The Problem (Pain Level: 8/10)
“Why is my AWS bill so high this month?” - A universal pain shared by every developer and startup using AWS.
Current pain points:
- Dashboard fatigue: Constantly switching between AWS Console, CloudWatch, and Cost Explorer
- Cost black box: Hard to intuitively understand which resources consume how much
- Scattered health checks: Checking EC2, RDS, Lambda status individually
- Alert overload: Complex CloudWatch alarm setup with too much noise
- No CLI option: No quick way to get the full picture from the terminal
Target Market
Primary Target: AWS developers, DevOps engineers, startup CTOs
Market Size:
- Cloud spending: $723.4B in 2025 (21% YoY growth)
- Cloud waste: ~$44.5B (21% of total spending)
- Cost optimization demand: 25-40% potential savings annually
Pain Frequency: Daily recurring problem
What is AWS-Doctor?
A terminal-based CLI tool for AWS infrastructure health checks and cost optimization.
Core Features:
# Get full infrastructure status at a glance
$ aws-doctor status
# Cost analysis with optimization suggestions
$ aws-doctor cost --breakdown
# Detect unused resources
$ aws-doctor unused
# Security vulnerability scan
$ aws-doctor security
Differentiation:
- CLI-first: Everything from the terminal, no GUI needed
- One-command diagnosis: Works out of the box, no complex setup
- Actionable savings: Concrete cost reduction recommendations
- Open-source friendly: Community-driven extensibility
Competitive Analysis
| Competitor | Pricing | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| nOps | $0~ (savings-based) | Complex setup, web-based |
| Sedai | Enterprise | Expensive, enterprise target |
| CloudZero | Custom | Sales required, complex onboarding |
| Vantage | $50+/mo | Dashboard-centric |
| AWS Cost Explorer | Free | Limited features, no optimization suggestions |
Opportunity: CLI-based lightweight tool targeting developer-first experience
MVP Development
Timeline: 8 weeks
Tech Stack:
- Language: Go (optimal for CLI tools)
- AWS SDK: aws-sdk-go-v2
- CLI Framework: Cobra
- Distribution: Homebrew, apt, GitHub Releases
MVP Features:
- AWS account connection and authentication
- EC2, RDS, Lambda status dashboard
- Cost breakdown (by service, by tag)
- Unused resource detection (idle EC2, orphaned EBS)
- Basic optimization recommendations
Future Features:
- Slack/Discord notifications
- Multi-account support
- Custom rules engine
- Team dashboard
Revenue Model
Model: Usage-based + Freemium
Pricing Structure:
- Free: 1 AWS account, basic diagnostics
- Pro ($15/mo): Unlimited accounts, detailed analysis, alerts
- Team ($49/mo): Team features, history, reports
Revenue Projections:
- 6 months: $2K-5K MRR (200-500 Pro users)
- 12 months: $10K-20K MRR (with open-source community growth)
Risk Analysis
| Risk | Level | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | LOW | Stable AWS SDK, mature Go ecosystem |
| Market | MEDIUM | Competitive but CLI niche exists |
| Execution | LOW | Solo-buildable, clear scope |
Key Risks: AWS API changes, big players launching CLI tools
Who Should Build This
- Backend/infrastructure developers familiar with Go
- Those who use AWS daily and feel the pain firsthand
- Developers with CLI tool building experience or interest
- Those connected to DevOps/SRE communities
- Interested in running open-source projects
If you’re building this idea or have thoughts to share, drop a comment below!