Slotwise (working name)
Idea status: Idea stage · Target: an MRR ladder ($1k → $50k by month 24) instead of one fixed number · Verdict: No as described. Go as scheduling and student-hour records for US teen driver-ed schools, starting in Ohio. · Last updated: 30 Sept 2026
Start here → WHAT-TO-DO-AND-AVOID.md: odds at each MRR level (with conditions, ~15 hrs/week vs full-time: $1k ~50% / 65%, $5k ~22% / 38%, $10k ~11% / 23%, $20k ~4% / 11%), customer math, 12 do's, 14 avoids, checkpoints.
Where this idea came from: idea D5 in the 30 Sept 2026 micro-SaaS idea catalog (../_research/2026-09-30-micro-saas-idea-catalog.md): scheduling and operations software for one narrow trade that books recurring appointments. Its evidence was ZenMaid (cleaning, $200k MRR), DrivingSchool.Software (~$330–550k, estimate), TutorCruncher ($3.1M, estimate), My Music Staff and TutorBird ($16.95/mo), and a warning from Calday (a generic scheduler at $5.7k MRR). The trade was not given, so this assessment compares five candidates (driving schools, tutoring centres, music schools, swim schools, dog groomers) and picks one. Cleaning, fire-extinguisher inspection (../tradeledger/) and property inspection (a separate idea) were excluded. See analysis/02.
"Slotwise" is a working name. Check trademark and domain before using it publicly. If the product ends up driving-school only, a trade-specific name will sell better.
Research was run on 30 Sept 2026, with a confidence level on each claim. See research/10-verified-research.md.
Folder layout
slotwise/
├── WHAT-TO-DO-AND-AVOID.md ← final analysis and decision (read first)
├── README.md ← this index
├── analysis/ ← the investor-style assessment
│ ├── 00-one-page-brief.md
│ ├── 01-verdict.md
│ ├── 02-market-reality-check.md
│ ├── 03-feature-scrutiny.md
│ ├── 04-expanded-feature-catalog.md
│ ├── 05-pre-mortem.md
│ ├── 06-fundability.md
│ ├── 07-gaps.md
│ └── 09-assumptions-and-open-inputs.md
├── plans/ ← execution plans
│ ├── 08-90-day-plan.md
│ └── 11-24-month-gated-roadmap.md
└── research/ ← verified, cited evidence
└── 10-verified-research.md
File numbers match the other ideas in this portfolio, so cross-references like "doc 08" work the same way.
Documents
| # | Document | What it answers |
|---|---|---|
| — | WHAT-TO-DO-AND-AVOID.md | Final decision: MRR ladder, Tier A/B, founder-only conditions, customer math, 12 do's, 14 avoids, checkpoints |
| 00 | analysis/00-one-page-brief.md | The whole assessment on one page |
| 01 | analysis/01-verdict.md | MRR ladder for each trade and time commitment, base-rate proxies, Tier A/B, fundable yes/no |
| 02 | analysis/02-market-reality-check.md | The five trades scored, the buyer, pain score, incumbents and prices, vitamin vs painkiller, market size |
| 03 | analysis/03-feature-scrutiny.md | The idea's stated features (booking, staff scheduling, client management, payments) classified for driving schools |
| 04 | analysis/04-expanded-feature-catalog.md | About 45 features driving schools ask for, classified and prioritised |
| 05 | analysis/05-pre-mortem.md | Top 3 causes of death, their warning signs, whether each is fixable |
| 06 | analysis/06-fundability.md | Would I invest, the skeptic's first 5 minutes, metrics that flip the answer, bootstrap vs raise |
| 07 | analysis/07-gaps.md | Gaps to paid, renewed and referred schools, plus distribution, security and team |
| 08 | plans/08-90-day-plan.md | First 90 days, week by week, for both time commitments |
| 09 | analysis/09-assumptions-and-open-inputs.md | Assumptions made, and the inputs that would change the verdict |
| 10 | research/10-verified-research.md | Cited research (30 Sept 2026), confidence levels, and what it changed |
| 11 | plans/11-24-month-gated-roadmap.md | Month 0–24 phases, gates, revenue path for both columns, budget guardrails |
Caveat
Team, hours per week available, driving-school access and budget were not provided. The assumptions are in analysis/09. The number of licensed schools in Ohio, Ohio's exact record and certificate rules, and what schools pay today are still unverified (see research/10).