System Requirements Document (SRD)

Project Name: pearl-problems

1. Introduction

Welcome to the System Requirements Document (SRD) for pearl-problems, a SaaS platform designed to empower founders, creators, and indie hackers in discovering actionable problems from online discussions. This document outlines the system's purpose, features, design, and technical specifications to ensure a seamless development process.

The platform will serve as a cutting-edge tool to identify real-world pain points, unmet needs, and frustrations expressed by users across various online platforms. By leveraging advanced AI capabilities, pearl-problems will transform these insights into startup opportunities, enabling users to build impactful products and services.

This document has been tailored to meet the needs of Aman Alvi, based in India, ensuring locale-specific considerations such as currency (INR), timezone (IST), and regional filters are incorporated.

2. System Overview

pearl-problems is a SaaS application that scans online discussions from platforms like Reddit, Twitter/X, and product review sites to extract user problems, complaints, and unmet needs. The system uses AI to analyze these discussions, summarize key insights, and suggest startup opportunities.

Key Features:

1. Problem Discovery Engine: Fetches posts from multiple platforms and extracts actionable insights.
2. AI Problem Analysis: Summarizes problems, identifies frequency, target audience, and potential solutions.
3. Startup Opportunity Generator: Suggests SaaS, app, marketplace, and content ideas based on identified problems.
4. Trend Score System: Assigns a score to each problem based on mentions, engagement, recency, and community spread.
5. Problem Dashboard: Displays trending problems, new discoveries, and high-opportunity ideas.
6. Save & Organize Ideas: Allows users to bookmark and organize problems and ideas into folders.
7. AI Deep Research Mode: Premium feature for competitor analysis, pricing models, and market size estimation.

3. Functional Requirements

As User:

• I should be able to enter a keyword or niche to search for problems.
• I should be able to customize searches using filters:
  • Platform Filters: Reddit, Twitter/X, Product Reviews, All Platforms.
  • Timeframe Filter: Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 30 days, Last 6 months.
  • Audience Type Filter: Beginners, Professionals, Businesses, Developers, Creators.
  • Location Filter: Global, USA, Europe, India, Custom country.
  • Problem Type Filter: Complaints, Feature requests, Questions, Pain points, Product comparisons.
• I should be able to view results in a card layout with:
  • Problem Title
  • Problem Summary
  • Source Platform
  • Mentions Count
  • Trend Score
  • Suggested Startup Opportunity
• I should be able to save filter preferences for quicker searches in the future.
• I should be able to bookmark problems and organize them into folders.
• I should be able to access premium features like AI Deep Research Mode for competitor analysis and market insights.

4. User Personas

1. Admin

• Manages user accounts, subscription plans, and system performance.
• Oversees platform updates and AI model improvements.

2. User

• Founders, creators, and indie hackers seeking actionable problems and startup ideas.
• Can customize searches, view results, and save ideas.

3. Guest

• Limited access to free features such as basic problem searches and analysis.

5. Visuals Colors and Theme

Color Palette:

The theme for pearl-problems will reflect innovation, clarity, and modernity.

• Background: #1A1A2E (Deep Midnight Blue)
• Surface: #16213E (Dark Navy Blue)
• Text: #EAEAEA (Soft White)
• Accent: #FF6F61 (Vivid Coral)
• Muted Tones: #A6A6A6 (Soft Gray)

6. Signature Design Concept

Concept: Interactive Problem Galaxy

The homepage will feature a dynamic, interactive galaxy map where each star represents a problem or niche.

• Visuals:

  • A dark, starry background with glowing stars.
  • Hovering over a star reveals a tooltip with the problem title and trend score.
  • Clicking a star zooms into a constellation of related problems, displayed as interconnected nodes.

• Animations:

  • Stars gently pulse and shimmer to create a sense of discovery.
  • Nodes expand and contract smoothly when clicked.

• Interactions:

  • Users can drag and rotate the galaxy map to explore different areas.
  • Filters dynamically adjust the galaxy view, highlighting relevant stars.

This design will make the platform visually captivating and emphasize the exploratory nature of problem discovery.

7. Non-Functional Requirements

• Scalability: Support thousands of users and real-time data collection.
• Performance: Ensure fast response times for searches and AI analysis.
• Security: Protect user data and ensure compliance with GDPR and other regulations.
• Localization: Support multiple languages and regional filters, including India-specific options.

8. Tech Stack

Frontend:

• React for Web
• React Native for Mobile App

Backend:

• Python
• FastAPI

Database:

• MySQL or MariaDB (preferred for RDBMS)
• MongoDB (for NoSQL needs)
• WeaviateDB (for VectorDB)

AI Models:

• GPT 5.4 for user-friendly responses
• Claude 4.6 Opas for academic or coding work
• Gemini 3.1 Pro for friendly responses
• Google Nano Banana for image generation

AI Tools:

• Litellm for LLM Routing
• Langchain

Orchestration:

• Docker and docker-compose for local orchestration
• Kubernetes for server-side orchestration

9. Assumptions and Constraints

Assumptions:

• Users will have internet access to use the platform.
• APIs for Reddit, Twitter/X, and product review sites will remain accessible.
• AI models will be updated regularly to improve accuracy.

Constraints:

• Limited free searches for non-paying users.
• Premium features require subscription plans.
• Data collection may be restricted by platform-specific API limits.

10. Glossary

• AI: Artificial Intelligence.
• SaaS: Software as a Service.
• RDBMS: Relational Database Management System.
• NoSQL: Non-relational database.
• VectorDB: Database optimized for vector-based data storage and retrieval.
• LLM: Large Language Model.

End of Document.