TheAICoder - Complete Getting Started Guide

It's Shark Tank for SaaS. You're the Shark. But It's Also a DAO.

Welcome to TheAICoder - where the excitement of Shark Tank meets the power of decentralized community governance. We use the "Shark Tank" metaphor because it's fun and accessible, but under the hood, we're building something more profound: a community-owned platform where you collectively decide what software gets built.

What is TheAICoder?

The Elevator Pitch

TheAICoder is Shark Tank for SaaS. Entrepreneurs pitch app ideas, you vote on your favorites, back the winners with tokens, and watch AI build them live. As a backer, you get prepaid credits and perpetual discounts on the software you helped fund.

The Deeper Story

But "Shark Tank" is just the marketing hook. What we're really building is:

A Community-Governed Software Factory:

Pitches - Like Shark Tank, entrepreneurs present ideas
Community Voting - Unlike Shark Tank, EVERYONE votes (not just billionaire judges)
Collective Funding - Pool resources to fund development
Transparent Building - Watch AI code live (like Twitch for coding)
Shared Governance - DAO governance over platform direction
Utility Benefits - Backers get prepaid credits + perpetual discounts

Why "Shark Tank" Branding? We call users "Sharks" because:

It's fun and recognizable
It captures the backing/rewards dynamic
It democratizes what was once billionaire-only
Everyone can be a backer now

But You're Also a DAO Member:

Vote on platform features and policies
Propose and approve economic parameters
Community arbitration of disputes
Collective governance of shared resources

How It Works

The Shark Tank Flow

1. PITCH
   Entrepreneur submits idea -> AI enhances with mockups
   |
2. VOTE
   Community votes thumbs up/down (free, democratic)
   |
3. BACK
   Sharks (backers) pledge tokens to fund pitches they believe in
   |
4. BUILD
   Watch AI code the app live (entertainment + transparency)
   |
5. USE
   Backers get prepaid credits + perpetual discounts on the app

The DAO Layer

Underneath this flow is community governance:

Platform Decisions
   |
   v
Community Proposal -> Discussion -> Vote -> Implementation
   |
Examples:
- Creator compensation rates
- Token bonus tiers
- Feature prioritization
- Dispute resolution
- Platform fees

Getting Started as a Backer (Shark)

Step 1: Create Account

Sign up at theaicoder.com
Verify your email
Complete profile (optional but helps reputation)
Connect payment method

Step 2: Get Tokens

Tokens are prepaid compute credits (like AWS credits).

Token Pricing:
$100 = 100 tokens (0% bonus)
$500 = 510 tokens (2% bonus)
$1,000 = 1,050 tokens (5% bonus)
$5,000 = 5,500 tokens (10% bonus)
$10,000 = 11,500 tokens (15% bonus)

Tokens never expire and fund AI development.

Step 3: Explore & Vote

Before backing anything:

Browse active pitches
Read pitch details and mockups
Check pitcher reputation
Vote on what you like (free)
Watch the community discourse

Step 4: Back Projects

When you find a pitch you want to use:

Pledge tokens (minimum $10)
Tokens fund AI development immediately
Non-refundable (converted to compute)
You now have backer benefits

Step 5: Enjoy Benefits

What Backers Get:

Prepaid Credits - Your tokens become usage credits
Perpetual Discounts - 50-100% off creator fees (for $50+ backers)
Cost Plus Ten - Pay only 10% above actual costs
Voting Power - 1 vote per $50 on project decisions
Discount Token - Transferable, inheritable rights

Understanding the Utility Model

What Tokens Are

Tokens are prepaid compute credits, NOT investments.

Think of them like:

AWS credits (prepay for cloud services)
Costco membership (access to wholesale pricing)
Gift cards (prepaid value for future use)

What Backers Get (Utility Benefits)

Benefit	Description
Prepaid Credits	Your tokens become app usage credits
Perpetual Discounts	50-100% off creator fees forever
Cost Plus Ten	Pay actual cost + 10% only
Voting Power	Shape the product you use
Discount Token	Transferable discount rights

What Backers Do NOT Get

NOT Included	Why
Revenue share	Tokens are utility credits, not securities
Dividends	No passive income for backers
Profit sharing	Backers get discounts, not income
Capital appreciation	Tokens are fixed-value credits

Why This Model?

