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AI Factory Strategic Goals

This document defines the strategic goals for the ConnectSoft AI Software Factory over 1-3 year time horizons and how they connect to business and technical outcomes. It is written for stakeholders, architects, product managers, and anyone planning the Factory's evolution.

The Factory's strategic goals focus on automation depth, quality and reliability, productization and reusability, and developer experience. These goals align with ConnectSoft's business strategy and enable the Factory to become the standard platform for generating production-ready SaaS solutions.

Strategic Vision

From idea to production-ready SaaS—autonomously, reliably, fast. The Factory becomes smarter over time through its knowledge system, making it increasingly valuable as it accumulates patterns, solutions, and domain expertise. This creates a strategic moat that competitors cannot easily replicate.

Core Concepts

Core Platform

The Core Platform consists of multi-tenant platform services that every SaaS product and the Factory rely on. These foundational services are built first and provide the infrastructure layer for all ConnectSoft solutions.

Core Platform Components:

  • Identity & Access Platform - Users, tenants, roles, permissions, tokens
  • Config Platform - Settings, feature flags, per-tenant/edition config
  • Audit Trail Platform - Tamper-evident audit events, retention, legal hold
  • Communications Platform - SMS Gateway, Email Platform, Notifications Platform (SMS/Email/Push/In-app)
  • Documents Platform - Multi-tenant docs store, metadata, versioning
  • Billing & Subscription Platform - Plans, usage, limits, invoices, per-tenant billing
  • AI Gateway / Agent Infra (base) - Models, routing, usage tracking (minimal at first)
  • Integration Platform / Connectors Hub - Central management for external providers, webhooks, polling, sync jobs (later cycle)
  • Support & Self-Service Platform - Ticketing, KB, in-product help, subscription management (later cycle)

All Core Platform services are built with ConnectSoft templates, following DDD, event-driven architecture, and observability-first principles.

Templates & Agent Template

Base Microservice Template - The canonical service skeleton that provides the foundation for all microservices.

Domain Templates - Specialized templates (Identity, Auth, Audit, etc.) that extend the base template via overlays, adding domain-specific functionality without modifying the base.

Agent Template - A specialized template to host AI agents with:

  • Semantic Kernel / Microsoft.Extensions.AI integration
  • Tool registration, conversation/turn persistence
  • AI observability (tokens, cost, latency)
  • Template overlays for Worker roles, platform-specific patterns

All templates use template metadata composition (base template.json + extend JSON) and overlay recipes, enabling flexible template composition.

SaaS Cycles (1-5)

ConnectSoft's product strategy is organized into five distinct cycles, each building on the previous:

Cycle 1: Core Platform + AI Factory - Foundational infrastructure and first SaaS product:

  • Core multi-tenant platform services: Identity, Config, Audit, Documents, Communications, Billing
  • AI Factory engine + AI Factory SaaS - Developer/architect-facing, API-first, minimal UI. First SaaS product. Manages template catalog, overlay recipes, project generation, and AI agents. Runs fully on Core Platform. Branded under connectsoft.ai.

Cycle 2: Horizontal SaaS on connectsoft.io - Product-oriented, cross-industry SaaS:

  • Digital Marketing Automation Hub
  • Short Links & Tracking Platform
  • Workflow & Automation Orchestrator
  • Headless CMS
  • Lightweight CRM / Contacts Hub

Cycle 3: connectsoft.me (Personal Agents Platform) - B2C/B2Solo product line:

  • Personal agents & agent teams for life admin, finance, learning, family
  • Prebuilt packs, agent runs, scheduling, dashboards, basic workflows
  • Later: Agent Builder, Pack Builder, internal marketplace
  • Acts as experimentation lab and funnel into connectsoft.io ("promote this pack to an org workflow")

Cycle 4: AI Interaction, Forms & First Vertical - AI-powered solutions and first industry vertical:

  • AI Bot Framework - Multi-channel bot platform
  • AI Marketing Copilot - AI layer on Digital Marketing Hub
  • Digital Forms SaaS - Form designer, embeddable forms, submissions & approvals
  • Insurance Suite - First vertical solution composed from Forms, Workflows, CRM, Bots, Documents, Marketing, Short Links

Cycle 5: Ecosystem, Marketplaces & Additional Verticals - Ecosystem expansion:

  • Marketplaces (Template, Agent, SaaS & Solution)
  • Additional vertical suites (Advertising/AdTech, HR/PeopleOps)
  • Integration Platform / Connectors Hub
  • Support & Self-Service Platform
  • Mobile apps support

