solidSF

AI-native browser CAD. Professional parametric modeling at $29/month -- 50x less than SolidWorks, running entirely in your browser.

overview

AI-native browser CAD -- pre-launch

Rust Kernel
77K
Lines of code, zero external deps
Passing Tests
1,265
Zero ignored
CAD Operations
36+
Extrude, revolve, loft, sheet metal...
TAM
$15B
Global CAD market, 7% CAGR

the problem

Pricing is absurd
SolidWorks costs $4K-$20K/year per seat. Hardware startups and students are completely priced out of professional-grade tools.
Desktop-bound, Windows-only
No collaboration. No cloud-native workflow. Engineers on Macs need Boot Camp. No modern DevOps. No real-time sharing.
Zero AI integration
Every feature, constraint, and dimension is manual. Engineers waste hours on repetitive tasks AI could handle in seconds. CAD is the last major category untouched by AI.

the solution

Kernel
Custom Rust CAD Kernel
77K LOC, B-Rep topology, NURBS, constraint solver (Gauss-Newton + sparse Cholesky), 18 constraint types, booleans, assemblies, sheet metal, STEP AP203 I/O. Zero external dependencies. Built from scratch.
AI Agents
Hermes -- Natural Language to Geometry
"Add 4mm fillets to all exterior edges." "Generate a mounting bracket for this motor with M4 bolt pattern." 55 CAD tools. Runs on Claude Sonnet 4.6. Agents manipulate the real feature tree -- not images or dead meshes.
Generative Design
TPMS Lattice + Topology Optimization
Gyroid, Schwarz P, Diamond, Lidinoid infill patterns. Field-driven variable-density lattice for topology optimization. SDF boolean operations. Features SolidWorks doesn't have.
Pricing
10-50x Cheaper Than Incumbents
Free tier for everyone. Pro at $29/mo -- unlimited projects, AI agents, STEP export, simulation. Team at $49/seat/mo -- collaboration, version control. Enterprise custom. Stripe already built.

market sizing

MarketSizeDefinition
TAM$15BGlobal CAD software market (2026), growing at 7% CAGR
SAM$3BSMB + startup + education -- teams priced out of SolidWorks/Fusion
SOM$5.9M ARR10K paying teams at $49/mo avg -- achievable in 2-3 years via PLG
Expansion+$8BCAE/simulation market as platform grows beyond pure CAD

why now

1. AI inflection -- LLMs can now reason about geometry, constraints, and engineering intent. CAD is one of the last major software categories untouched by AI.
2. WebGPU/WASM maturity -- Browser compute is finally fast enough for real CAD kernels (Rust to WASM). This was not true 3 years ago.
3. Onshape validation -- PTC acquired browser CAD startup Onshape for $470M in 2019. Category proven. But Onshape is now stalled under enterprise bloat.
4. Hardware renaissance -- Explosion of hardware startups (robotics, EVs, drones, space) creating massive demand for affordable, modern CAD tools.

the ask -- $20M seed

$20M
Seed -- Post-money SAFE -- $80M post-money cap -- 30-36 months runway
Target close
8 weeks
Use of Funds
Engineering -- 8-10 hires, kernel + infra + AI
$8M
Infrastructure & compute -- multi-region, GPU, CI
$3M
Product & Design -- 3 hires
$2.5M
Go-to-Market -- community, content, dev advocacy
$2.5M
Legal, IP & ops
$1.5M
Buffer
$2.5M
30-36 months runway. Target $3M ARR and Series A at $300M+ within 24 months.

pitch deck

11-slide narrative -- for investor meetings and demos

01
solidSF
AI-native browser CAD. $29/month.
Professional parametric CAD that runs in your browser, talks to AI, and costs 50x less than SolidWorks.
solidsf.com Live Product Pre-launch Raising $20M Seed
02
The Problem
ToolPricePlatformAICollaboration
SolidWorks$4,000-$20K/yrWindows onlyNoneNone
CATIA$12K-$20K/yrWindows onlyNoneNone
Fusion 360$700/yrDesktop + browserMinimalYes
Onshape$1,500/yrBrowser (enterprise)NoneYes
Engineers waste hours on repetitive modeling tasks that AI could handle in seconds. Small hardware teams are priced out of the tools that big companies take for granted.
03
The Solution
solidSF -- a full parametric CAD & CAE platform that runs in the browser
CAD Kernel
77K LOC Rust, zero dependencies, B-Rep topology, NURBS, constraint solver, booleans, assemblies, sheet metal, STEP I/O
AI Agents (Hermes)
Natural language to parametric geometry. 55 CAD tools on Claude Sonnet 4.6. Manipulates real feature tree in real-time.
Generative Design
TPMS lattice infill (Gyroid, Schwarz P, Diamond, Lidinoid), field-driven topology optimization, SDF booleans
Pricing
Free tier to Pro $29/mo to Team $49/seat/mo to Enterprise custom. 10-50x cheaper than incumbents.
04
Product Demo
Live demo available at
solidsf.com
No signup required for basic features
The 15-minute demo shows:
Browser to full CAD in seconds. Create extrusion, fillet, pattern, export STEP.
AI agent live: type "add 2mm fillets to all edges" -- feature tree updates in real-time.
Kernel code depth: 77K lines, 17 crates, 1,265 tests -- this is not a wrapper.
LLM training infra: custom CUDA engine trained 8.2B parameter model for $49.
05
Market Size
SegmentSizeSource / Logic
TAM$15BGlobal CAD market 2026, IDC. Growing at 7% CAGR.
SAM$3BSMB, startups, education -- priced out of SolidWorks
SOM (Y3)$5.9M ARR10K teams x $49/mo avg via PLG
Expansion+$8BCAE / simulation layer on same kernel
06
Business Model & Pricing
TierPriceFeatures
Free$0Limited projects, community support, basic CAD operations
Pro$29/moUnlimited projects, AI agents (Hermes), STEP export, simulation
Team$49/seat/moCollaboration, org management, version control, priority support
EnterpriseCustomSSO, on-prem, dedicated compute, SLA, custom integrations
Expansion levers: Compute-based pricing for generative design and simulation GPU hours. Marketplace for parametric component libraries. API access for headless CAD automation.
07
Traction -- Pre-Launch
Product is feature-complete and live at solidsf.com. Stripe billing integrated, ready to activate.
Total LOC
114K
Rust + TypeScript, production infra
Infra Status
Live
K8s on EC2, Cloudflare, JWT auth, billing
Next milestones: AI agent integration -- generative design MVP -- FEA simulation -- public launch (HN, Product Hunt, CAD communities) -- first 100 users -- first 10 paying customers.
08
Why Now
AI Inflection Point
LLMs can now reason about geometry and constraints. CAD is the last major software category untouched by AI.
WebGPU/WASM Maturity
Browser compute is finally fast enough for real CAD kernels. Rust to WASM is production-ready.
Onshape Proved the Category
PTC paid $470M for Onshape (browser CAD) in 2019. Now stalled under enterprise bloat. Opportunity is wide open.
Hardware Renaissance
Explosion of hardware startups (robotics, EVs, drones, space) creating demand for affordable, modern CAD.
09
Competitive Landscape
ToolPrice/yrBrowserAI AgentsOpen APIGen DesignMac Native
solidSF $348 YesYesYesYesYes
SolidWorks $4,000+ NoNoNoPartialNo
Fusion 360 $700 PartialNoLimitedYesYes
Onshape $1,500 YesNoYesNoYes
Zoo.dev $600 YesPartialYesNoYes
10
Team
A
Andy -- Founder & CEO
San Francisco, CA
Deep in CAD since 2008. OpenAI beta cohort 2022. solidSF is the collision of both -- 18 years of geometry intuition and 4 years building with frontier AI models, for a mission he cares about: making engineering accessible, fast, and good.

