ProjProof

Timestamp your side projects instantly to prove ownership without lawyers.

Score: 7.3/10UGMedium BuildReady to Spawn
Brand Colors

The Opportunity

Problem

Students developing side projects cannot afford lawyers to protect their intellectual property.

Solution

Students upload code, designs, or docs to get blockchain-verified timestamps and downloadable proof certificates. It generates poor man's copyrights and stores everything securely for future disputes. Simple dashboard tracks all your project proofs over time.

Target Audience

College and university students building tech or creative side projects

Differentiator

Affordable blockchain timestamps tailored for student side projects, with one-click GitHub integration for devs.

Brand Voice

supportive

Features

Project Upload

must-have12h

Upload files or connect GitHub for auto-proofing

Blockchain Timestamp

must-have20h

Generate immutable timestamp via OpenTimestamps

Proof Certificate

must-have8h

Download PDF certificates with hash and timestamp

Dashboard

must-have15h

View and manage all project proofs

Search & Export

must-have10h

Search proofs and export to CSV/PDF

Email Notifications

must-have8h

Get alerts on new proofs and expirations

GitHub Auto-Sync

nice-to-have15h

Automatically proof new commits

Team Sharing

nice-to-have10h

Share proofs with collaborators

Watermarking Tool

nice-to-have12h

Add invisible watermarks to images

Total Build Time: 110 hours

Database Schema

users

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
emailtextNo
github_idtextYes
created_attimestampNo

projects

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
user_iduuidNo
nametextNo
file_hashtextNo
statustextNo

Relationships:

  • user_id -> users.id

proofs

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
project_iduuidNo
timestamp_urltextNo
certificate_urltextNo
created_attimestampNo

Relationships:

  • project_id -> projects.id

API Endpoints

POST
/api/projects

Create new project

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/proofs

Generate proof

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/proofs/:id

Get proof details

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/dashboard

List user proofs

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/github/callback

Handle GitHub OAuth

Tech Stack

Frontend
Next.js 14 + Tailwind + shadcn/ui
Backend
Next.js API routes
Database
Supabase Postgres
Auth
Supabase Auth
Payments
Stripe
Hosting
Vercel
Additional Tools
OpenTimestamps.org APIGitHub API

Build Timeline

Week 1: Core auth and DB setup

25h
  • User auth
  • Basic DB schema
  • Landing page

Week 2: Project upload and dashboard

30h
  • Upload feature
  • Dashboard UI

Week 3: Proof generation

35h
  • Blockchain timestamp
  • PDF cert

Week 4: Payments and polish

25h
  • Stripe integration
  • Notifications
  • Testing

Week 5: Nice-to-haves

20h
  • GitHub sync
  • Sharing
Total Timeline: 5 weeks • 158 hours

Pricing Tiers

Free

$0/mo

No GitHub sync

  • 3 proofs/month
  • Basic dashboard

Pro

$40/mo
  • Unlimited proofs
  • GitHub sync
  • Priority support

Team

$99/mo

Up to 5 users

  • All Pro + team sharing
  • Custom watermarks

Revenue Projections

MonthUsersConversionMRRARR
Month 11501.5%$90$1,080
Month 61,2002.5%$1,200$14,400

Unit Economics

$8
CAC
$240
LTV
4%
Churn
88%
Margin
LTV:CAC Ratio: 30.0xExcellent!

Landing Page Copy

Protect Your Side Projects Before They Go Viral

Blockchain timestamps for students – prove you built it first, no lawyers needed.

Feature Highlights

Instant blockchain timestamps
GitHub integration
Downloadable certificates
Unlimited storage on Pro

Social Proof (Placeholders)

"'Saved my hackathon project!' – Alex, CS junior"
"'Easy proof for my app idea.' – Sarah, designer"

First Three Customers

Post in university Discord servers and Reddit r/SideProject, offering free Pro for first month to student founders sharing their story. DM 10 hackers from recent hackathons via Twitter. Run $50 FB ad targeting 'college developer' interests.

Launch Channels

Product Huntr/SideProjectHacker NewsIndie HackersUniversity subreddits

SEO Keywords

side project copyrightprotect code IP studenttimestamp project proofpoor mans copyright code

Competitive Analysis

Proof of Existence

proofofexistence.com
Pay per hash
Strength

Simple blockchain

Weakness

No student focus or dashboard

Our Advantage

Student-tailored UI and GitHub sync

$99+ filings
Strength

Legal docs

Weakness

Too expensive for students

Our Advantage

$40/mo unlimited proofs

🏰 Moat Strategy

Network effects from shared student community proofs and GitHub integrations creating sticky usage.

⏰ Why Now?

Explosion of AI-assisted side projects by students needs cheap IP proof amid rising GitHub theft stories.

Risks & Mitigation

legalmedium severity

Proofs not legally binding

Mitigation

Clear disclaimers + lawyer-vetted templates

technicallow severity

Blockchain API downtime

Mitigation

Fallback to notary API

marketmedium severity

Low awareness of need

Mitigation

Educational content on landing

Validation Roadmap

pre-build7 days

Survey 50 students on Discord

Success: 30% interested in MVP

mvp14 days

Launch waitlist

Success: 100 signups

launch30 days

PH launch

Success: 50 users week 1

Pivot Options

  • Freelancer portfolio proofer
  • Artist digital watermarking
  • Open source contrib tracker

Quick Stats

Build Time
158h
Target MRR (6 mo)
$2,000
Market Size
$5000.0M
Features
9
Database Tables
3
API Endpoints
5