docs(shield): update target customer to small healthcare ops + AI SaaS, add Consent Engine delivery options (GitHub template, hosted, hybrid)

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Kisa 2026-06-22 09:55:52 -04:00
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## 1. Product Definition ## 1. Product Definition
**What Shield is:** **What Shield is:**
A standalone compliance automation platform for healthcare-adjacent SaaS companies, startups, and small supplier operations. Think "Dash ComplyOps, but simpler and cheaper, with an AI Consent Addendum as the lead-gen engine." A standalone compliance automation platform for small healthcare operations and SaaS companies that engage with PHI and AI and need compliance — without paying enterprise prices.
**What Shield is NOT:** **What Shield is NOT:**
- Not DMEPOS-specific (that's Signal's lane) - Not DMEPOS-specific (that's Signal's lane)
- Not a replacement for Vanta/Drata (different tier — Shield targets micro-SaaS) - Not a replacement for Vanta/Drata (different tier — Shield targets smaller orgs)
- Not a consulting service (self-serve compliance tooling) - Not a consulting service (self-serve compliance tooling)
**Target customer:** **Target customer:**
- Micro-SaaS companies that need HIPAA/SOC 2 readiness (1-20 employees) - **Small healthcare ops** — clinics, therapy practices, home health agencies, DME suppliers of any type who handle PHI and need HIPAA compliance
- Healthcare adjacent startups building on top of HIPAA-covered infrastructure - **Healthcare-adjacent SaaS** — startups building AI tools for healthcare, digital health apps, telemedicine platforms, patient communication tools
- Small DME suppliers who want compliance basics without Signal (Shield standalone) - **AI companies handling PHI** — any company building AI/ML products that touch protected health information and need to prove compliance to customers
- DMEPOS suppliers who want both: Shield + Signal bundle (optional upsell) - **Shield + Signal bundle** — DMEPOS suppliers who need both documentation readiness (Signal) and overall compliance (Shield)
**Core value proposition:** **Core value proposition:**
"Get compliant in days, not months. Pre-built policies, automated evidence collection, and audit-ready reporting — starting at less than Dash ComplyOps." "Get HIPAA compliant in days, not months. Pre-built policies, automated evidence collection, audit-ready reporting, and a free open-source AI Consent Engine — starting at less than any competitor."
--- ---
@ -33,17 +33,17 @@ A standalone compliance automation platform for healthcare-adjacent SaaS compani
| Competitor | Price | Frameworks | Target | Shield Advantage | | Competitor | Price | Frameworks | Target | Shield Advantage |
|-----------|-------|-----------|--------|-----------------| |-----------|-------|-----------|--------|-----------------|
| **Vanta** | $10K-$100K+/yr | SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO, PCI | Enterprise | Too expensive for micro | | **Vanta** | $10K-$100K+/yr | SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO, PCI | Enterprise | Overkill for small ops |
| **Drata** | $7.5K-$100K+/yr | SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO, PCI | Mid-market | Too expensive for micro | | **Drata** | $7.5K-$100K+/yr | SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO, PCI | Mid-market | Overkill for small ops |
| **Secureframe** | $7.5K-$80K+/yr | SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO, PCI | Mid-market | Too expensive for micro | | **Secureframe** | $7.5K-$80K+/yr | SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO, PCI | Mid-market | Overkill for small ops |
| **Dash ComplyOps** | **$3K/yr flat** | HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI, ISO, NIST | Small teams | **Direct competitor — closest** | | **Dash ComplyOps** | **$3K/yr flat** | HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI, ISO, NIST | Small teams | **Direct competitor** |
| **Shield** | **TBD (target $1.2K-$2.4K/yr)** | HIPAA-first, SOC 2, expand | **Micro-SaaS** | Cheaper + Consent Addendum hook | | **Shield** | **TBD (target $1.2K-$2.4K/yr)** | HIPAA-first, SOC 2, expand | **Small healthcare ops + AI SaaS** | Cheaper + Consent Engine lead magnet |
**Differentiation strategy:** **Differentiation strategy:**
- Price under Dash (target $100-200/mo instead of $250) - Price under Dash (target $100-200/mo instead of $250)
- AI Consent Addendum is a unique lead-gen asset Dash can't match - AI Consent Engine is a unique open-source lead-gen asset no competitor has
- Simpler UI — focused on HIPAA-first workflows - Purpose-built for small healthcare operations and AI companies — not enterprise compliance repackaged
- Optional Signal bundle for DMEPOS suppliers who also need documentation readiness - Optional Signal bundle for DMEPOS suppliers who also need documentation readiness
--- ---
@ -61,30 +61,121 @@ A standalone compliance automation platform for healthcare-adjacent SaaS compani
| **User Management** | Unlimited users (team collaboration) | Match Dash's offering | | **User Management** | Unlimited users (team collaboration) | Match Dash's offering |
| **Framework Support** | HIPAA v1, SOC 2 v2, expand to PCI/ISO | Start narrow, grow | | **Framework Support** | HIPAA v1, SOC 2 v2, expand to PCI/ISO | Start narrow, grow |
### AI Consent Addendum (Open-Source Lead Magnet) ### AI Consent Engine (Open-Source Lead Magnet)
**Purpose:** Drive leads to Shield. The addendum is a simple, open-source document generator that creates AI/healthcare consent forms. It showcases STTIL's compliance expertise and includes a subtle "Need the full compliance suite? Check out Shield." CTA. **What it does:**
An open-source tool that lets any healthcare organization generate HIPAA-compliant AI/healthcare consent forms for their patients or end-users. A client (clinic, SaaS, AI company) takes the Consent Engine, brands it with their logo and custom language, and serves it to their own patients so patients can generate consent documents.