Built the entire platform solo -- 77K LOC Rust kernel + AI agents + 114K total LOC production infra. One person. Zero-dep geometry engine: B-Rep, NURBS, constraint solver, booleans. PhD-level computational geometry shipped as product.

Hermes AI agent: 55 CAD tools on Claude Sonnet 4.6, manipulating real parametric geometry -- not images, not meshes. Only possible by owning the kernel.
Rust Computational Geometry AI/ML -- OpenAI Beta 2022 CAD since 2008 Infrastructure
11
The Ask
$20M
Seed -- Post-money SAFE -- $80M post-money cap
40%
Engineering -- 8-10 hires
15%
Infra & Compute
25%
Product, Design & GTM
20%
Legal, Ops & Buffer
We already built what most companies spend their entire seed round building. $20M gets us to Series A at $300M+ -- 10K users, $3M ARR, 50+ OpenTools marketplace extensions, and enterprise pipeline.

org structure & team

people model, technical leads, and hiring progression

management model

Andy -- CEO
People manager for everyone. Every employee -- lead or IC -- reports to Andy for comp, performance, career growth, and culture. No one's career trajectory is mediated by a technical lead.

Skip-level for all ICs. Standing skip-level 1:1s with every individual contributor. Direct line to the CEO on people matters at all times.
Team Leads -- Technical Managers
Own the technical direction. Architecture decisions, code review, sprint planning, technical mentorship, and day-to-day unblocking. They run the how -- not the who.

Report directly to Andy. First in the door, most technically senior on their team.
ICs -- Individual Contributors
Technical report to their team lead. People report to Andy directly.

Two managers, clean separation: lead = unblock and level up technically; Andy = career, compensation, and culture. ICs are never more than one hop from the founder on people matters.

org chart -- series A target state

Andy Norris
CEO & Founder
People Mgr: everyone
Frontend Lead
Hire #1
WebGL / WebGPU
UI / Collab
FE Engineers x2
Product Designer x1
GTM Lead
Hire #2
DevRel / Community
Content / PLG
Sales Engineer x1
Community Mgr x1
AI Lead
Hire #3
Hermes / Agents
LLM integration
AI Engineers x2
Core Platform Lead
Hire #4
Rust kernel / WASM
Geometry / Sim
Kernel Engineers x2
Hardware & R&D
Andy-direct
3D farm / Demos
Stealth / Events
Intern(s) / Contractors
People reporting (solid lines) to Andy. Technical reporting (dashed, day-to-day) to Team Lead. Hardware & R&D has no lead -- Andy owns it directly. Internships and short-term contractors slot here.

hiring phases

Now
Solo
Andy owns everything -- kernel, agents, infra, frontend, ops.
1 person
Month 1-2
First hires
+ Frontend Lead
+ GTM Lead

Andy offloads UI and community. Focuses on kernel + AI.
3 people
Month 3-6
Technical depth
+ AI Lead
+ Core Platform Lead

Four team leads. Andy runs hardware R&D directly + manages all people.
5 people
Month 6-18
Teams fill out
Each lead hires 1-2 ICs. Hardware intern(s) onboard. Skip-level 1:1s begin with all ICs.
9-13 people
Series A
Scale
4 teams of 3-5. People ops hire considered. Andy retains people mgr role across org.
15-20 people

first hires

#1
Frontend Lead
Sr. Frontend / WebGL Engineer -- Month 1
Owns: Browser renderer (WebGL/WebGPU), UI component system, real-time collaboration, responsive design, performance on low-end hardware.

Why first: Andy's weakest area relative to the kernel. Shipping a beautiful, fast UI is the #1 driver of free to paid conversion and first impressions with investors and press.
Ideal profile: 5+ yrs frontend, shipped WebGL or 3D product, opinionated on DX, ideally ex-Figma/Spline/Onshape.
WebGL / WebGPUTypeScript3D / CAD UICollab / CRDT
#2
GTM Lead
Developer Advocate / Community -- Month 1-2
Owns: PLG top of funnel -- engineering communities (HN, Reddit, Discord), content/tutorials, product demos, launch events, conference presence, partnerships with universities and makerspace.

Why second: Product is built. The bottleneck is awareness and distribution.
Ideal profile: Ex-engineer turned advocate, active in CAD/hardware/maker communities, writes well, comfortable on camera.
DevRelContentCAD / HardwareCommunity

second wave hires (month 3-6)

#3
AI Lead
Sr. AI/ML Engineer -- Month 3-4
Owns: Hermes agent system, new CAD tooling, LLM fine-tuning and evals, prompt engineering, agentic loop reliability, AI UX research.

