A social media manager at a 20-person startup manages content across Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. Her workflow: a Google Sheet with post ideas, a Notion board for approvals, Buffer for scheduling, and Canva for graphics. Four tools, zero integration, and she spends Monday morning just copying content between them.
Buffer ($6-100/mo) and Hootsuite ($99-249/mo) focus on publishing, not planning. Their calendar views show what's scheduled but don't help you plan what's next. ContentCal (acquired by Adobe) proved the 'planning-first' approach works before being swallowed into the Adobe suite. Planable ($11-22/user/mo) does planning well but gets expensive with team seats.
The opportunity is a visual-first content calendar at $12-29/mo flat (not per-seat) that covers the full pipeline: ideation → draft → review → schedule → publish. Think Notion's kanban meets Buffer's scheduling. The planning gap is clear — most teams still use spreadsheets.
💰 Revenue Blueprint
Three-tier value ladder to monetize from day one
1 user, 2 platforms, calendar view, 10 scheduled posts/month
3 users, all platforms, unlimited posts, content pipeline, drag-and-drop, approval workflows
10 users, analytics, content recycling, hashtag manager, asset library, API, white-label client views
Why Now?
Content marketing is the #1 B2B strategy. Video-first platforms (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) multiplied content needs. ContentCal's acquisition by Adobe left a gap for indie alternatives.
📊 Market Evidence
The Market Gap
Buffer/Hootsuite focus on scheduling not planning. Planable is per-seat pricing. ContentCal was acquired. No visual-first content planner at flat $12-29/mo.
Revenue Examples
Raised $6.5M, growing fast
Bootstrapped to $20M+ ARR
🏆 Competitor Landscape
How existing players stack up in this market
Launch Strategy
1) Beautiful free calendar that works for solo creators. 2) Target social media manager communities. 3) Content: 'Your content calendar template for 2026' downloadable. 4) Launch on PH. 5) Partner with social media courses.
🛠️ Recommended Tech Stack
Suggested tools and technologies to build this idea
Why this stack: DnD Kit enables intuitive drag-and-drop calendar UX. Social APIs handle cross-platform publishing. Supabase real-time syncs calendar updates across team members.
Strengths
- ✓Everyone creating content needs a calendar
- ✓Visual planning is a clear differentiator
- ✓Flat pricing vs per-seat is competitive advantage
- ✓Content marketing growing year over year
Risks
- ⚠Buffer could improve their calendar view
- ⚠Notion templates are a free alternative
- ⚠Social APIs can be restrictive
Score Breakdown
Good market signals with room for growth
Market (20%) + Revenue (20%) + Trend (15%) + Competition (15%) + Build (15%) + Pricing (15%)
Buffer, Hootsuite, Planable prove demand
Multiple tools at significant MRR
Content marketing growing steadily
Very crowded — Buffer, Hootsuite, Planable, Later all compete
Moderate — calendar UI + social APIs
Flat pricing is competitive
🚀 Start Building
Copy a prompt into your favorite AI coding tool and start building this idea right now.
Build a SaaS product called "Content Calendar & Planner". ## Product Overview Visual content calendar for planning and scheduling across social platforms. $12-29/mo. ## Problem Content teams juggle posts across 5+ platforms using Google Sheets and scattered notes. Buffer and Hootsuite offer scheduling but their calendar views are an afterthought. You can't visually plan a month of content, drag posts between days, or see your full content pipeline at a glance. ## Solution A beautiful, Notion-style content calendar where you can plan, write, and schedule posts across platforms. Drag-and-drop interface, content status tracking (draft/review/scheduled/published), and team collaboration. ## Target Audience Content creators, social media managers, marketing teams, agencies ## 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 Planable, Buffer, Hootsuite ## Key Risks to Address Buffer could improve their calendar view Notion templates are a free alternative Social APIs can be restrictive ## 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.