The Problem (Pain Level: 8/10)
When a feature request comes in, most teams only estimate development time. But the real cost is hidden in maintenance.
- How much does this new feature increase existing code complexity?
- What’s the hidden cost of maintaining this code for years to come?
- How much will this feature slow down other development?
According to CISQ reports, US companies spend $1.52 trillion annually on technical debt. The average enterprise carries $3.61 million in technical debt.
Target Market
- Primary Market: GLOBAL
- Target Segment: Product teams, engineering managers, startup founders
- Estimated TAM: $500M+ (technical debt management tools)
Over 52% of engineering teams in organizations with significant technical debt spend at least one full day per week addressing it.
What is Feature Guillotine?
Feature Guillotine is a tool that uses AI to analyze your codebase and calculate the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) when a new feature request comes in.
Core Features
- Codebase Complexity Analysis: Measure current code complexity index
- Feature Impact Prediction: Simulate complexity changes if new feature is added
- Maintenance Cost Estimation: Calculate expected maintenance labor costs for 1-3 years
- Decision Dashboard: Visualize ROI per feature
Competitive Analysis
| Competitor | Pricing | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| CodeScene | €18-27/author/mo | General tech debt measurement, not feature-specific |
| Teamscale | €39-115/contributor/mo | Expensive, enterprise-targeted |
| SonarQube | Free-$720/yr | Static analysis focused, no cost prediction |
Differentiation: Existing tools measure “how much technical debt exists.” Feature Guillotine predicts “how much technical debt will increase if we add this feature.”
MVP Development
- Estimated Timeline: 4 months (16 weeks)
- Complexity: MEDIUM
- Tech Stack Fit: 9/10
Recommended Stack
Frontend: Next.js + TypeScript
Backend: Node.js + Express
Database: PostgreSQL
AI: OpenAI API (code analysis)
Integration: GitHub API
Infra: Vercel + Railway
MVP Scope
- GitHub repository integration
- Basic code complexity analysis
- Feature request input → cost prediction report generation
- Simple dashboard
Revenue Model
- Model: SUBSCRIPTION
- Price Range:
- Starter: $19/mo (individual developers, 1 repo)
- Team: $79/mo (teams, 5 repos)
- Business: $199/mo (unlimited repos)
- MRR 6-month projection: $2,000
- MRR 12-month projection: $8,000
Risk Analysis
| Risk | Level | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | LOW | Leverage OpenAI API, no custom ML model needed |
| Market | MEDIUM | Tech debt awareness growing, education marketing needed |
| Execution | LOW | Clear scope, exploiting gap in existing tools |
Who Should Build This
- Engineering managers frustrated with only answering “how long will this take?” with development time
- Product managers wanting to prioritize features quantitatively
- Tech leads wanting to explain technical debt in business language
- Startup founders needing decision tools beyond RICE/ICE scoring
If you’re building this idea or have thoughts to share, drop a comment below!