Ideal: Shipped production agentic systems, experience with tool use / function calling, ideally knows CAD or mechanical engineering.
LLM / AgentsTool UseEvals
#4
Core Platform Lead
Sr. Rust / Geometry Engineer -- Month 4-6
Owns: CAD kernel extension (FEA, CFD, topology optimization), WASM performance, B-Rep algorithms, constraint solver improvements, simulation layer.

Ideal: PhD or equivalent in computational geometry / numerical methods, Rust or C++ expert, comfortable working in a novel codebase.
RustGeometryFEA / Simulation

hardware & R&D -- Andy-direct

What it covers
3D printer farm management integration. Live hardware demonstrations at events. Real-world product walkthroughs (design to print to hold). Stealth hardware projects (disclosed at Andy's discretion).
Budget model
Capped at $100K/yr pre-profitability. After cash-flow positive, scales from profit -- not from raise. Internships slot here: hands-on engineering students working on hardware demos and integration.
Why no lead (yet)
Andy owns this personally -- it touches stealth projects and sets the tone for what solidSF hardware means. A lead gets added post-Series A when scope and spend justify it. Interns and contractors execute, Andy directs.

responsibility matrix

Decision TypeAndyTeam LeadIC
Compensation & equityDecidesInput--
Performance reviewsOwns & deliversInput--
Hiring decisionsFinal sayLoop in & interview--
Career growth conversationsPrimaryTechnical coaching--
Architecture & tech decisionsSkip-level reviewDecidesProposes / executes
Code reviewOccasionalPrimaryPeer review
Sprint & task planningSets prioritiesRunsExecutes
Culture & valuesSets & modelsReinforces--
Hardware / stealth projectsOwns entirely--Interns / contractors

week 1 action plan

March 16-23, 2026 -- launch & fundraise simultaneously

Dual Strategy: Launching the product AND raising capital in the same week. This shows investors real market traction as you're pitching -- a signal most founders can't manufacture.
Sun 3/16 Today -- Foundation Setup 4-6 hours >
Morning -- 2 hrs
Practice demo script -- Record yourself 5 times, time each run
Create demo backup files -- Save complex CAD parts for demo
Test solidsf.com performance -- Ensure site can handle traffic spike
Afternoon -- 2-3 hrs
Write HackerNews post -- Focus on technical achievement
Prepare Twitter thread -- 10-tweet story about building CAD kernel
Film demo video -- 5 minutes, professional quality
Evening -- 1 hr
Update LinkedIn -- Change title to "Founder @ solidSF"
Draft Product Hunt submission -- Schedule for Thursday
Mon 3/17 Public Launch + Investor Outreach Wave 1 >
6:00 AM -- Launch Sequence
Submit to HackerNews -- "Built a browser CAD system with custom Rust kernel (77K LOC)"
Post Twitter thread -- Tag key people in CAD/AI space
Send to personal network -- 20 people, ask for RTs/shares
9:00 AM -- Investor Outreach
Email Founders Fund -- Brian Singerman, demo request
Email Lux Capital -- Adam Ghobarah, manufacturing angle
Email DCVC -- Matt Ocko, deep tech positioning
12:00 PM -- Content Amplification
Respond to HN comments -- Stay engaged, answer technical questions
Share on Reddit -- r/engineering, r/MachineLearning, r/rust
Post in CAD forums -- SolidWorks community, Fusion 360 forums
3:00 PM -- Network Activation
Message Jim Keller network -- Request 3 warm intros
Reach out to Elon network -- Ask for SpaceX/Tesla engineer intros
SF founder network -- Activate 5 warm connections
6:00 PM -- Metrics Review
Track HN position -- Goal: front page for 4+ hours
Monitor Twitter engagement -- Retweets, replies, DMs
Email responses -- Follow up same day
Tue 3/18 Momentum Building + Strategic Targets >
Morning -- 9 AM - 12 PM
Product Hunt launch -- Submit for Thursday feature
Cold outreach batch 1 -- 10 tier-1 investors
Demo meeting requests -- Convert warm intros to meetings
Afternoon -- 1 PM - 5 PM
Strategic angel outreach -- 5 former CAD executives
AI researcher outreach -- Andrej Karpathy, Chris Lattner
Follow up on HN leads -- Convert interest to demos
Evening -- 6 PM - 8 PM
Investor CRM setup -- Track all interactions
Demo calendar -- Block time for meetings
Prepare data room -- Organize technical docs
Wed 3/19 Demo Conversions + Media Coverage >
First investor demos -- 2-3 meetings if scheduled
TechCrunch outreach -- Pitch the story
Industry publication outreach -- CAD magazines, design blogs
Hardware startup outreach -- 10 potential customers
University partnerships -- MIT, Stanford engineering schools
Cold outreach batch 2 -- Next 10 investors
Thu 3/20 Product Hunt Launch + Scaling Demos >
12:01 AM -- Submit to Product Hunt -- Coordinated launch
Rally network for votes -- Text 50+ people
Investor demos -- 3-4 meetings if scheduled
Product Hunt promotion -- Twitter, LinkedIn, email
Customer development -- 5 user interviews
Fri 3/21 Week Wrap-Up + Weekend Momentum >
Demo meetings -- Any remaining this week
Investor follow-ups -- Send next steps to interested parties
Media coverage compilation -- Create press kit
Customer feedback review -- Update product roadmap
Fundraise pipeline review -- Update CRM with status
Sat-Sun 3/22-23 Strategic Planning + Rest >
Week metrics review -- Users, signups, investor responses
Investor research -- Prepare for next week's targets
Demo script refinement -- Based on week's feedback
Next week's calendar -- Block demo times
Rest and recharge -- You'll need energy for week 2

week 1 success metrics

CategoryMetricTarget
LaunchHackerNews front page4+ hours, 200+ upvotes
LaunchNew signups500+ users
ContentTwitter impressions10K+, 100+ retweets
ContentMedia mentions1-2 publications
InvestorInvestors contacted25
InvestorPositive responses10+
InvestorDemos scheduled5 meetings
ProductUsers create first part50+ activated
ProductSTEP file exports25+

2-week campaign blitz

March 16-29, 2026 -- $10M deployment. Make solidSF unavoidable.

