3. Feature-by-Feature Scrutiny (The Idea as Stated)
Categories:
- Table stakes (TS): customers expect it. It earns nothing, but its absence costs you.
- Differentiator (D): a real reason to choose you over the alternatives.
- Distraction (X): built but unlikely to move revenue or retention.
- Liability (L): creates support, compliance, legal or trust risk.
The idea was one sentence, so the list below covers what it states plus what it clearly implies (marked "implied"). Some items sit in two buckets; the primary one comes first.
3.1 Classification table
| # | Feature | Category | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Request documents from clients | TS | Content Snare, Karbon Business, TaxDome, BrightManager, Glasscubes, Docketwise and Acre all do it. It's the minimum. |
| 2 | Request information and answers (questionnaires) | TS | Same list. Keep it to 3–5 fixed questions per client type (for example "Did you let any new property this quarter?"). A general forms builder is a distraction (#10). |
| 3 | Track every request (who sent what, what's missing) | TS → D when organised by deadline | Every tool tracks requests. None in the verified set shows one board per MTD deadline (7 Nov, 7 Feb, 7 May, 7 Aug) with the chase history per client. That view is the product. |
| 4 | Automatically chase missing documents and answers | TS → D only on the client's phone | Content Snare has "unlimited reminders" and BrightManager sends emails and texts. Scheduled reminders are table stakes. A login-free WhatsApp or SMS link with a one-tap "nothing new this quarter" is a modest edge, because the clients who need chasing are the ones who won't log in to a portal. |
| 5 | Client portal | TS / X | Expected, but for this client (a landlord with a phone) a portal login is friction. Ship a magic-link page, not a portal with accounts. |
| 6 | Four professions: accountants, lawyers, mortgage brokers, immigration consultants | X / L | Four vocabularies, four compliance regimes and four incumbents (Content Snare, Docketwise, Acre, FileInvite). It makes marketing impossible and support endless. One profession, one country. |
| 7 | Templates and checklists (implied) | TS → D if MTD-specific | Generic templates are table stakes, and Content Snare is building 20 MTD templates. Yours must be sharper: per client type (landlord, sole trader, both), per quarter, with the cumulative-period dates filled in. |
| 8 | Secure file storage (implied) | L | Holding third parties' bank statements long-term is risk, not value. Forward files to the practice's storage (Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, then XPM), and delete after 30 days. |
| 9 | ISO 27001 or SOC 2 (implied by the catalog risk) | TS for larger firms / X in year 1 | Content Snare has ISO 27001. Small UK practices ask first for GDPR, UK hosting and a DPA (unverified; test in calls). Cyber Essentials in year 1, and ISO 27001 only after $10k MRR or 3 lost deals that cite it. SOC 2 is a US standard; skip it. |
| 10 | A general forms builder, approvals, e-signature (implied by "information collection") | X | That is Content Snare's full product. Competing on breadth is the fastest way to lose. |
| 11 | Integrations with practice software (implied) | TS | Xero Practice Manager client import is expected (Content Snare has it). Add QuickBooks Online and FreeAgent client lists later. |
| 12 | Pricing at $35–200/mo (from the catalog) | TS / D in structure | The level is right. The structure can differ: per MTD client band, not per active request. That's simpler to predict for a practice with 150 recurring quarterly clients. |
3.2 Scoreboard
| Category | Count | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Table stakes | 6 | Document requests, questions, portal-style upload page, XPM import, basic templates, reminders |
| Differentiator (narrow) | 4 | Per-deadline board, login-free phone chase with "nothing new", MTD-specific templates by client type, per-client pricing |
| Distraction | 3 | Four professions, forms builder and e-signature, full client portal with accounts |
| Liability | 2 | Long-term file storage, certification spend before revenue |
About 25% of the stated idea is a reason to buy, and only once it's narrowed to MTD. The rest is what every competitor already has.
3.3 Feature bloat and "building to avoid selling": explicit call-outs
- The multi-profession pitch. Adding "lawyers and brokers" to the landing page feels like a bigger market. It's four small markets, each with a bundled incumbent.
- A forms builder. It's fun to build and demos well, and it is exactly what Content Snare already sells for $35.
- Certification first. Spending months and ~£10k on ISO 27001 before a single practice has paid is a way to stay busy.
- A native mobile app. Clients get a link. Practices use a laptop.
3.4 What a disciplined v1 looks like
Keep: MTD client list (CSV or XPM import), deadline board, chase schedule by WhatsApp, SMS and email, a login-free upload and answer page with "nothing new", a chase log and late list, and forwarding to the practice's storage. Defer: reading Xero or QuickBooks to skip up-to-date clients (month 6), the Self Assessment year-end request (month 9), QuickBooks and FreeAgent client import (month 12). Cut: other professions, forms builder, e-signature, proposals, practice management, long-term storage, native apps.