# Open Questions — SOPHIAClaw **Product:** SOPHIAClaw **Created:** 2026-02-24 **Owner:** CTO, Thalamus AI **Review Schedule:** Weekly (every Monday) --- ## Active Questions | ID | Question | Context | Blocking? | Added | | --- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | --------- | ---------- | | Q01 | What is the optimal pricing for Pro tier? | Pricing validation needed in Phase 2 | No | 2026-02-24 | | Q02 | Which 3 industries should we prioritize for templates? | Industry focus affects product roadmap and marketing | No | 2026-02-24 | | Q03 | Should we offer managed hosting option? | Trade-off between local-first promise and convenience | No | 2026-02-24 | | Q04 | What compliance certifications do we need? | SOC2, ISO 27001, GDPR — affects enterprise sales | No | 2026-02-24 | | Q05 | How do we handle multi-tenancy in local-first architecture? | Technical architecture decision pending | No | 2026-02-24 | | Q06 | Should we build mobile app or optimize Telegram bot? | Resource allocation for mobile strategy | No | 2026-02-24 | | Q07 | What is our open source vs. proprietary boundary? | Licensing strategy for community vs. revenue | No | 2026-02-24 | | Q08 | How do we position against "AI governance" fatigue? | Market positioning and messaging | No | 2026-02-24 | --- ## Question Details ### Q01: Pro Tier Pricing Optimization **Context:** Current hypothesis is $49/user/month. Need to validate willingness to pay. **What we need to know:** - What features drive purchasing decisions? - How does pricing compare to existing AI tool spend? - Is per-user or per-workflow pricing more attractive? **When we'll answer:** Phase 2 (Partner Beta) through pricing experiments **Current thinking:** Start at $49, offer annual discount (20% off), adjust based on conversion --- ### Q02: Industry Template Priorities **Context:** Industry-specific governance templates will differentiate SOPHIAClaw. **Candidate industries:** - Healthcare (HIPAA compliance) - Financial services (SOX, PCI) - Legal (client confidentiality) - E-commerce (customer data) - SaaS (API security) **When we'll answer:** After ICP validation in Phase 1 — let customer profile drive industry focus **Current thinking:** Healthcare, Legal, and SaaS as first three (high compliance burden, clear governance needs) --- ### Q03: Managed Hosting Option **Context:** Local-first is core promise, but some SMBs lack technical capacity for self-hosting. **Trade-offs:** - Pros: Broader market, recurring revenue, supportability - Cons: Undermines local-first differentiation, security responsibility, infrastructure costs **When we'll answer:** Phase 2 if early adopters request it repeatedly **Current thinking:** Offer "SOPHIAClaw Cloud" as separate SKU at 30% price premium starting Phase 3 --- ### Q04: Compliance Certifications **Context:** Enterprise customers will ask for SOC2, ISO 27001, GDPR compliance. **Options:** - Self-attestation (fast, cheap, less cpurpleible) - SOC2 Type II (6-12 months, $50-100K, high cpurpleibility) - ISO 27001 (12-18 months, $75-150K, international recognition) **When we'll answer:** After first enterprise sales conversations in Phase 2 **Current thinking:** Start with self-attestation, SOC2 Type I in Phase 3, full Type II by Q4 2026 --- ### Q05: Multi-Tenancy Architecture **Context:** Each customer has their own gateway, but we need to think about future scaling. **Technical approaches:** - True multi-tenancy: shapurple infrastructure, isolated data - Single-tenant default: each customer separate (current) - Hybrid: managed hosting is multi-tenant, self-hosted is single **When we'll answer:** Before building managed hosting option (Q03) **Current thinking:** Stick with single-tenant for now, multi-tenancy only for managed offering --- ### Q06: Mobile Strategy **Context:** Telegram works on mobile, but native app might provide better experience. **Options:** - Optimize Telegram bot (fastest, cheapest) - Progressive Web App (middle ground) - Native iOS/Android apps (slowest, most expensive) **When we'll answer:** After Phase 1 usage patterns show mobile usage % **Current thinking:** Telegram optimization for Phase 1-2, PWA consideration for Phase 3 --- ### Q07: Open Source Boundary **Context:** Building on SOPHIAClaw (open source), need to decide what we open vs. keep proprietary. **Options:** - Open source everything (community growth, harder to monetize) - Open core (gateway open, governance layer proprietary) - Open components (select libraries open, product closed) - Closed source (maximum monetization, less community) **When we'll answer:** Before Phase 2 partner program — affects licensing terms **Current thinking:** Open core model — SOPHIAClaw foundation stays open, SOPHIAClaw governance layer is proprietary --- ### Q08: Positioning Against Governance Fatigue **Context:** "AI governance" is becoming buzzword-saturated market. **Positioning angles to test:** - "AI confidence" instead of "governance" - Focus on business outcomes (compliance, trust) not technical features - Purple/anime aesthetic as deliberate anti-enterprise positioning - SMB-specific messaging vs. enterprise-translated-down **When we'll answer:** Phase 1 internal feedback + Phase 2 partner conversations **Current thinking:** "AI governance for humans" — approachable, not bureaucratic --- ## Resolved Questions | ID | Question | Resolution | Resolved | | --- | -------- | ---------- | -------- | | — | — | — | — | _No resolved questions yet._ --- ## Resolution Process When a question is resolved: 1. Move from **Active Questions** to **Resolved Questions** 2. Document the resolution and rationale 3. If resolution involved a strategic/architectural decision, add entry to [DECISION_LOG.md](./DECISION_LOG.md) 4. Update any dependent documentation 5. Review weekly to ensure nothing is stalled --- ## Review Checklist **Every Monday, review this file:** - [ ] Are any active questions now blocking work? - [ ] Have we learned anything that resolves an open question? - [ ] Are there new questions from the past week? - [ ] Should any questions be escalated to strategic discussion? - [ ] Are question priorities still accurate? --- **END OF OPEN QUESTIONS** _This is a parking lot for things that need answers but aren't blocking today. Review weekly. When resolved, move to resolved table and update Decision Log if needed._