Doctrine: Every hardware engineer in SF, LA, SD, NYC, CHI, and MIA will see solidSF on a building, a train platform, a billboard, on YouTube, on their campus, and in their Reddit feed -- in the same week. Territorial seizure.

$10M budget allocation

Out-of-Home (billboards, transit)
$2,500,00025%
Digital paid (Google, YouTube, Meta, Reddit)
$2,000,00020%
Influencer / YouTube sponsorships
$1,500,00015%
University blitz program
$800,0008%
Sponsorships (podcasts, newsletters)
$800,0008%
Events + trade shows + demos
$600,0006%
Professional film production
$500,0005%
Brand video + creative production
$300,0003%
Swag, merch, sampling
$200,0002%
Reserve / opportunistic
$400,0004%

OOH city breakdown

CityMonthly SpendKey Placements
San Francisco~$180K/moI-80/101 merge, SoMa 4th & Brannan, Mission Bay, BART domination (Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell), Caltrain station, Union Square digital
New York City~$235K/moL train domination (Williamsburg tech corridor), 7 train (LIC/Hudson Yards), Times Square digital 48hr, Bedford Ave station, Penn Station digital, PATH train
Los Angeles~$140K/moI-405 near El Segundo (SpaceX/Raytheon corridor), I-405 at Wilshire (UCLA), SpaceX Hawthorne Crenshaw billboard, Expo Line subway, Silicon Beach digital
San Diego~$70K/moSorrento Valley corridor (Qualcomm, hardware startups), UCSD La Jolla Village Dr, I-5 North Del Mar Heights, MTS Trolley Blue Line
Chicago~$85K/moL Train Brown/Purple (Evanston to Loop, Northwestern), I-90/94 Kennedy Expressway, Fulton Market tech cluster, O'Hare Airport terminal
Miami~$77K/moI-95/395 merge, Wynwood murals + digital, Brickell Ave LED, MIA Airport terminal, Metromover digital, FIU/UM engineering campuses

billboard creatives

Format A -- The Price Shock
SolidWorks: $4,000/year
solidSF: $29/month
Same CAD. Runs in your browser.
solidsf.com
Format B -- The Statement
The last CAD software you'll ever pay $4,000 for just launched for $29.
solidSF -- AI-native browser CAD
solidsf.com
Format C -- University Only
Your university pays $800/seat for SolidWorks.
You can use solidSF for $9/month.
AI-powered. Browser-native.
solidsf.com

production schedule

2-Day Shoot (~$15,000 all-in)
Day 1 Product Demo Shoot (Studio / WeWork) >
Hero brand video: 60-second manifesto -- "This is what CAD looks like in 2026"
Product demo: 3-minute polished walkthrough -- feature tree, AI agent, generative design
AI agent isolated 30-second clip -- text input to parametric geometry
Talking head: Andy to camera -- "I built this in a year. SolidWorks took 30 years and costs $4K."
B-roll: screen captures, close-ups, keyboard, screen reflections in glasses
Day 2 Lifestyle / Contextual Shoot (SF Locations) >
Engineer working in SF coffee shop with solidSF on MacBook
Hardware startup office environment -- parts, circuit boards, solidSF on display
Timelapse: complex assembly being built by AI agent in real-time
Multiple formats: 16:9 (YouTube), 9:16 (Reels/TikTok/Shorts), 1:1 (Instagram), 4:5 (ads)

growth flywheel

24-month incentive architecture -- March 2026 to March 2028

the 3-stage funnel

Try
Get them in. Make them feel the power. First part created + AI agent used.
Target: 40% activation in 7 days
Share
Make it socially and financially irrational NOT to share. K-factor > 0.5.
Target: 30% share within 30 days
Switch
Free/Pro to Team. SolidWorks/Fusion to solidSF. Migration so easy it's the obvious move.
Target: 15% Team conversion in 90 days

referral reward ladder

1
1 free month Pro ($29)
Immediate, automatic. Triggered the moment their referral creates a first part.
~$0 cost
3
Full year Pro free ($348)
A real gift -- costs near nothing at scale. Strong signal to keep referring.
~$0 cost
5
solidSF hoodie shipped
Trigger Printful auto-ship. Physical merchandise creates brand presence.
~$40 COGS
10
Lifetime Pro + mechanical keyboard
Only 100 keyboards/month -- creates scarcity. Engineers are competitive, they'll optimize for this.
~$150 COGS
25
Lifetime Team + call with Andy + credits page
This person is a champion. Featured publicly. Treat them accordingly.
~$0 (time)
50
$500 in cloud credits + case study + full merch kit
Top 1% of users. Worth dramatically more than this in LTV. ROI: 7.1x on reward cost.
~$550 cost

north star metrics

MetricTarget Month 3Target Month 12
Weekly active users2,00015,000
MRR$15K$150K
Referral K-factor0.30.5
Paid CPA (blended)< $25< $20
Enterprise trials325
University programs1050
NPS score4060
The one metric that predicts everything else: % of new users who create their first part within 7 days of signup. Above 40% -- everything follows. Below 20% -- fix onboarding before spending another dollar on acquisition.

