TheAICoder - Quick Start (Top 20 Questions)

It's Shark Tank for SaaS. You're the Shark.

New to TheAICoder? This guide gets you up to speed in 5 minutes. For the complete FAQ, see index.md.

The Basics

1. What is TheAICoder in one sentence?

Shark Tank for SaaS - entrepreneurs pitch app ideas, you vote on favorites, back the winners, and watch AI build them live. As a backer, you get prepaid credits and perpetual discounts.

Three key elements:

Pitch - Entrepreneurs submit polished app pitches with mockups
Vote & Back - Community votes thumbs up/down; Sharks pledge tokens
Watch & Use - See AI build it live, use with perpetual discounts

2. How does it work?

The Shark Tank Cycle:

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

All code is open source. All spending is tracked. All costs are transparent.

3. What are "Tokens"?

Simple: 1 Token = $1 of prepaid compute credits

Buy tokens ($10 min, get bonuses for bulk)
Pledge tokens to fund projects you want to use
Tokens fund AI development + hosting + infrastructure
Non-expiring, not cryptocurrency (just account credits)
NOT investments - utility credits like AWS credits

4. What do I get as a backer?

Utility benefits (NOT investment returns):

Benefit	Description
Prepaid Credits	Your tokens become usage credits
Perpetual Discounts	50-100% off creator fees forever
Cost Plus Ten	Pay only 10% above actual costs
Voting Power	1 vote per $50 on project decisions
Discount Token	Transferable discount rights

Important: Backers do NOT receive revenue share, dividends, or passive income.

5. What's "Cost Plus Ten"?

Backers pay only actual cost + 10%.

Example: Project Management App

Regular public price: $15/month
Actual infrastructure cost: $3/month

Your price as a backer:
$3 + 10% = $3.30/month

Savings: 78%

This is a discount, not an investment return.

Getting Started

6. How do I become a Shark?

Create account - Sign up at theaicoder.com
Buy tokens - $10 minimum (bulk bonuses available)
Browse pitches - Find projects you want to use
Pledge tokens - Back projects you believe in
Watch & wait - See AI build it live
Use the app - Enjoy your discounts

7. How do I pitch my idea?

Go to "Submit Pitch"
Describe your app idea in plain English
AI enhances with mockups and polished copy
Community votes and provides feedback
Seek backing when votes are positive
Once funded, AI builds it live

8. What's the minimum to back?

Minimum pledge: $10
For perpetual discounts: $50+ before launch
For voting power: $50 per vote

Understanding the Model

9. Is this an investment?

No. Tokens are utility credits, not securities.

What This IS	What This is NOT
Prepaid compute credits	Investment
Membership discounts	Revenue share
Patronage with benefits	Dividends
Funding for software you'll use	Speculation

10. How do creators make money?

Creators (ideators and builders) earn compensation for their work:

Ideators: 25% of Function Value per execution
Builders: Per-execution compensation based on code attribution

This is work compensation, like royalties for authors.

11. How do backers benefit?

Through utility benefits:

Prepaid credits - Use the app at wholesale rates
Perpetual discounts - 50-100% off creator fees forever
Cost Plus Ten - Only 10% above actual costs
Voting power - Shape the product
Discount Token - Transferable rights

Backers save money on software. That's the value proposition.

Safety & Risk

12. Can I get a refund?

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

13. What if a project fails?

Your prepaid credits for that project are gone
But the code is open source (MIT license)
You can fork and continue development
Community can elect new maintainer
Discount tokens may have value for forks

14. Is this safe?

Transparency is our security:

All code is public on GitHub
AI receipts track every dollar spent
Open source means you can verify everything
Community governance provides oversight

Risk mitigation:

Start small ($10-50)
Diversify across projects
Research pitcher history
Watch Phase 1 before adding more

Governance

15. How does governance work?

Platform parameters are community-governed:

Creator compensation rates
Token bonus structures
Feature priorities
Dispute resolution
Platform fees

Voting power: Proportional to backing amount

16. What can I vote on?

Project level:

Feature priorities
Design decisions
Technical direction

Platform level:

Economic parameters
Policy changes
Feature roadmap

Economics

17. How does pricing work?

Three components:

Total Cost = Compute + Creator Fees + Platform Margin

Backers pay less because:
- Prepaid credits at wholesale rates
- 50-100% off creator fees
- Cost Plus Ten (only 10% margin)

18. Who are the "Creators"?

People who contribute ideas and code:

Ideators - Submit the original idea (earn 25% of Function Value)
Builders - Write code (earn per-execution compensation)
Vibe Coders - Human + AI collaboration (same rate as humans)

Creators are paid for work. Backers get discounts.

Quick Reference

19. Token pricing

Amount	Bonus	Total Tokens
$100	0%	100
$500	2%	510
$1,000	5%	1,050
$5,000	10%	5,500
$10,000	15%	11,500

20. Discount tiers

Backing Amount	Discount on Creator Fees
$50	50% off
$100	60% off
$250	75% off
$500	85% off
$1,000+	100% off

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

Quick Start Guide (Top 20 Questions)