The open-source operating system for building, launching, and scaling a SaaS company.
Clone this repo. Run the setup. Let AI agents help you build every department of your startup — from first idea to global scale.
Inspired by @hridoyreh's viral tweet that laid out the complete SaaS company as a folder structure. This repo turns that original idea into a fully actionable, AI-agent-powered playbook that any founder can clone and run.
Building a SaaS is not just writing code. It's building an entire company — marketing, sales, support, analytics, infrastructure, hiring, and dozens of other departments that need structure from day one.
Most founders figure this out painfully, one crisis at a time.
SaaS Playbook gives you the complete folder structure of a well-run SaaS company, with detailed instructions in every folder so you (or your AI agent) can populate it with your specific plans, strategies, and documentation.
- 16 departments covering the full SaaS lifecycle: Idea → Validation → Planning → Design → Development → Infrastructure → Testing → Launch → Acquisition → Distribution → Conversion → Revenue → Analytics → Retention → Growth → Scaling
- 80+ structured subfolders, each with detailed
INSTRUCTIONS.mdfiles - Interactive setup script that personalizes everything to your startup
- AI-agent native — works with Cursor, GitHub Copilot, OpenAI Codex, Claude, and any LLM-powered coding agent
- Battle-tested frameworks — each folder contains proven templates, checklists, and strategies
git clone https://github.com/AICraftAlchemy/saas-playbook.git
cd saas-playbook
python3 setup.pyThe setup script will:
- Ask for your SaaS company name
- Ask you to describe your product in your own words
- Walk through each department, asking clarifying questions
- Generate personalized documentation across all 80+ folders
If you're using Cursor, Copilot Workspace, Codex, or any AI coding agent:
git clone https://github.com/AICraftAlchemy/saas-playbook.git
cd saas-playbookThen tell your agent:
"Read the AGENTS.md file and help me populate this SaaS playbook for my startup [YOUR_IDEA]."
The agent will read the structured instructions in every folder and help you fill out your entire company operating system.
Browse the folders, read the INSTRUCTIONS.md files, and fill them out yourself. Each file tells you exactly what to write and provides templates.
saas-playbook/
│
├── 📂 01-idea/ # Where it all starts
│ ├── problem-discovery/ # What pain point are you solving?
│ ├── market-research/ # How big is the opportunity?
│ ├── niche-selection/ # Who exactly are you building for?
│ ├── competitor-analysis/ # Who else is in this space?
│ └── opportunity-mapping/ # Where's the gap you can own?
│
├── 📂 02-validation/ # Prove it before you build it
│ ├── customer-interviews/ # Talk to real humans
│ ├── landing-page-test/ # Test demand with a page
│ ├── waitlist/ # Build pre-launch momentum
│ ├── pre-sales/ # Can you sell it before it exists?
│ └── demand-testing/ # Quantify the demand
│
├── 📂 03-planning/ # Blueprint the build
│ ├── product-roadmap/ # What are you building, and when?
│ ├── feature-prioritization/ # What matters most right now?
│ ├── mvp-scope/ # What's the smallest useful thing?
│ ├── tech-stack/ # What tools and frameworks?
│ └── development-plan/ # Sprint plans and milestones
│
├── 📂 04-design/ # Make it beautiful and usable
│ ├── wireframes/ # Low-fidelity layouts
│ ├── ui-design/ # High-fidelity mockups
│ ├── ux-flows/ # User journey maps
│ ├── prototype/ # Clickable prototypes
│ └── design-system/ # Components, tokens, guidelines
│
├── 📂 05-development/ # Write the code
│ ├── frontend/ # Client-side application
│ ├── backend/ # Server-side logic
│ ├── apis/ # API design and documentation
│ ├── database/ # Schema, migrations, strategy
│ ├── authentication/ # Auth flows and security
│ └── integrations/ # Third-party connections
│
├── 📂 06-infrastructure/ # Keep it running
│ ├── cloud-hosting/ # Where does it live?
│ ├── devops/ # Deployment automation
│ ├── ci-cd/ # Build and deploy pipelines
│ ├── monitoring/ # Alerts, logs, observability
│ └── security/ # Hardening and compliance
│
├── 📂 07-testing/ # Make it bulletproof
│ ├── unit-testing/ # Test individual pieces
│ ├── integration-testing/ # Test pieces together
│ ├── bug-fixing/ # Track and squash bugs
│ ├── performance-testing/ # Load and stress testing
│ └── beta-testing/ # Real users, real feedback
│
├── 📂 08-launch/ # Ship it to the world
│ ├── landing-page/ # Your storefront
│ ├── product-hunt/ # Launch on Product Hunt
│ ├── beta-users/ # Manage beta program
│ ├── early-adopters/ # Cultivate your first fans
│ └── public-release/ # Go-live checklist
│
├── 📂 09-acquisition/ # Get users in the door
│ ├── seo-wins/ # Organic search strategy
│ ├── content-marketing/ # Blog, guides, resources
│ ├── social-media/ # Platform strategies
│ ├── cold-email/ # Outbound campaigns
│ ├── influencer-outreach/ # Leverage others' audiences
│ └── affiliate-marketing/ # Pay for performance
│
├── 📂 10-distribution/ # Be everywhere they look
│ ├── directories/ # SaaS directories and listings
│ ├── saas-marketplaces/ # App stores and marketplaces
│ ├── communities/ # Where your users hang out
│ ├── partnerships/ # Strategic alliances
│ └── integrations/ # Ecosystem connections
│
├── 📂 11-conversion/ # Turn visitors into customers
│ ├── sales-funnel/ # The path to purchase
│ ├── free-trial/ # Trial optimization
│ ├── freemium-model/ # Free tier strategy
│ ├── pricing-strategy/ # How to price your SaaS
│ └── checkout-optimization/ # Reduce friction at payment
│
├── 📂 12-revenue/ # Make money sustainably
│ ├── subscriptions/ # Recurring revenue model
│ ├── upsells/ # Expand existing accounts
│ ├── add-ons/ # Additional paid features
│ ├── annual-plans/ # Lock in long-term revenue
│ └── enterprise-deals/ # Land big contracts
│
├── 📂 13-analytics/ # Measure everything
│ ├── user-tracking/ # Behavioral analytics
│ ├── funnel-analysis/ # Where do users drop off?