quarterly roadmap

Q1 2026 -- March-May
Launch + Blitz
5K signups / 50 paying / $1.5K MRR
  • Digital + OOH launch across 6 cities
  • University blitz: 22 campuses in 2 weeks
  • Referral program live
  • Merch program live (earned-only)
  • Migration pipeline (Tier 1 self-serve) live
Q2 2026 -- June-August
Validate + Double Down
500 paying / $15K MRR / 2 enterprise pilots
  • Kill underperforming OOH, double SF + NYC
  • First enterprise migration deals (Tier 2)
  • YouTube sponsors signed (3-5 channels)
  • Professor program: 10 professors signed
  • Back-to-school campus blitz (August)
Q3 2026 -- Sept-Nov
Scale + Enterprise
2K paying / $60K MRR / 1 enterprise customer
  • First Tier 3 white glove deal ($50K+ ACV)
  • YouTube organic driving 30% of signups
  • Referral K-factor measured -- double down if >0.4
  • Third campus blitz: fall semester
  • First 3 case studies published
Q4 2026 -- Dec-Feb 2027
Compound
5K paying / $150K MRR / 5 enterprise
  • Enterprise sales team (2 reps) hired
  • Professor program: 50 professors, 5K students
  • OOH running in 3 cities on autopilot
  • Product Hunt "Best of 2026" nomination
  • Series A metrics emerging
Q1-Q2 2027
Enterprise Expansion
$500K MRR / 10+ enterprise
  • Enterprise ACV growing ($100K+ deals)
  • Customer success team hired
  • International: UK, Germany, Japan
  • University: 100 professors, 20+ universities
Q3-Q4 2027
Category Leadership
$1M MRR ($12M ARR) / Series A term sheets
  • Press narrative: "solidSF is the Figma of CAD"
  • Series A close, or profitability
  • Trade shows: SOLIDWORKS World, Autodesk University
  • The incumbent has noticed. The moat is real.

OOH campaign

$2.5M out-of-home across 6 cities -- boards live by day 5

city allocations

San Francisco
$500K
I-80/101 merge billboard / SoMa 4th & Brannan / Bryant St corridor / Mission Bay Illinois & 16th / Market Street (4 shelters) / BART domination: Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, 16th St Mission / BART car wrap (2 cars, Fremont line) / Caltrain SF to Palo Alto station takeover / Union Square digital / Market St LED panels
New York City
$600K
L Train line domination (Williamsburg tech) / 7 Train (LIC/Hudson Yards) / A/C/E line / Bedford Ave station domination / Union Square station / Times Square digital 48hr / BQE Billboard / LIC 21st & Jackson / Hudson Yards 30th & 10th / Flatiron Broadway / Cornell Tech corridor shelters / PATH train interior
Los Angeles
$400K
I-405 NB at Wilshire (UCLA exit) / I-405 SB near El Segundo (aerospace corridor) / I-405 at National (Culver City/Silicon Beach) / Lincoln Blvd Venice / SpaceX Hawthorne Crenshaw billboard / Expo Line 7 stations / Red Line Hollywood-DTLA / Culver City digital
San Diego
$200K
Sorrento Valley Rd corridor (Qualcomm, hardware startups, x4) / UCSD La Jolla Village Dr (x2) / I-5 North Del Mar Heights / Miramar Rd defense corridor / MTS Trolley Blue Line / Downtown Gaslamp digital
Chicago
$200K
L Train Brown/Purple (Evanston to Loop, Northwestern) / I-90/94 Kennedy Expressway / Fulton Market West Loop (Google Chicago) / Michigan Ave digital / O'Hare Airport terminal digital / Northwestern campus Sherman Ave
Miami
$150K
I-95/395 merge billboard / Wynwood murals + digital panels / Brickell Ave LED (x2) / MIA Airport terminal / Metromover digital / FIU Engineering + UM Coral Gables bus shelters

budget phasing

PhaseDurationAction
Month 14 weeksAll 6 cities simultaneously. Creative A (Price Shock) everywhere.
Month 1 Week 4ReviewKill 2 lowest-signal cities. Increase budget in top 4.
Month 24 weeksTop 4 cities with better placements. Creative B (AI angle): "CAD that understands what you're building."
Month 34 weeksRotate creative in top cities. Creative C (social proof): "10,000 engineers switched. [City] is next." Add 1 new test city.
Month 4+OngoingRun top 2-3 cities indefinitely while profitable CPA.

primary vendors

Lamar Advertising
Best for highway bulletins (I-80, I-5, I-405, I-95). Static vinyl = 10-14 day lead time. Digital = 48-72 hrs. Negotiate multi-market package: 20-30% off when booking 6 cities simultaneously.
Clear Channel Outdoor
Transit shelters, urban street furniture, airport displays, digital bulletins. Negotiate digital dayparting: peak commute hours 7-9 AM, 5-7 PM at flat rate.
Outfront Media
NYC subway MTA contract holder. All subway advertising goes through Outfront. Station domination packages $40K-80K/4 weeks. Line takeover $25K-60K.
Blip Billboards (Programmatic)
Self-serve. Pay-per-play. Go live in 24-48 hours. CPM $4-$15. Best for fast activation Day 1, A/B testing creative in real time, budget flexibility. Set $500/day/city to start.

digital paid

$2M budget -- Google, YouTube, Meta, Reddit. Day 1 execution-ready.

Core message (never changes): SolidWorks costs $4,000 a year. solidSF costs $29 a month. It runs in your browser. AI understands what you're building. Every ad is a variation of that sentence.

Google Search -- 3 campaigns

Campaign 1
Competitor Displacement
Target CPA $20. Daily cap $500. Capture engineers searching for SolidWorks alternatives.
Top Keywords
"solidworks too expensive" / "solidworks cheaper alternative" / "solidworks replacement" / "replace solidworks" / "cloud based solidworks" / "solidworks for startups" / [solidworks alternative]
Campaign 2
Category Capture
Target CPA $25. Daily cap $400. Engineers searching generically for CAD software or affordable CAD.
Top Keywords
"browser cad software" / "ai cad software" / "parametric cad software" / "cad for mac" / "generative design software" / "affordable cad for engineers" / [ai cad]
Campaign 3
Hardware Startup Targeting
Target CPA $30. Daily cap $300. Engineers at hardware startups making tool decisions for their team.
Top Keywords
"cad for hardware startups" / "cad for robotics company" / "cad for drone company" / "collaborative cad software" / "team cad software" / "browser cad for teams" / [cad for hardware startups]

top ad copy examples

Price Shock -- Ad Group 1A
SolidWorks Costs $4K/Year
solidSF Costs $29/Month
Professional parametric CAD with AI agents. No download. No license key. Start modeling in 60 seconds. Free to try.
Browser CAD -- Ad Group 2A
Browser-Native CAD Software
$29/Month. Try Free Today.
Professional parametric CAD that runs entirely in your browser. No install. Works on Mac, Windows, Linux. 36+ operations including assemblies, sheet metal, and FEA.
AI CAD -- Ad Group 2B
AI-Native CAD -- Finally
Natural Language to 3D Parts
Tell solidSF what you need. AI agents build parametric geometry, add constraints, modify the feature tree -- in real time. Not a chatbot. A real CAD agent.
Mac CAD -- Ad Group 2D
Real CAD on Your Mac
No Windows VM Required
SolidWorks doesn't run on Mac. solidSF does -- natively in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. Full parametric modeling, assemblies, STEP export. No bootcamp required.