Legal compliance - Utility tokens don't require SEC registration
Simplicity - No complex investment contracts
Accessibility - Anyone can participate
Aligned incentives - You want to USE the software you backed

Understanding Creator Compensation

Who Are Creators?

Creators are the people who contribute ideas and code.

Ideators - Submit the original idea
Builders - Write code (human or AI-assisted)
Vibe Coders - Human + AI collaboration

How Creators Get Paid

Creators receive compensation when their code executes:

Ideator Compensation:
→ 25% of Function Value per execution
→ (3% for Community Clone ideas)

Builder Compensation:
→ Human/Vibe Coders: 1.0× rate on their code
→ AI-only code: 0.33× rate (goes to platform)

Important Distinction

Creators get paid for work (like royalties)
Backers get utility benefits (like membership discounts)

These are fundamentally different economic relationships.

The Economics Breakdown

Cost Structure

When you use an app, costs break down as:

Total Cost = Compute + Creator Fees + Platform Margin

Where:
- Compute = Actual infrastructure cost
- Creator Fees = Ideator (25%) + Builder shares
- Platform Margin = Operations + Treasury

Backer Discounts

Backers pay less because:

Prepaid Credits - Use at DAO Minimum rates
Creator Fee Discounts - 50-100% off creator portion
Cost Plus Ten - Only 10% above actual costs

Example Comparison

Regular User: $15/month
├── Compute: $3
├── Creator Fees: $7
└── Platform: $5

Backer (with discounts): $3.30/month
├── Compute: $3
├── Creator Fees: $0 (100% discount)
└── Platform: $0.30 (10% of compute)

Governance & Voting

Platform Governance (DAO)

All platform parameters are community-governed:

Creator compensation rates
Token bonus structures
Feature roadmap priorities
Dispute resolution processes
Platform fee adjustments

Project-Level Voting

Backers vote on project decisions:

Feature priorities
Design choices
Technical direction
Community guidelines

Voting power: 1 vote per $50 backed

Safety & Trust

Transparency

All code is open source (MIT license)
AI receipts show every computation
Cost breakdowns are public
Governance is on-chain

Risk Management

Start small - Begin with $10-50
Diversify - Back multiple projects
Research - Check pitcher history
Watch first - See Phase 1 before adding more

What Happens If a Project Fails?

Your prepaid credits for that project are gone
But open source code remains (forkable)
Community can elect new maintainer
Discount tokens may still have value for forks

FAQ

Q: Is this an investment?

No. Tokens are utility credits for compute services. You're prepaying for software at a discount, not investing for returns.

Q: How do I make money?

As a creator. Ideators and builders earn compensation for their contributions. Backers receive utility benefits (discounts), not passive income.

Q: Can I get a refund?

No. Tokens are immediately converted to compute resources. This prevents gaming and ensures development is funded.

Q: Are tokens cryptocurrency?

No. Tokens are platform credits. They're not traded on exchanges and don't fluctuate in value.

Q: What if I just want to support projects?

That's exactly what backing is. You're funding development and getting prepaid credits + discounts in return. It's patronage with benefits.

Next Steps

Create your account at theaicoder.com
Buy some tokens - Start with $100-500
Explore pitches - Find projects you want to use
Vote freely - Help surface great ideas
Back winners - Get your utility benefits
Watch live coding - See your backed projects being built
Use the apps - Enjoy your discounts
Participate in governance - Shape the platform

Summary

Role	What You Do	What You Get
Backer (Shark)	Pledge tokens to fund development	Prepaid credits + perpetual discounts
Ideator	Submit ideas that get built	25% of Function Value per execution
Builder	Write code that gets deployed	Per-execution compensation
Voter	Vote on pitches (free)	Influence what gets built

TheAICoder is a utility platform, not an investment platform.

The value for backers is in using software cheaply. The value for creators is in being compensated for contributions.

Tokens are utility credits for compute services. This is not investment advice. There is no expectation of profit from the efforts of others.

Last Updated: December 2024

Getting Started & Core Concepts