Five-Cycle Strategy Diagram

graph TD
    subgraph Core["Core Platform (Always First)"]
        Identity[Identity & Access]
        Config[Config]
        Audit[Audit Trail]
        Comm[Communications]
        Docs[Documents]
        Billing[Billing & Subscription]
        AIGateway[AI Gateway Base]
        Integration[Integration Platform]
        Support[Support & Self-Service]
    end

    subgraph Cycle1["Cycle 1: Core Platform + AI Factory"]
        FactorySaaS[AI Factory SaaS<br/>B2D, API-first<br/>connectsoft.ai]
    end

    subgraph Cycle2["Cycle 2: Horizontal SaaS"]
        Marketing[Digital Marketing Hub]
        Links[Short Links Platform]
        Workflow[Workflow Orchestrator]
        CMS[Headless CMS]
        CRM[CRM / Contacts Hub]
    end

    subgraph Cycle3["Cycle 3: connectsoft.me"]
        PersonalAgents[Personal Agents Platform<br/>B2C/B2Solo<br/>connectsoft.me]
    end

    subgraph Cycle4["Cycle 4: AI Interaction & First Vertical"]
        BotFramework[AI Bot Framework]
        AICopilot[AI Marketing Copilot]
        Forms[Digital Forms SaaS]
        Insurance[Insurance Suite]
    end

    subgraph Cycle5["Cycle 5: Marketplaces & Ecosystem"]
        Marketplaces[Template/Agent/SaaS Marketplaces]
        AdTech[AdTech Suite]
        HR[HR Suite]
        Mobile[Mobile Apps Support]
    end

    Core --> Cycle1
    Core --> Cycle2
    Core --> Cycle3
    Core --> Cycle4
    Core --> Cycle5
    Cycle1 --> Cycle2
    Cycle2 --> Cycle3
    Cycle3 --> Cycle4
    Cycle4 --> Cycle5
    Cycle3 -.->|Upgrade Path| Cycle2

    style Core fill:#e3f2fd
    style Cycle1 fill:#bbdefb
    style Cycle2 fill:#c8e6c9
    style Cycle3 fill:#fff3e0
    style Cycle4 fill:#ffccbc
    style Cycle5 fill:#f3e5f5
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Cross-Cycle Evolution

Every cycle follows a consistent pattern that ensures continuous improvement and evolution:

Adds New SaaS - Each cycle introduces new SaaS products that expand ConnectSoft's product portfolio and address different market segments.

Evolves AI Factory - The Factory continuously improves with:

  • New templates and overlay recipes
  • Enhanced agent capabilities
  • Better generation pipelines
  • Expanded knowledge base

Improves Core Platform - Core Platform services are hardened and enhanced based on:

  • Usage patterns from new SaaS products
  • Performance requirements
  • Feature requests from SaaS consumers
  • Integration needs

Makes Previous SaaS More Powerful - Existing SaaS products benefit from:

  • New Core Platform capabilities
  • Enhanced Factory templates
  • Better integration patterns
  • Cross-product features and integrations

This cross-cycle evolution creates a compounding effect where each cycle makes all previous cycles more valuable and powerful.

Domains & Branding

ConnectSoft's product strategy is organized across four primary domains:

connectsoft.ai - Platform + AI Factory + deep technical story. This domain hosts the AI Factory SaaS, technical documentation, and platform infrastructure. It's the home for developer and architect-facing tools.

connectsoft.io - Product catalog for horizontal SaaS, vertical solutions, marketplace, pricing, and signups. This domain is customer-facing and hosts all product-oriented SaaS solutions.

connectsoft.me - Personal Agents Platform for individuals, freelancers, students, and families. This domain hosts the B2C/B2Solo product line focused on personal agents and life automation workflows.

connectsoft.dev - Developer portal, API docs, SDKs, and internal architecture docs. This domain provides deep technical resources for developers integrating with ConnectSoft platforms and services.

connectsoft.me in the Portfolio

connectsoft.me is ConnectSoft's Personal Agents Platform, positioned as a B2C/B2Solo product line that reuses the Core Platform and AI Factory.

Product Positioning

  • Target Audience: Individuals, freelancers, students, and families (not organizations)
  • Use Case: Personal agents and agent teams for daily life automation
  • Differentiation: Multi-agent orchestration, opinionated life workflows, built on serious platform infrastructure
  • Business Model: Freemium with tiered subscriptions (Free, Personal Pro, Family, Creator add-on)

Relationship to Other Products

connectsoft.ai - Core Platform & AI Factory - connectsoft.me uses the AI Factory and Core Platform services - Technical architecture and Factory story live on .ai

connectsoft.io - B2B SaaS products and solution bundles - Upgrade Path: Personal agent recipes can be promoted into team/organizational workflows on connectsoft.io - When users need multi-user orgs, custom domains, compliance, and advanced integrations, they move to connectsoft.io pricing

connectsoft.dev - Developer portal and API docs - Technical integration details for developers building on connectsoft.me

Strategic Role

connectsoft.me serves multiple strategic purposes:

  1. Consumer-Facing Brand - Provides a consumer-facing entry point to ConnectSoft's agent technology
  2. Experimentation Lab - Tests agents, workflows, and marketplace patterns in a consumer context
  3. Learning Feedback Loop - Real-world consumer usage feeds learnings back into templates and patterns used for connectsoft.io enterprise products
  4. Upgrade Funnel - Personal users can promote their packs into organizational workflows, creating a natural upgrade path to connectsoft.io

See: connectsoft.me Overview for detailed product information.