platform budget table

PlatformWeekly BudgetPrimary FormatTarget Audience
Google Search$30K/wkSearch adsHigh-intent: "SolidWorks alternative", "browser CAD", "parametric CAD"
YouTube$25K/wkPre-roll + in-streamCAD tutorial channels, engineering channels
Reddit$15K/wkFeed + conversationr/engineering, r/mechanical_engineering, r/CAD, r/rust, r/MachineLearning
LinkedIn$10K/wkSponsored contentMechanical engineers, hardware CTOs, engineering managers at Series A-C startups
Meta (IG/FB)$10K/wkVideo ads + carouselEngineering interests, hardware startup founders, tech workers age 25-40

virality & community

referral system ships day 1 alongside public launch

referral architecture

Every activated user gets a referral code the moment they complete their first part -- not at signup. Timing is deliberate: they've felt the product work, enthusiasm is at its peak. Code format: https://solidsf.com/?ref=aX7mK9pQ
The moment it appears: After their first STEP export: "You just exported a real parametric part from a browser. Know anyone who'd prefer $29/month over $4,000/year? Send them your link. You get a free month every time one of them builds something."

complete referral ladder

1
1 free month Pro ($29)
Immediate, automatic
~$0
3
Full year Pro free ($348)
A real gift at near-zero cost
~$0
5
solidSF hoodie shipped (Printful auto-ship)
Highest ROI marketing spend in the program -- wearing merch increases 6-month retention by est. 20%
~$40
10
Lifetime Pro + mechanical keyboard
100 keyboards/month cap creates scarcity. Engineers are competitive. ROI: 5.2x on reward tier.
~$150
25
Lifetime Team + call with Andy + credits page
Public champion recognition. Treat them like the top person they are.
~$0
50
$500 cloud credits + featured case study + merch kit
Top 1% of users. Their LTV impact dwarfs the reward cost. ROI: 7.1x.
~$550

merch program

5 referrals
solidSF Hoodie
COGS ~$40 shipped. Trigger Printful auto-ship. Near-black with Electric Blue wordmark on chest. Engineers wearing this in WeWork lobbies and coworking spaces are walking ads.
10 referrals
Mechanical Keyboard
COGS ~$150. Max 100/month -- artificial scarcity works on engineers. Cherry MX switches or similar. Custom keycap set with solidSF branding optional but not required.
Social post 500+ views
Sticker Pack
User posts video using solidSF, tags @solidSF + #solidSF, gets >500 views -- sticker pack ships automatically. COGS ~$5.
Social post 50K+ views
Full Merch Kit + DM from Andy
Viral content creator gets hoodie + cap + keyboard + sticker pack + direct message from Andy. Personal touch matters at this tier -- they are a genuine marketing asset.

K-factor targets

1.0 0.7 0.5 0.2 0 K=0.5 M1 M3 M6 M12 M18 M24
K-factor trajectory
K=0.5 target (every 2 users bring 1 more)

Discord community architecture

Public Channels
#general / #showcase (parts built in solidSF) / #help / #feature-requests / #ai-agent-tips / #campus-ambassadors / #releases
Special Tiers
#pro-users (Pro subscribers only) / #team-users (Team plan) / #enterprise-lounge / #referral-leaderboard / #beta-features / #kernel-nerds (technical deep dives)

university program

$800K budget -- 22 campuses in 2 weeks. $5K per campus kit.

Per-Campus Kit ($5,000): Branded pop-up table with live demo monitor / 500 free Pro QR code cards / Sticker + USB + branded notebook swag bags / 1,000 full-color price comparison flyers / 10 campus ambassador t-shirts ($50/referral) / Pizza/coffee engineering club sponsorship / Professional banner

target campuses by city

SF Bay Area
NYC
Los Angeles
San Diego
Chicago
Miami
CampusEng EnrollmentKey Buildings / ClubsBest Times
Stanford University~4,500Huang Engineering Center, Product Realization Lab, Tresidder Union / Formula SAE, Robotics Club, ASMEMon-Thu 11-2 PM, Tue/Thu 4-6 PM
UC Berkeley~5,200Jacobs Hall, Soda Hall, Bechtel Engineering Center / Formula Racing, Hyperloop, Cal Robotics, ASMEMon-Fri 10 AM-2 PM, Tu/Th 11:30-1:30 PM peak
SF State~1,800Thornton Hall, Cesar Chavez Center / IEEE, SHPE, ASME, RoboticsTue/Thu 11-2 PM, Mon/Wed 2-5 PM
Santa Clara University~2,300Bannan Engineering, Benson Memorial Center / Robotics, IEEE, ASME, Solar Car (Midnight Sun)Mon-Thu 11-1 PM, Tue/Thu 4-6 PM
San Jose State~5,500Engineering Building, McLaughlin Hall / FSAE, Robotics, Aerospace Club, SWEMon-Thu 11-2 PM
CampusEng EnrollmentKey Buildings / ClubsNotes
Columbia University~4,000Mudd Building, Hamilton Hall / ASME, IEEE, Robotics, Formula RacingMorningside Heights campus
NYU Tandon~3,500Engineering Quad, Dibner Library / Robotics, IEEEBrooklyn campus
Cornell Tech~700Small campus -- easy to dominate / Tech entrepreneurship focusRoosevelt Island
City College of NY~3,000Grove School of Engineering / ASME, SHPE, IEEEHarlem
Pratt Institute~1,800Industrial design + engineering crossoverBrooklyn
CampusEng EnrollmentKey Buildings / ClubsNotes
UCLA~5,000Samueli School of Engineering, Boelter Hall / Formula SAE, Robotics, ASME, IEEEWestwood
USC~6,000Viterbi School, Davidson Plaza / Formula SAE, Robotics, IEEEDowntown LA adjacent
Caltech~600Millikan Library, Beckman Institute / Small but highly influential; deep technical culturePasadena
Cal Poly Pomona~6,500College of Engineering / Heavy hardware/manufacturing focus / FSAE, RoboticsPomona
CSULB~4,000Engineering Quad / Aerospace, ME, EE clubsLong Beach
CampusEng EnrollmentNotes
UC San Diego~6,000Jacobs School of Engineering -- Atkinson Hall, Warren College. Robotics, IEEE, ASME, FSAE all active. Near Sorrento Valley tech corridor.
San Diego State~3,500Engineering Building, SDSU Aztec Center. IEEE, ASME, Robotics Club.
USD~800Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering. Small but engineering-forward.
CampusEng EnrollmentKey Buildings / ClubsNotes
Northwestern~3,500Technological Institute, Ford Engineering Design Center / FSAE, Robotics, IEEE, ASMEEvanston
IIT (Illinois Tech)~2,500Armour College of Engineering / Historically strong in engineering + designBronzeville
University of Illinois Chicago~3,000College of Engineering / ASME, IEEE, RoboticsNear West Side
CampusEng EnrollmentNotes
FIU~7,000College of Engineering & Computing. One of the largest engineering programs in Florida. IEEE, ASME, Robotics, SHPE all strong.
University of Miami~2,200College of Engineering. Coral Gables campus. Strong research engineering programs.
Florida International Univ~4,000Engineering campus in Sweetwater. LatAm engineering pipeline.