**Implementation:** **How the client uses it:**
- Standalone single-page app (Vite/React or simple HTML/JS) 1. Fork or clone the open-source GitHub repo
- User fills in: company name, AI tool name, data types processed 2. Edit a config file (JSON or YAML) with their logo URL, company name, clinic name, custom consent clauses, and branding colors
- Generates a formatted HIPAA-compliant consent document PDF 3. Deploy via one-click to Vercel/Netlify, or self-host
- No login required for basic use 4. Their patients visit their branded consent page, fill in AI tool name and data types, and receive a formatted HIPAA-compliant consent PDF
- "Want automated policy management, evidence collection, and audit prep?" → links to Shield signup 5. The footer includes: "Powered by STTIL Shield — Need full compliance? Learn more."
- Hosted at `consent.sttilsolutions.com` or similar
**Why open source:** **Why open source on GitHub:**
- Builds brand trust and community - Builds community trust and brand credibility
- SEO magnet for "AI consent form healthcare HIPAA" searches - SEO magnet for "AI consent form healthcare HIPAA GitHub"
- Low friction entry point — user sees STTIL quality before buying Shield - Low friction — any developer can try it in 5 minutes
- GitHub stars = social proof for Shield
- PR contributions from the community improve the tool
- Client owns their instance, no data flows through STTIL
--- ---
## 4. Technical Architecture ## 4. Consent Engine — Delivery Options
### Option A: Standalone (Recommended) ### Option A: GitHub Template Repo (User's Suggestion) — RECOMMENDED
Create a GitHub template repository that clients can use with one click.
**How it works:**
1. Client clicks "Use this template" on the GitHub repo
2. Their own copy is created with all the code
3. They edit a single `config.yaml` or `config.json` file:
```yaml
organization:
name: "City Family Clinic"
logo_url: "https://clinic.com/logo.png"
primary_color: "#2563eb"
website: "https://clinic.com"
consent:
jurisdiction: "US-HIPAA"
custom_clauses:
- "I consent to my data being used for AI-assisted diagnosis"
- "I understand I can revoke consent at any time"
footer_text: "This consent form is managed by City Family Clinic"
```
4. Deploy button (Vercel/Netlify) — one click to production
5. Client gets a live, branded consent form at `consent.clinic.com` or a Vercel subdomain
6. The form is ready for their patients to use
**Pros:**
- True open source — client owns the code and deployment
- Developer-friendly — uses familiar GitHub workflow
- No data flows through STTIL — privacy advantage
- Community contributions via PRs
- Huge SEO value for "HIPAA consent form GitHub"
**Cons:**
- Requires some technical ability (fork, edit config, deploy)
- No usage analytics for STTIL (can't track how many consents are generated)
- Client self-manages hosting costs (usually free on Vercel/Netlify free tier)
### Option B: Hosted Multi-Tenant (SaaS)
A hosted version at `consent.sttilsolutions.com` where clients log in, upload their logo, customize language through a UI, and get a branded page.
**How it works:**
1. Client signs up (no payment needed)
2. Uploads logo, sets colors, writes custom clauses in a WYSIWYG editor
3. Gets a branded URL: `consent.sttilsolutions.com/city-family-clinic`
4. Links their patients to that URL
5. Or embeds via iframe on their own website
**Pros:**
- Zero technical skills required
- STTIL controls the full experience
- Can track usage, collect emails, measure conversion to Shield paid
- Can A/B test CTAs and optimize lead generation
**Cons:**
- STTIL hosts the service (potential PHI adjacency concerns)
- More operational overhead
- Less open/community feel
- Client doesn't own their instance
### Option C: Hybrid (Recommended as Final State)
Start with Option A (GitHub template) for the developer audience and open-source community. Later add Option B (hosted) for non-technical clients who want a simpler setup.
