A small architecture firm in Portland manages 15 active projects with a 6-person team. Their project tracking: a combination of Asana for tasks, Dropbox for files, email for client communication, and spreadsheets for time tracking. When a client asks for the status of their permit application, the principal architect spends 20 minutes searching through email threads and Dropbox folders to find the latest revision.
Architecture projects have unique phases: schematic design, design development, construction documents, permitting, construction administration. Each phase has specific deliverables, client approval milestones, and consultant coordination (structural, MEP, landscape). Generic project management tools like Asana and Monday don't understand these workflows. But architecture-specific tools like Monograph ($40-65/user/month) and BQE Core ($15-40/user/month) are priced for larger firms.
There are 23,000+ architecture firms in the US, most with fewer than 20 employees. They need phase-based project tracking, client portal for design approvals, revision history for drawings, and time tracking for billing. The gap is a focused tool at $29-79/mo for small firms: project phases with milestones, simple client portal (share designs, get approval), drawing revision log, basic time tracking, and consultant coordination. Not full BIM integration or resource forecasting — just project tracking done right for design firms.
💰 Revenue Blueprint
Three-tier value ladder to monetize from day one
5 projects, phase tracking, client portal, basic time tracking, 3 users
20 projects, revision history, consultant coordination, reporting, 10 users
Unlimited projects, resource planning, QuickBooks sync, custom phases, unlimited users
📊 Market Evidence
The Market Gap
Monograph ($40+/user) is expensive for small firms. ArchiOffice exists but has dated UX. No modern, design-focused project tracker at $29-79/mo flat for small architecture firms.
🏆 Competitor Landscape
How existing players stack up in this market
| Competitor | Pricing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monograph | $40-65/user/mo | Architecture project management |
| BQE Core | $15-40/user/mo | Project accounting + time |
| Ajera (Deltek) | Contact sales | A&E project management |
| Harvest + Forecast | $10.80+/user/mo | Time tracking + forecasting |
| ArchiOffice | $28-38/user/mo | Small architecture firms |
Architecture project management
Project accounting + time
A&E project management
Time tracking + forecasting
Small architecture firms
🛠️ Recommended Tech Stack
Suggested tools and technologies to build this idea
Why this stack: Focus on architecture-specific workflows. Client portal for design approvals. Drawing revision tracking. Simple time logging.
Strengths
- ✓23,000+ architecture firms in US
- ✓Underserved by horizontal PM tools
- ✓High-value projects = high willingness to pay
Score Breakdown
Good market signals with room for growth
Market (20%) + Revenue (20%) + Trend (15%) + Competition (15%) + Build (15%) + Pricing (15%)
🚀 Start Building
Copy a prompt into your favorite AI coding tool and start building this idea right now.
Build a SaaS product called "Architecture Project Tracker". ## Product Overview Project management for architecture firms: milestones, client approvals, and revision tracking. ## Problem Small architecture firms use generic PM tools or spreadsheets. Need design-specific workflows and client collaboration ## Solution Project tracker with phase management, client portals, revision history, and approval workflows ## Target Audience indie hackers, small businesses, and solopreneurs ## Tech Stack - Next.js 15 (App Router) with TypeScript - Tailwind CSS v4 for styling - Supabase for auth, database, and storage - Vercel for deployment - shadcn/ui for UI components - Framer Motion for animations ## MVP Features to Build 1. Landing page with clear value proposition 2. User authentication (sign up, sign in, forgot password) 3. Core product functionality based on the solution above 4. Dashboard for users to manage their data 5. Pricing page with at least 2 tiers (free + paid) 6. Basic settings/profile page ## Known Competitors Monograph, BQE Core, Ajera (Deltek), Harvest + Forecast, ArchiOffice ## Key Risks to Address Standard market entry risks ## Deployment 1. Set up Supabase project and configure environment variables 2. Deploy to Vercel with `npx vercel --prod` 3. Set up custom domain 4. Configure Supabase RLS policies for security ## Instructions Start by creating the project structure, then build the landing page first. Use server components where possible. Make it mobile-responsive from the start. Focus on getting the core value loop working before adding polish.