university budget summary

RegionCampusesDaysBudget
SF Bay Area5Day 4-6$25,000
New York City5Day 7-9$25,000
Los Angeles5Day 8-10$25,000
Chicago3Day 9-11$15,000
San Diego2Day 10-11$10,000
Miami2Day 11-12$10,000
Ambassador team (10 people x $25/hr x 8 hr x 14 days)--All$28,000
Total Phase 1222 weeks$138,000

enterprise migration

the migration offer is the sales call disguised as a service

ICP: Hardware company, 10-500 employees, 3-75 mechanical engineers, current CAD spend $15K-$500K/yr. Industries: robotics, EVs, drones, aerospace, medical devices, defense tech. Stage: Seed to Series C.

migration tiers

Tier 1
Self-Serve Migration
Free
Up to 500 STEP files / 48 hr processing
  • Bulk STEP importer (web UI + API)
  • AI-generated part descriptions (Claude)
  • Auto-organized folder structure by type
  • Parametric reconstruction confidence score
  • 14-day Team trial included
  • One-click export-back, permanent and unconditional
Tier 2
Guided Migration
Free 30 days -- $5K
Up to 5,000 files / 2-week timeline
  • Everything in Tier 1
  • 2-hour kickoff video call with solidSF engineer
  • Custom folder hierarchy matching existing structure
  • AI vocabulary training on their part names
  • 30-day Team trial for up to 20 seats
  • Dedicated Slack channel during trial
  • If no convert: full export-back, no charge
Tier 3
White Glove Enterprise
$25K-$100K+
Unlimited files / On-site visit / ACV $50K-$100K
  • Unlimited STEP files
  • Andy + 1 engineer on-site, 2 days
  • Full parametric reconstruction where STEP allows
  • Custom PLM/ERP integrations
  • 90-day dedicated support channel
  • SSO, on-prem, SLA options
  • Becomes case study for next 10 deals

tier A target companies ($50K+ ACV)

#CompanyLocationDescription
1Joby AviationSanta Cruz, CAeVTOL, ~1,000 engineers, raised $1.6B. VP Eng is economic buyer.
2Archer AviationSan Jose, CAeVTOL, ~300 engineers, Series C funded, SolidWorks-heavy.
3Wisk AeroMountain View, CAAutonomous eVTOL, Boeing-backed, ~200 engineers.
4Sarcos TechnologySalt Lake CityExoskeleton robotics, ~150 engineers, Series C.
5ApptronikAustin, TXHumanoid robotics, ~100 engineers, Series A, tech-forward.
6Figure AISunnyvale, CAHumanoid robots, raised $675M, explosive eng headcount growth.
7SkydioSan Mateo, CAAutonomous drones, ~500 employees, defense + commercial.
8Shield AISan Diego, CADefense AI, autonomous aircraft, ~600 employees, Series F.
9Anduril IndustriesCosta Mesa, CADefense tech, ~1,200 employees. Target: Director of Mechanical Engineering.
10HadrianHawthorne, CAAutomated precision manufacturing, raised $117M. CAD is core.
11Machina LabsLos AngelesAI-powered metal forming, raised $32M. CAD + manufacturing overlap.
12Relativity SpaceLong Beach, CA3D-printed rockets, ~800 engineers, unusual CAD stack.
13Impulse SpaceCulver City, CAOrbital transfer vehicles, raised $45M, ~100 engineers.
14HermeusAtlanta, GAHypersonic aircraft, raised $100M, ~80 engineers.
15Physical IntelligenceSan FranciscoRobotics AI, raising fast, growing hardware team.
16Agility RoboticsCorvallis, ORBipedal robots, Amazon-backed, ~200 engineers.
17Astra SpaceAlameda, CASmall launch vehicles, hardware-heavy.
18Terran OrbitalIrvine, CASmall satellites, public company, ~250 engineers.
19Kitty Hawk / OpenerMountain ViewEarly eVTOL, small tight team, tech-forward culture.
20Bright MachinesSan FranciscoIntelligent factory automation, raised $300M.