**Phased rollout:**
1. **Phase 0a:** GitHub template repo — config-driven, deploy button
2. **Phase 0b (later):** Hosted version at consent.sttilsolutions.com — for clinics without developers
3. Both share the same rendering engine (the GitHub repo is the source of truth)
**Best of both worlds:**
- Developers and open-source community get the GitHub experience
- Non-technical clinics get the hosted experience
- The rendering engine is MIT-licensed on GitHub regardless
---
## 5. Technical Architecture
### Standalone Codebase (Not Signal Module)
Build Shield as a new, independent codebase. No shared infrastructure with Signal. Build Shield as a new, independent codebase. No shared infrastructure with Signal.
@ -96,88 +187,100 @@ Build Shield as a new, independent codebase. No shared infrastructure with Signa
- Auth: Clerk (separate instance or same with org separation) - Auth: Clerk (separate instance or same with org separation)
- Hosting: Railway (separate project) + Vercel (separate deployment) - Hosting: Railway (separate project) + Vercel (separate deployment)
**Pros:** **Why standalone:**
- Clean separation — Signal issues never affect Shield or vice versa - Clean separation — Signal issues never affect Shield or vice versa
- Independent pricing and scaling - Independent pricing and scaling
- Can sell standalone without bundling concerns - Can sell standalone without bundling concerns
- Easier to spin out or sell separately later - Easier to spin out or sell separately later
**Cons:** ### Consent Engine Architecture (GitHub Template)
- More upfront build time ```
- Separate Supabase project (extra $25/mo for Pro plan) shield-consent-engine/
├── README.md # Quick start, config guide
├── config.yaml # THE config file — client edits this
├── template/ # HTML/CSS/JS rendering engine
│ ├── index.html # Main consent form page
│ ├── style.css # Uses CSS variables from config
│ ├── script.js # Form logic, PDF generation
│ └── preview.png # Screenshot for GitHub social
├── CNAME # Custom domain support
├── vercel.json # One-click deploy config
├── netlify.toml # Netlify deploy config
├── LICENSE # MIT license
└── .github/
└── CONTRIBUTING.md # How to contribute
```
### Option B: Signal Extension (Not Recommended) **Key technical decisions:**
Build Shield as a module inside the Signal codebase. - Client-side PDF generation only (jsPDF or pdf-lib) — no backend needed
- CSS custom properties driven by config — instant branding
**Why not:** Already decided Shield is a standalone product. Sharing infrastructure couples two products with different pricing, compliance posture, and target customers. Avoid. - Zero data storage — forms generate PDF in-browser, nothing is sent to a server
- Deploy preview on every PR via Vercel/Netlify
### AI Consent Addendum Architecture - GitHub Actions for CI (validate config, build preview)
- Standalone single-page app, Vite/React
- No backend needed — PDF generation happens client-side (using a library like jsPDF or pdf-lib)
- Hosted on Vercel under a subdomain
- Links to Shield signup — no data collection on the addendum page itself (privacy-friendly)
- Open-source repo under STTIL GitHub org
--- ---
## 5. Pricing Tiers (Suggested) ## 6. Pricing Tiers (Suggested)
| Tier | Price (monthly) | Features | Target | | Tier | Price (monthly) | Features | Target |
|-----|----------------|---------|--------| |-----|----------------|---------|--------|
| **Free** | $0 | AI Consent Addendum, 1 policy template | Lead gen | | **Free** | $0 | AI Consent Engine (GitHub template, self-hosted) | Lead gen, community |
| **Starter** | **$99/mo** | 12 policies, evidence upload, audit reports | Solopreneurs, tiny teams | | **Starter** | **$99/mo** | 12 policies, evidence upload, audit reports | Solo practitioners, tiny teams |
| **Growth** | **$199/mo** | Starter + API integrations, risk assessments, unlimited users | Growing startups | | **Growth** | **$199/mo** | Starter + API integrations, risk assessments, unlimited users | Growing healthcare ops, SaaS |
| **Enterprise** | Custom | Growth + dedicated support, custom frameworks, Signal bundle | DMEPOS suppliers | | **Enterprise** | Custom | Growth + dedicated support, custom frameworks, Signal bundle | DMEPOS suppliers, larger orgs |