See: connectsoft.me Business Model for pricing and business model.

Time Horizons

gantt
    title Factory Strategic Goals Timeline
    dateFormat YYYY-MM
    axisFormat %b %Y

    section Short Term (0-12m)
    Factory MVP & Core Agents           :active, mvp, 2026-01, 6M
    Internal Usage & Value Proof         :usage, 2026-04, 8M
    Knowledge Base Initial Patterns      :knowledge, 2026-02, 10M
    Launch SaaS Platforms               :platforms, 2026-06, 6M
    Quality & Reliability Standards      :quality, 2026-03, 9M

    section Mid Term (12-24m)
    External Customer Onboarding        :customers, 2027-01, 12M
    Expand Agent Capabilities            :agents, 2027-01, 12M
    Marketplace Infrastructure (Private)  :marketplace, 2027-03, 10M
    Scale Knowledge System               :knowledge-scale, 2027-01, 12M
    Enterprise Features (SSO, RBAC)     :enterprise, 2027-04, 9M

    section Long Term (24-36m+)
    Public Marketplace Launch           :marketplace-public, 2028-01, 12M
    Partner Ecosystem                    :partners, 2028-03, 10M
    Advanced AI Capabilities            :ai-advanced, 2028-01, 12M
    Multi-Cloud Support                 :multi-cloud, 2028-06, 6M
    Industry-Specific Accelerators     :accelerators, 2028-09, 4M
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Short Term (0-12 months)

Focus: Foundational stability and internal usage

  • Complete Factory MVP with core agents operational
  • Establish internal usage and prove value
  • Build knowledge base with initial patterns and solutions
  • Launch first SaaS platforms (Identity, Audit, Config, Bot)
  • Establish quality and reliability standards

Mid Term (12-24 months)

Focus: External customers and marketplace beginnings

  • Onboard external customers
  • Expand agent capabilities and quality
  • Build marketplace infrastructure (internal/private)
  • Scale knowledge system with domain-specific patterns
  • Establish enterprise features (SSO, RBAC, self-host)

Long Term (24-36+ months)

Focus: Broader ecosystem and partners

  • Public marketplace launch
  • Partner ecosystem
  • Advanced AI capabilities
  • Multi-cloud support
  • Industry-specific accelerators

Strategic Themes

graph TB
    subgraph Themes["Strategic Themes"]
        Auto["Automation Depth<br/>SDLC Coverage"]
        Quality["Quality & Reliability<br/>Production-Ready"]
        Product["Productization<br/>& Reusability"]
        DX["Developer Experience<br/>Self-Service & Speed"]
    end

    subgraph Outcomes["Strategic Outcomes"]
        Speed["Faster Time-to-Market"]
        Scale["Scalable Delivery"]
        Moat["Knowledge Moat"]
        Value["Customer Value"]
    end

    Auto --> Speed
    Quality --> Value
    Product --> Moat
    DX --> Speed
    Auto --> Scale
    Quality --> Scale
    Product --> Scale
    DX --> Value

    style Auto fill:#e3f2fd
    style Quality fill:#f3e5f5
    style Product fill:#e8f5e9
    style DX fill:#fff3e0
    style Speed fill:#c8e6c9
    style Scale fill:#bbdefb
    style Moat fill:#d1c4e9
    style Value fill:#ffccbc
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Automation Depth

Goal: Cover as much of the SDLC as possible with AI agents

  • Current: Code generation, tests, pipelines
  • Target: Requirements → Architecture → Code → Deploy → Monitor
  • Measure: Percentage of SDLC steps automated

Quality and Reliability

Goal: Generated systems meet or exceed human-built quality

  • Current: Clean Architecture, DDD, tests included
  • Target: Zero architectural violations, 90%+ test coverage, production-ready by default
  • Measure: Defect density, architecture compliance, test coverage

Productization and Reusability

Goal: Factory outputs become reusable products

  • Current: Platforms built by Factory
  • Target: Marketplace of templates, agents, modules
  • Measure: Number of reusable assets, marketplace adoption

