DepChain

Visual dependency mapping for flawless construction scheduling

Score: 8.1/10ZMMedium BuildReady to Spawn
Brand Colors

The Opportunity

Problem

Enterprise construction teams can't effectively schedule complex projects with subcontractors because current apps lack dependency mapping.

Solution

DepChain lets project managers create interactive dependency graphs for tasks and subcontractors, automatically calculating start/end dates and critical paths. It resolves conflicts in real-time as subcontractor availability changes. Export schedules to PDF/Gantt for stakeholder buy-in.

Target Audience

Scheduling teams and project managers in enterprise construction firms handling complex projects with subcontractors

Differentiator

Pure-play dependency-first graphing outperforms bloated PM suites in speed and simplicity for complex sub scheduling

Brand Voice

professional

Features

Project Creation

must-have8h

Set up projects with teams and timelines

Task & Dependency Mapping

must-have20h

Drag-drop tasks, link dependencies visually

Auto-Scheduling

must-have15h

Compute dates based on deps and durations

Gantt Visualization

must-have18h

Interactive Gantt chart with critical path highlight

Subcontractor Assignment

must-have12h

Assign subs to tasks with availability slots

Real-time Collaboration

nice-to-have10h

Multi-user editing with live updates

Export & Reports

nice-to-have8h

PDF/CSV exports and delay risk reports

Email Notifications

nice-to-have6h

Alerts for delays or changes

Total Build Time: 97 hours

Database Schema

projects

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
nametextNo
owner_iduuidNo
start_datetimestampYes
created_attimestampNo

Relationships:

  • owner_id -> auth.users(id)

tasks

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
project_iduuidNo
nametextNo
duration_daysintNo
subcontractor_iduuidYes
start_datetimestampYes

Relationships:

  • project_id -> projects(id)
  • subcontractor_id -> subcontractors(id)

dependencies

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
task_iduuidNo
depends_on_iduuidNo

Relationships:

  • task_id -> tasks(id)
  • depends_on_id -> tasks(id)

subcontractors

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
nametextNo
availability_starttimestampYes
availability_endtimestampYes

API Endpoints

POST
/api/projects

Create new project

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/projects/:id

Fetch project details

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/tasks

Add task to project

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/dependencies

Link task dependencies

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/schedule/:projectId

Compute and return schedule

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/export/:projectId

Generate PDF/CSV

🔒 Auth Required

Tech Stack

Frontend
Next.js 14 + Tailwind + shadcn/ui + React Flow
Backend
Next.js API routes + Supabase Edge Functions
Database
Supabase Postgres
Auth
Supabase Auth
Payments
Stripe
Hosting
Vercel
Additional Tools
Recharts for chartsReact-DnD for drag-drop

Build Timeline

Week 1: Core setup & auth

30h
  • Project CRUD
  • Basic UI

Week 2: Tasks & deps

35h
  • Task add/edit
  • Dependency links

Week 3: Scheduling engine

40h
  • Auto-schedule algo
  • Gantt viz

Week 4: Subs & collab

30h
  • Sub assignment
  • Realtime via Supabase

Week 5: Polish & exports

25h
  • Exports
  • Notifications

Week 6: Payments & launch

20h
  • Stripe tiers
  • Landing page
Total Timeline: 6 weeks • 200 hours

Pricing Tiers

Free

$0/mo

5 tasks/project

  • 1 project
  • Basic deps
  • Gantt export

Pro

$40/mo

10 users/team

  • Unlimited projects
  • Subs, realtime
  • Reports

Enterprise

$199/mo

None

  • All Pro + custom integrations
  • Priority support
  • Unlimited users

Revenue Projections

MonthUsersConversionMRRARR
Month 11002%$80$960
Month 68007%$2,240$26,880

Unit Economics

$120
CAC
$2880
LTV
3%
Churn
88%
Margin
LTV:CAC Ratio: 24.0xExcellent!

Landing Page Copy

Map Dependencies, Master Construction Schedules

End scheduling chaos with visual graphs that auto-resolve subcontractor conflicts in seconds.

Feature Highlights

Drag-drop dependency chains
Critical path auto-detection
Real-time sub updates
One-click Gantt exports
Enterprise secure

Social Proof (Placeholders)

"'DepChain saved us weeks on mega-projects' - PM at Turner"
"'Finally, deps that just work' - Scheduler Pro"

First Three Customers

Post in LinkedIn groups for construction PMs, offer free lifetime Pro for case studies. DM 50 PMs from AGC directory with pain-point video demo. Attend virtual construction webinars to pitch live.

Launch Channels

Product HuntIndie Hackersr/constructionLinkedIn Construction Managers

SEO Keywords

construction dependency mappingsubcontractor scheduling softwareconstruction gantt with dependenciesenterprise project scheduler

Competitive Analysis

Enterprise $500+/mo
Strength

Full PM suite

Weakness

Deps buried in UI, slow for complex graphs

Our Advantage

10x faster dep-focused viz at 1/10th cost

Buildertrend

buildertrend.com
$99/mo starter
Strength

Scheduling basics

Weakness

No visual dep mapping

Our Advantage

Graph-based deps beat linear lists

🏰 Moat Strategy

Data moat from anonymized dep patterns improving auto-scheduling AI over time

⏰ Why Now?

Labor shortages and supply delays amplify dep pains; remote teams need visual collab tools post-2020.

Risks & Mitigation

marketmedium severity

Enterprise slow to adopt new tools

Mitigation

Free tier + integrations with Procore exports

technicallow severity

Complex graph computations slow

Mitigation

Supabase edge functions + memoization

executionmedium severity

Solo dev scope creep

Mitigation

Strict MVP features only

Validation Roadmap

pre-build7 days

Interview 10 PMs on LinkedIn

Success: 80% confirm pain & WOY $40/mo

mvp42 days

Build core, get 3 beta users

Success: Weekly usage >3hrs/user

launch7 days

PH launch, track signups

Success: 50 signups wk1

Pivot Options

  • General PM dep tool
  • Manufacturing scheduler
  • Event planning deps

Quick Stats

Build Time
200h
Target MRR (6 mo)
$3,000
Market Size
$8000.0M
Features
8
Database Tables
4
API Endpoints
6