**Rationale:** **Rationale:**
- Undercut Dash ($250/mo) at both Starter ($99) and Growth ($199) - Undercut Dash ($250/mo) at both Starter ($99) and Growth ($199)
- Free tier = Consent Addendum (zero cost to STTIL, drives organic traffic) - Free tier = Consent Engine (zero cost to STTIL, drives organic traffic and SEO)
- Signal bundle upsell to $299/mo for suppliers who need both Signal + Shield - Signal bundle upsell to $299/mo for suppliers who need both Signal + Shield
--- ---
## 6. Go-to-Market ## 7. Go-to-Market
### Consent Addendum as Growth Engine ### Consent Engine as Growth Engine
1. Developer discovers "AI consent form" via search 1. Developer or clinic ops person discovers "HIPAA consent form" via search
2. Uses the free open-source tool → impressed by quality 2. Finds the open-source GitHub repo — stars, forks, tries it
3. Sees "Need HIPAA compliance for your whole stack? Try Shield." CTA 3. Impressed by quality → sees Shield CTA in the footer
4. Signs up for Shield Starter ($99/mo) 4. Signs up for Shield Starter ($99/mo)
5. Upgrades to Growth when they need audit prep 5. Upgrades to Growth when they need audit prep and evidence collection
### Channels ### Channels
- **SEO:** "HIPAA compliance for startups," "AI consent form," "SOC 2 for micro-SaaS" - **GitHub:** Stars, trending, HN posts about the open-source Consent Engine
- **Content:** Blog posts comparing Dash vs Shield, "I built HIPAA compliance in a weekend" type content - **SEO:** "HIPAA consent form generator," "AI consent template GitHub," "HIPAA compliance for startups"
- **Content:** Blog posts: "How we built an open-source HIPAA consent engine," "Shield vs Dash ComplyOps"
- **Signal cross-sell:** When a DMEPOS supplier signs up for Signal, offer Shield bundle - **Signal cross-sell:** When a DMEPOS supplier signs up for Signal, offer Shield bundle
- **Open-source community:** GitHub stars, HN posts about the Consent Addendum - **Direct outreach:** Small clinics, digital health startups, AI healthcare companies
--- ---
## 7. Build Phases ## 8. Build Phases
| Phase | Scope | Est. | | Phase | Scope | Est. |
|-------|-------|------| |-------|-------|------|
| **Phase 0: Consent Addendum** | Open-source mini-app, client-side PDF gen, hosted on Vercel | 1 session | | **Phase 0a: Consent Engine GitHub** | Template repo, config-driven, deploy button, MIT license | 1 session |
| **Phase 0b: Consent Engine Hosted** | Multi-tenant hosted version for non-technical users | 1 session (later) |
| **Phase 1: Shield MVP** | Policy templates, evidence upload, audit reports, user auth | 3-4 sessions | | **Phase 1: Shield MVP** | Policy templates, evidence upload, audit reports, user auth | 3-4 sessions |
| **Phase 2: Risk + Integrations** | Risk assessment module, API integrations (AWS, GCP, Railway) | 2-3 sessions | | **Phase 2: Risk + Integrations** | Risk assessment module, API integrations (AWS, GCP, Railway) | 2-3 sessions |
| **Phase 3: Signal Bundle** | Shared dashboard for suppliers using both products | 1 session | | **Phase 3: Signal Bundle** | Shared dashboard for suppliers using both products | 1 session |
--- ---
## 8. Open Questions (For Kisa) ## 9. Open Questions (For Kisa)
1. **Pricing:** Does $99/$199 feel right? Too low? Too high relative to Dash at $250? 1. **Pricing:** Does $99/$199 feel right for small healthcare ops? Too low/high vs Dash at $250?
2. **Frameworks:** Start with HIPAA-only and add SOC 2 later? Or launch with both? 2. **Frameworks:** Start with HIPAA-only and add SOC 2 later? Or launch with both?
3. **Consent Addendum name:** "AI Consent Addendum" vs "STTIL Consent Builder" vs something else? 3. **Consent Engine name:** "AI Consent Engine" vs "STTIL Consent Builder" vs "Open Consent"?
4. **Signal bundle:** A shared login/dashboard, or just a discount code? 4. **Consent Engine approach:** Go with Option A (GitHub template only), Option C (hybrid with hosted later), or something else?
5. **Timeline:** Build Consent Addendum first (fast win) or wait for full Shield MVP? 5. **Signal bundle:** A shared login/dashboard, or just a discount code for Shield customers?
6. **Build order:** Consent Engine first (fast win) or Shield MVP first?
7. **PHI concerns with hosted:** If we offer Option B (hosted), does the consent form itself generate PHI? (Patient name + health info in a form = potentially PHI)
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