no cloud
+features (backup, SSO, multi-host). Free users stay on the upgrade path
+without feeling crippled.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Billing & Payments
+
+### Q3. Payment Processor
+**Proposed:** **Stripe** (best DX, supports per-seat metering, easiest
+tax handling). Fallback: **Paddle** as Merchant-of-Record if VAT/sales
+tax delegation is needed.
+
+### Q4. Self-Serve or Sales-Led
+**Proposed:** **Self-serve.** User signs up at dashcaddy.net → buys →
+gets license key instantly → pastes into their instance.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Auth & Users
+
+### Q5. Account Model
+**Proposed:** **Central accounts at dashcaddy.net** (not per-instance
+TOTP). OAuth via GitHub + Google. License keys issued to accounts,
+instances validate keys against the license server.
+
+### Q6. Multi-User
+**Proposed:** **Yes, full RBAC.** Owners, Admins, Viewers per instance.
+- Free = single user
+- Pro = up to 5 users
+- Business = unlimited users
+
+---
+
+## 4. Distribution & Support
+
+### Q7. Distribution
+**Proposed:** **Same installer script + GitHub releases + Docker Hub.**
+- Free tier installs from public GitHub releases
+- Pro/Business require license key to enable features post-install
+
+### Q8. Support Channel
+**Proposed:**
+- **Free** → GitHub Discussions (best-effort SLA)
+- **Pro** → Private Discord
+- **Business** → Dedicated email + 24h response SLA
+
+---
+
+## 5. Hosting & Legal Posture
+
+### Q9. Hosted Offering
+**Proposed:** **Both.** Free + Pro are self-hosted. Add `cloud.dashcaddy.net`
+later (managed Pro tier where you run the VPS).
+- **Defer cloud for v1.0** — it's a separate ops burden.
+
+### Q10. Compliance Minimums
+**Proposed:** **GDPR-aware ToS + Privacy Policy** for v1.0.
+- SOC2 deferred (expensive, blocks adoption)
+- HIPAA deferred
+- **Make this explicit on the pricing page** so business customers know
+  what's coming.
+
+---
+
+## Compliance with DashCaddy EULA
+
+Per `/root/dashcaddy/LICENSE` (proprietary, copyright 2024-2026 Sami Ahmed):
+- **License key model** is fully compatible with the EULA (per-instance
+  keys, 30-day evaluation without key for personal non-commercial use)
+- **Hosted SaaS** requires a separate commercial agreement per EULA
+  section 1(e) — defer to v2
+- Source availability (current state) is NOT open-source and doesn't
+  grant redistribution rights
+
+---
+
+## Open Questions / Decisions Deferred
+
+- [ ] Pricing currency (USD only? multi-currency via Stripe?)
+- [ ] Refund policy (Stripe standard 30-day? custom?)
+- [ ] Annual vs monthly billing (Stripe subscriptions support both)
+- [ ] Free trial length beyond the existing 30-day EULA evaluation
+- [ ] Discount codes / launch pricing
+- [ ] Domain for hosted offering (cloud.dashcaddy.net? dashcaddy.cloud?)
+
+---
+
+## What this spec unlocks (Phase 3 deliverables)
+
+Once approved, I produce:
+1. **Gap list** — what's currently built vs what this spec needs
+2. **Prioritized build order** — what blocks public release first
+3. **Architecture changes** — license server, account system, billing
+   integration, RBAC layer
+4. **Documentation gaps** — install guide, admin guide, pricing page
+5. **Compliance gaps** — ToS, Privacy Policy, support SLAs
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