ADRIANO’s SaaS product plan.

Working Product Name

DiscountAI

Get more discounts, faster.

Product Basics

This is an overview and introduction to the SaaS product.

What is it?

DiscountAI is a web-based email platform designed specifically for purchasing professionals. It leverages AI technology to help users compose and send effective discount negotiation emails.

Who is it for?

DiscountAI is aimed at purchasing managers, procurement specialists, and anyone involved in the negotiation process who deals with large volumes of emails and needs to efficiently request discounts.

What does it do?

DiscountAI helps users craft persuasive discount requests by analyzing previous email conversations, suggesting relevant arguments, and composing optimized emails.

What problem does this product solve?

DiscountAI addresses the common challenge of spending excessive time crafting emails to request discounts. It streamlines this process, allowing purchasing professionals to focus on more strategic tasks.

How does it work?

Users compose an initial email with a basic request. DiscountAI's AI engine analyzes the content and provides suggestions for strengthening the request, including suggested discount percentages and justifications. Users can accept or modify the AI's suggestions before sending the email.

Possible pain points

  • Time-consuming email drafting
  • Difficulty in formulating persuasive arguments
  • Lack of data on past successful discount negotiations
  • Inconsistent email style and tone
  • Missed opportunities for better discounts
  • Difficulty in tracking negotiation progress
  • Limited ability to personalize discount requests

Target Market

Defining who this product serves and why they need the product.

Target Audience

DiscountAI targets purchasing professionals in various industries, particularly those dealing with high-value purchases and a large number of suppliers.

Audience Segments

  • Large corporations with centralized purchasing departments
  • Mid-sized businesses with active procurement teams
  • Government agencies with significant purchasing budgets
  • E-commerce platforms with a high volume of supplier negotiations
  • Startups and growing businesses looking to optimize their purchasing costs

Buyer Persona

Our ideal customer is a purchasing manager at a large company, responsible for securing favorable pricing on a wide range of goods and services. They are highly motivated to optimize their company's spending and are constantly seeking new tools to improve their negotiation skills.

Underserved Niches

  • Small and medium-sized businesses lacking specialized procurement departments
  • Businesses with limited experience in negotiating discounts
  • Organizations operating in industries with high competition and price sensitivity
  • Individuals with limited access to advanced purchasing tools
  • Companies with geographically dispersed purchasing teams

The Industry

Analyzing the current landscape and identifying opportunities.

An overview of this industry

The procurement industry is experiencing rapid growth as businesses focus on cost optimization. Digital tools and AI are increasingly playing a role in automating and enhancing purchasing processes. The use of email remains a core channel for supplier communication and negotiation.

SWOT Analysis

  • Strengths: Growing market demand, increasing adoption of AI in procurement, potential for significant cost savings
  • Weaknesses: High competition from established players, need for continuous improvement of AI algorithms, dependence on user data for effective training
  • Opportunities: Expansion to new industries and geographies, integration with other purchasing systems, development of advanced negotiation strategies
  • Threats: Changing regulatory landscape for AI, security and privacy concerns, potential for user resistance to AI-powered tools

Competitors

  • Negotiate.ai
  • Procure.ai
  • DiscountWizard
  • SmartDeals
  • EmailNegotiator

How to thrive in this industry

To thrive in this industry, DiscountAI will need to differentiate itself by offering a user-friendly interface, a highly accurate and adaptable AI engine, and a competitive pricing model. Additionally, building strong partnerships with industry players and showcasing successful case studies will be crucial.

Brand Identity

Establishing the personality and visual elements of the brand.

Brand Style Overview

DiscountAI will embody a modern and professional brand aesthetic, reflecting efficiency, intelligence, and trust. The design will be clean, minimalist, and intuitive.

Color Palette

#007bff
#ffffff
#6c757d
#28a745
#dc3545

Features & Benefits

Showcasing what the product offers and how it solves key challenges.

Feature Ideas

  • AI-powered email drafting: Generates personalized and persuasive discount requests based on user input and historical data.
  • Discount suggestion engine: Provides data-driven recommendations for discount percentages based on market trends and supplier relationships.
  • Email templates library: Offers pre-written templates for common discount negotiation scenarios.
  • Email tracking and analytics: Monitors email open rates, click-throughs, and response times to measure negotiation effectiveness.
  • Collaboration features: Allows multiple users within a team to share and collaborate on discount negotiation strategies.
  • Integration with CRM systems: Connects with existing CRM platforms to access supplier information and historical interactions.
  • Customizable reporting: Generates reports on negotiation success rates, average discount obtained, and overall cost savings.

Benefits

  • Increased negotiation success rates: By leveraging AI insights and data, users can craft more effective discount requests, leading to higher chances of securing better prices.
  • Improved efficiency: Automating email drafting saves significant time and effort, allowing users to focus on strategic purchasing decisions.
  • Data-driven insights: Analytics and reporting tools provide valuable insights into negotiation effectiveness, enabling continuous improvement.
  • Enhanced team collaboration: Shared access and collaboration features facilitate communication and streamline negotiation processes.
  • Reduced costs: Successful discount negotiations directly translate to cost savings, boosting profitability.

The MVP

Introducing the core version of the product to validate its value.

Minimum Viable Product

The MVP will focus on the core AI-powered email drafting feature, including basic email templates, discount suggestion capabilities, and email tracking functionality.

Potential First Steps

  1. Step 1: Develop a robust AI engine capable of analyzing email content and suggesting discount request improvements.
  2. Step 2: Build a user-friendly web interface for composing and sending emails, including basic templates and tracking functionality.
  3. Step 3: Integrate with email services like Gmail or Outlook for seamless email sending and management.
  4. Step 4: Conduct beta testing with a small group of purchasing professionals to gather feedback and refine the product.
  5. Step 5: Launch the MVP to a wider audience, promoting its AI-powered discount negotiation capabilities.

Pricing

The pricing strategy to maximize value for its customers.

Pricing Model

DiscountAI will employ a subscription-based pricing model with tiered plans offering varying levels of features and usage limits. Users will have the option to choose a plan that best suits their needs and budget.
Starter

$29/month

  • AI-powered email drafting
  • Basic email templates
  • Discount suggestion engine
  • Email tracking
  • Limited user access
Professional

$99/month

  • AI-powered email drafting
  • Expanded email templates
  • Advanced discount suggestion engine
  • Email tracking and analytics
  • Multiple user access
Enterprise

$299/month

  • AI-powered email drafting
  • Customizable email templates
  • Predictive discount modeling
  • Advanced email tracking and reporting
  • Unlimited user access
  • Integration with CRM systems

The Build

Outlining the process of bringing the product from concept to reality.

The Platform on Which to Build a SaaS app

If you want to start a software as a service (SaaS) business and you’re familiar with WordPress, you might be wondering if it’s possible to use it for your platform. As a SaaS startup founder, it’s also probably not economical for you to hire a developer to build a site for you on Laravel, for example. If you’re already familiar with WordPress, why not stick with what you know? After all, WordPress powers 31% of all websites, and it’s proven itself in terms of scalability and security. Read More

Advantages of building this on WordPress

  • Flexibility: WordPress offers a highly customizable platform, allowing for tailoring the user interface and features to specific requirements.
  • Scalability: The platform can handle increasing user traffic and data volume as the SaaS grows.
  • Cost-effectiveness: WordPress offers a range of free and affordable plugins and themes, reducing development costs.

Separate sales site and app or contained in one?

DiscountAI will utilize a single platform for both the sales site and the SaaS application, providing a unified user experience. This approach streamlines the onboarding process and simplifies user management.