objection handling

"We've invested years in our SolidWorks library. We can't lose that." >
Your files come with you, full stop. Every STEP file you upload to solidSF can be exported back at any time, in the original format, with the original folder structure, regardless of whether you're a paying customer. The migration is not a trap -- it's a conversion. Your files are yours. The only risk you're taking is that you might like the tool.
"Our engineers know SolidWorks. Switching tools will kill productivity." >
solidSF was explicitly built with SolidWorks UI conventions -- same ribbon structure, same feature tree, same right-click behavior, 116 keyboard shortcuts that match SolidWorks defaults. An engineer who uses SolidWorks today can be productive in solidSF in an afternoon. We designed it that way deliberately. Don't take our word for it -- give one engineer a free account and ask them to try one real project.
"Can a browser-based tool handle our production-quality work?" >
The kernel is 77,000 lines of production Rust with B-Rep topology, NURBS surfaces, a Gauss-Newton constraint solver, 36+ parametric operations, and 1,265 passing tests. This is not a toy or a wrapper around someone else's geometry engine. It's purpose-built CAD kernel that runs in the browser via WASM. The computational geometry is the same whether it runs on a desktop or in Chrome. We're happy to do a technical deep-dive with your lead mechanical engineer before you commit to anything.
"What about data security? Our files are proprietary IP." >
Per-user isolation is built into the infrastructure at the architecture level -- not as a bolt-on. Files are stored with per-org encryption, never commingled. SOC 2 is in progress. For enterprise customers we offer on-prem deployment options where your data never leaves your network. We have a security one-pager for your IT team. For highly sensitive IP, we recommend starting with non-production reference designs for the migration trial so you can evaluate the product without exposing your core IP.
"How do you compare to Onshape? We've already evaluated them." >
Onshape is $1,500/seat/year, is owned by PTC (which acquired them for $470M in 2019), and has essentially stopped innovating since the acquisition. It has no AI integration, no generative design, and no pathway to the features that the next generation of CAD needs. solidSF is $49/seat/month -- 37% of Onshape's cost -- and ships AI agents, TPMS lattice generative design, and a kernel that was written in 2025, not 2012. We're not the safer choice. We're the better one.
"You're a startup. What if you shut down?" >
The export-back guarantee is unconditional and contractual -- not dependent on our continued operation. Your files are always exportable in STEP format. We also use industry-standard file formats throughout, so even if solidSF ceased to exist, every file you've ever created remains usable in any other CAD tool. There is no proprietary format lock-in. This is a deliberate design decision we're proud of.

outreach emails

6 email packs -- investor, enterprise, press, hardware founders, university, influencer

legal documents

5 agreements -- ready to send

Ambassador
Campus Ambassador Agreement
For student brand ambassadors. Defines $50/referral commission, social post requirements, content approval, exclusivity clause, and IP ownership.
View document
Design Partner
Design Partner Agreement
For early hardware companies getting 12 months free. Defines feedback obligations, case study rights, logo usage, no confidentiality on general product direction.
View document
Enterprise
Enterprise Trial Agreement
For Tier 2/3 migration trials. Covers file handling, data ownership, export-back guarantee, trial-to-paid conversion terms, and SLA.
View document
Influencer
Influencer Sponsorship Agreement
For YouTube and social media creators. Defines deliverables, affiliate rates, FTC disclosure requirements, content approval process, and exclusivity windows.
View document
Professor
Professor Partnership MOU
For academic partnerships. Free Team licenses for all course students in perpetuity. Defines curriculum co-development, data privacy for students, logo co-branding.
View document

creative assets

brand guidelines, ad copy packs, social content

Brand
Brand Guidelines v1.0
Logo usage, color palette, typography, voice, tone by channel, photography direction. Written March 16, 2026.
#2563eb -- Electric Blue (primary)
#0a0a0a -- Near Black (background)
#f0f0f0 -- Off White (text)
Font: Inter Bold (headlines) / JetBrains Mono (code/data)
Voice
5 Brand Voice Principles
Direct -- Says what it means, no hedging. "$4K vs $29" is the whole argument.
Precise -- "77,000 lines of Rust" not "built with modern technology."
Confident -- No apology for being small or new. The product is real.
Dry -- Understated humor. The joke in "$29/month" needs no explanation.
Respectful of engineers -- Writes for people who know what B-Rep is.
OOH Copy
OOH Copy Pack
Full set of billboard, transit shelter, subway card, and digital OOH copy variants. Includes price shock format, statement format, AI format, and university-specific.
Billboard headline (7 words max)
"$4,000/year. Or $29/month."
Transit shelter (technical, more room)
"Built from scratch in Rust. B-Rep topology, NURBS, constraint solver. Not a toy -- a full CAD kernel at 10x less than SolidWorks."
Digital Ads
Digital Ad Copy Pack
Full Google Ads, YouTube scripts, Reddit copy, LinkedIn posts, and Meta ad copy. Campaign 1 (competitor), Campaign 2 (category), Campaign 3 (startup).
Google Ad -- Highest CTR variant
SolidWorks Alternative
AI-Native CAD -- $29/Month
Parametric CAD with AI agents. Switch from SolidWorks in one afternoon. Your STEP files come with you. 30-day free trial.

marketing collateral

4 designed HTML files -- ready to print, share, or display

Investor
Investor One-Pager
Single-page HTML formatted for printing or PDF export. Covers problem, solution, traction, team, market, and the $20M ask. Clean black-on-white layout for investor meetings.
Open
Customer
Customer One-Pager
Lead with the pricing comparison. Features, integrations, migration path. Designed to be left behind at enterprise sales meetings or attached to outreach emails.
Open
Student
Student Flyer
8.5x11" flyer for campus tabling. Price comparison front and center: "Your university pays $800/seat for SolidWorks. You pay $9/month." QR code links to signup.
Open
Enterprise
Enterprise Brochure
4-page brochure layout for enterprise deals. Migration tiers, security overview, pricing comparison, case study format, and contact information.
Open

media kit

Fact Sheet
Key stats, founding date, funding status, product description, and contact for press. marketing/mediakit/FACT_SHEET.md
Press Kit
Full press kit with company story, founder bio, product descriptions, and approved quotes. marketing/mediakit/PRESS_KIT.md
Influencer Kit
Talking points, demo script, affiliate link instructions, FTC disclosure language, and approved brand assets. marketing/mediakit/INFLUENCER_KIT.md
solidSF
Internal -- restricted access
Incorrect password