│ ├── cohort-analysis/ # How do user groups behave?
│ ├── kpi-dashboard/ # Your north star metrics
│ └── ab-testing/ # Test and optimize
│
├── 📂 14-retention/ # Keep them coming back
│ ├── user-onboarding/ # First-run experience
│ ├── email-automation/ # Lifecycle email sequences
│ ├── customer-support/ # Help desk and self-service
│ ├── feature-adoption/ # Drive usage of key features
│ └── churn-reduction/ # Stop the bleeding
│
├── 📂 15-growth/ # Accelerate and compound
│ ├── referral-programs/ # Word-of-mouth engine
│ ├── community-building/ # Build your tribe
│ ├── product-led-growth/ # Let the product sell itself
│ ├── viral-loops/ # Built-in sharing mechanics
│ └── expansion-strategy/ # New markets and verticals
│
├── 📂 16-scaling/ # From startup to scale-up
│ ├── automation/ # Automate repetitive work
│ ├── hiring/ # Build the team
│ ├── systems/ # Processes and SOPs
│ ├── global-expansion/ # Go international
│ └── exit-strategy/ # Acquisition, IPO, or lifestyle
│
├── setup.py # Interactive setup script
├── AGENTS.md # Instructions for AI agents
├── CONTRIBUTING.md # How to contribute
├── LICENSE # MIT License
└── README.md # You are here
This repository is designed to be used with AI coding agents. Every folder contains structured INSTRUCTIONS.md files with:
- Clear context about the purpose of each folder
- Specific questions that need answers
- Templates with fill-in-the-blank sections
- Output format specifications so agents produce consistent results
| Agent | How to Use |
|---|---|
| Cursor (Composer) | Open the repo in Cursor. Tell Composer: "Read AGENTS.md and help me fill out this playbook for [your idea]." |
| GitHub Copilot Workspace | Point Copilot at the repo. It will read the AGENTS.md and INSTRUCTIONS.md files automatically. |
| OpenAI Codex / ChatGPT | Share the AGENTS.md content and ask it to help you work through each department. |
| Claude (Anthropic) | Same as Codex — share AGENTS.md and work through departments. |
| Devin / SWE-Agent | Clone the repo and instruct the agent to read AGENTS.md first. |
| Any LLM Agent | The structured markdown format works with any agent that can read files. |
Every INSTRUCTIONS.md file includes a YAML frontmatter block with:
---
department: "acquisition"
subfolder: "seo-wins"
priority: "high"
stage: "post-launch"
estimated_time: "2-4 hours"
requires: ["01-idea", "03-planning"]
---This allows agents to:
- Prioritize which folders to fill first
- Understand dependencies between departments
- Estimate total time to complete the playbook
- Skip sections that aren't relevant yet
This playbook follows the natural lifecycle of a SaaS company:
IDEA → VALIDATE → PLAN → DESIGN → BUILD → DEPLOY → TEST → LAUNCH
↓
SCALE ← GROW ← RETAIN ← ANALYZE ← MONETIZE ← CONVERT ← DISTRIBUTE ← ACQUIRE
Each stage builds on the previous one. The setup script guides you through them in order, but you can jump to any department at any time.
- Solo founders who need structure across every business function
- Small teams who want a shared operating system for their SaaS
- AI-first builders who use agents to accelerate every part of their business
- Accelerator participants who need to organize their thinking fast
- Consultants who advise SaaS startups and need a repeatable framework
- Students learning how SaaS businesses are structured
- Structure enables speed. You move faster when you know where everything goes.
- AI agents need context. The better your documentation, the better your AI tools perform.
- Every department matters. Code is 20% of a SaaS. The other 80% is everything else.
- Start messy, refine later. Fill out what you can now. Come back and improve it.
- Open source wins. The best playbook is one the community keeps improving.
We welcome contributions! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Ways to contribute:
- Improve instruction files with better templates and examples
- Add real-world case studies to department folders
- Translate instructions to other languages
- Build integrations with specific AI agents
- Share your filled-out playbook as an anonymized example
MIT License — see LICENSE for details. Use this for your startup, share it with friends, fork it for your accelerator.
If this helped you, star the repo so other founders can find it too.
The original concept of representing a SaaS company as a folder structure comes from @hridoyreh and their tweet that went viral for a good reason — it's a brilliantly simple way to think about all the moving pieces of a SaaS business.
This repository was created by Vamshi Vangapally, who took that idea and turned it into a fully executable, AI-agent-compatible playbook with detailed instructions, templates, and tooling so any founder can go from concept to company.
Built for founders who move fast and build with AI.
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