# SESSION TRACKER -- 2026-02-14 (Session 007)

## META
- session_id: 007
- date: 2026-02-14
- timestamp_utc: 2026-02-14T14:00:00Z
- phase: Strategic Pivot Research
- status: COMPLETE -- 3 pivot proposals delivered
- previous_session: docs/tracker/2026-02-14_0100_session-006.md

## QUICK RESUME
**Read this file to pick up exactly where we left off.**

---

## WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED THIS SESSION

### Deep Research on the "Stitching Together" Opportunity

Conducted 12 web searches across:
1. AI infrastructure abstraction layers (2025-2026)
2. Personal AI cloud / self-hosted inference trends
3. AI agent orchestration platform infrastructure gaps
4. Claude Code / OpenCode architecture analysis
5. Developer pain points (Stack Overflow 2025, DigitalOcean Feb 2026)
6. AI cost optimization platforms and startups
7. Unified AI gateway products
8. Smart model routing products
9. AI agent runtime infrastructure gaps
10. Developer AI tool fatigue
11. MCP ecosystem and capabilities
12. Solopreneur AI SaaS revenue models

### Key Research Findings
- 49% of developers say inference cost is THE #1 blocker for scaling AI
- 61% juggle hybrid stacks stitched from multiple APIs
- 88% say tool switching impacts productivity
- AI agent market: $5.4B → $47B by 2030 but agents need infrastructure that doesn't exist
- Self-hosted AI is mainstream but fragmented (Ollama + Open WebUI + LiteLLM + MCP all exist separately, nobody has unified them)
- Smart routing is a proven product category (Cast AI at $1B+ valuation, 40-70% cost savings proven)
- MCP has 97M monthly SDK downloads and is the universal AI tool standard
- Developer trust in AI is declining (40% → 29%) despite usage growing (84%)

### Three Pivots Proposed (Ranked)

1. **"Your Personal AI Cloud"** (HIGHEST TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL)
   - One install → own AI cloud with chat, code, agents, API
   - Stitches: Ollama + Open WebUI + LiteLLM + GPTCache + MCP + cost dashboard
   - Holy shit moment: point all tools at localhost, watch costs drop 60%
   - Avoids all 18 holes by dropping Hive Mode, OpenZiti, self-evolution, 8B conductor
   - Revenue: Free / $9 Pro / $19 Team

2. **"The AI Cost Autopilot"** (HIGHEST NEAR-TERM REVENUE)
   - Drop-in proxy that routes every AI request to cheapest sufficient model
   - Fastest to build (4-6 weeks), fastest to revenue (8 weeks)
   - Holy shit moment: dashboard shows 83% savings after 1 hour
   - Safest bet but less transformative (optimization, not revolution)

3. **"The Agent Runtime"** (HIGHEST CEILING, HIGHEST RISK)
   - Where agents run persistently on your hardware for 1/50th cloud cost
   - Biggest market ($47B by 2030) but most technically complex
   - Holy shit moment: agent fleet running 24/7 for $1.20/day vs $50/day
   - Dependent on agent ecosystem maturing

### Recommended Strategy
Build Pivot #2 (Cost Autopilot) as the entry wedge (weeks 1-6), evolve into Pivot #1 (Personal AI Cloud, weeks 7-14), then add Pivot #3 (Agent Runtime, weeks 15-24). Revenue by week 8, each phase builds on the last, no throwaway work.

---

## FILE INVENTORY

### Created
- `docs/debate/2026-02-14_pivot-research.md` -- Full research synthesis + 3 pivot proposals
- `docs/tracker/2026-02-14_1400_session-007.md` -- This file

---

## WHAT'S NEXT

### Brendon Decision Required
1. **Read `docs/debate/2026-02-14_pivot-research.md`** -- the full analysis
2. **Pick a direction** -- which pivot resonates? Or a hybrid?
3. **Debate further** -- poke holes in the pivots, ask hard questions

### If Pivot #1 or #2 is Selected
1. Strip the project docs to match the selected pivot (remove Hive Mode, OpenZiti, self-evolution, 8B conductor from architecture)
2. Rewrite lean canvas and backlog for the new scope
3. Define the exact MVP feature set
4. Begin Phase 0: GitHub repo setup per the selected scope
5. Build the core proxy/router (weeks 1-2)

### Still Pending from Previous Sessions
1. **Set up Zoho Mail** -- Follow `docs/guides/email-setup-steps.md`
2. **Test Idea Factory prompt** on a real project
3. **Initialize GitHub repository** per `docs/knowledge-base/github-masterclass.md`