Developer Experience

Goal: Factory and AI Squads provide excellent developer experience

  • Current: Factory console, agent orchestration
  • Target: Self-service, fast feedback, intuitive workflows
  • Measure: Time to first service, developer satisfaction

Goals and Key Results (OKR-Style)

Horizon Goal Example Key Results
Short Term Factory generates 70%+ of new microservices for internal projects 70% of new services generated by Factory
Short Term Average time from idea to first running service < 3 days Median time: 2.5 days
Short Term 4 platforms fully generated and maintained via Factory Identity, Audit, Config, Bot platforms live
Mid Term Factory generates 50%+ of new microservices for external customers 50% of customer services generated
Mid Term Average time from idea to first running service < 1 day Median time: 18 hours
Mid Term Marketplace infrastructure operational (internal/private) Private marketplace launched
Long Term Factory becomes standard platform for .NET/Azure SaaS Market leader in AI code generation for .NET
Long Term Public marketplace with 100+ starters/agents/modules 100+ marketplace items
Long Term Knowledge system contains 1000+ patterns and solutions 1000+ knowledge objects

Alignment with Business Strategy and Roadmaps

graph LR
    subgraph Strategy["Business Strategy"]
        Diff["Product<br/>Differentiation"]
        Moat["Knowledge<br/>Moat"]
        Scale["Scalability"]
        Value["Customer<br/>Value"]
    end

    subgraph Factory["Factory Strategic Goals"]
        Auto["Automation<br/>Depth"]
        Quality["Quality &<br/>Reliability"]
        Product["Productization"]
        DX["Developer<br/>Experience"]
    end

    subgraph Roadmaps["Product Roadmaps"]
        FR["Factory<br/>Roadmap"]
        PR["Platforms<br/>Roadmap"]
        MR["Marketplace<br/>Roadmap"]
        SR["Squads<br/>Roadmap"]
    end

    Strategy --> Factory
    Factory --> Roadmaps

    Diff --> Auto
    Moat --> Product
    Scale --> Auto
    Scale --> Quality
    Value --> DX
    Value --> Quality

    Auto --> FR
    Quality --> PR
    Product --> MR
    DX --> SR

    style Diff fill:#e3f2fd
    style Moat fill:#f3e5f5
    style Scale fill:#e8f5e9
    style Value fill:#fff3e0
    style Auto fill:#bbdefb
    style Quality fill:#c8e6c9
    style Product fill:#d1c4e9
    style DX fill:#ffccbc
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Business Strategy Alignment

The Factory enables ConnectSoft's business strategy:

  • Product Differentiation - Factory is unique competitive advantage
  • Knowledge Moat - Accumulated patterns create defensible moat
  • Scalability - Factory enables scaling without linear cost increase
  • Customer Value - Faster time-to-market, better architecture

See: Business Strategy

Roadmap Alignment

Factory goals align with product roadmaps:

  • Factory Roadmap - Core Factory development and capabilities
  • Platforms Roadmap - Platforms built and maintained by Factory
  • Marketplace Roadmap - Marketplace enabled by Factory infrastructure
  • Squads Roadmap - Squads powered by Factory

See: Factory Roadmap, Platforms Roadmap, Marketplace Roadmap

Strategic Decisions

Decision

Factory Runtime Stays Proprietary - The Factory runtime remains proprietary ConnectSoft IP. This protects our competitive advantage while customers own all generated code. See BDR-0001: Generated Code Ownership.

Decision

Knowledge System is Core Moat - The knowledge and memory system is a core strategic asset. As it accumulates patterns and solutions, it becomes increasingly valuable and defensible.

Risks and Constraints

Risk 1: Adoption Risk

Problem: Teams may be reluctant to trust AI-generated code.

Mitigation:

  • Demonstrate value through internal usage
  • Show quality through platform examples
  • Provide human review processes
  • Build trust through transparency

Risk 2: Technology Stack Constraints

Problem: Opinionated .NET/Azure stack may limit market.

Mitigation:

  • Focus on .NET/Azure market (large and underserved)
  • Deep integration provides competitive advantage
  • Can expand to other stacks later if needed

Risk 3: Cost and Complexity

Problem: Running Factory at scale may be expensive and complex.

Mitigation:

  • Optimize agent execution
  • Use efficient AI models
  • Scale infrastructure efficiently
  • Charge appropriately for value

Risk 4: Quality Concerns

Problem: Generated code may not meet quality standards.

Mitigation:

  • Strong QA agents and quality gates
  • Human review for critical code
  • Continuous improvement of agents
  • Learn from production issues

Warning

Top 3 Strategic Risks: 1. Adoption Risk - Teams reluctant to trust AI-generated code 1. Quality Concerns - Generated code may not meet standards 1. Market Timing - AI coding tools evolving rapidly; need to stay ahead