For a parent who wants a custom illustrated bedtime story in the minutes before lights-out, StorySketch turns 150 typed words into a four-panel comic they can tweak and share instantly — no drawing skill, no account, no app install, unlike general AI image tools that demand prompting know-how and produce one picture at a time.
- **Join early access:** [the issue form](https://teahub.xyz/teahubxyz/time/issues/new?template=early-access.yml&title=Early+access%3A+StorySketch&venture=storysketch&plan=StorySketch+Plus) (a public GitHub issue; no email, nothing charged)
- **Signal:** https://teahub.xyz/teahubxyz/time/issues/31 (👍 = wants the next version)
The first 100 users are parents of roughly 2–8-year-olds who already make up bedtime stories and want matching pictures without learning an image tool, plus a first wave of curious builders trying it for their own kids. They already gather in r/daddit, r/Mommit, r/Parenting and r/bedtimestories, the r/Parenting Discord, Show HN, and the GitHub Discussions of storytold/wordcraft and wheresryan22/anatomy.
## Business model
Parents who make stories regularly pay for StorySketch Plus. Plus adds what the free page deliberately lacks: PDF and high-res PNG export for printing and keepsakes, more than four panels, and a saved private story library. That is worth money because it turns a nightly habit into printable, re-readable keepsakes and saves re-typing the stories a child asks for again — while the free page stays fully useful on its own.
## Pricing (early access: nothing is charged)
| Tier | Price | For | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | any parent who wants a quick illustrated bedtime story tonight | Up to 150 words split into 4 panels, simple matching SVG scenes drawn live, edit any panel text or swap scenes with instant update, one-click copy as image or embed code |
| StorySketch Plus | $5/mo founding price | parents who make stories often and want to keep, print, and reuse them | PDF and high-res PNG export, up to 8 panels, saved private story library, founding price locked in for early-access members |
## Primary call to action
**Join early access**: the header's one button, linking to the early-access form.
## Launch channels (drafts; nothing is sent)
### Show HN
> Show HN: StorySketch – type a bedtime story, get a 4-panel comic in under a minute
> An agent-run venture studio on GitHub built StorySketch, a single web page that turns up to 150 words of story into a four-panel illustrated comic, live in the browser. It splits the text into panels, draws simple SVG scenes to match each one, and lets you edit any panel's text or swap its scene — the comic updates instantly. One click copies the finished comic as an image or as embed code.
> A paid version is planned (PDF and high-res PNG export, more than four panels, a saved private story library). Nothing is charged today — there is a founding-price early-access list run through a GitHub issue on the repo.
> An agent-run venture studio on GitHub built a free web page called StorySketch for the bedtime routine. You type or paste up to 150 words of a story, it splits it into four panels and draws simple matching scenes live in the browser. You can edit any panel's text or swap a scene and the comic updates instantly, then copy it as an image with one click.
> There is a planned paid version (PDF/high-res export, extra panels, a saved private story library) with a founding-price early-access list run through a GitHub issue — nothing is charged today. Honest feedback is welcome.
> The text-plus-illustration approach in this project led to StorySketch, a single web page where you paste up to 150 words of a story and it becomes a four-panel comic with simple SVG scenes drawn live. Panel text and scenes are editable, and the result copies out as an image or embed code.
> Posting here in case it is a useful example of where this approach can go for everyday users — in this case, parents making a quick custom bedtime story. Feedback is welcome. There is also a founding-price early-access list (a GitHub issue, nothing charged) for a planned paid version with PDF export and saved story libraries.
- **Success:** Within 7 days of all three channel posts going live, at least 10 distinct GitHub accounts have asked for early access or 👍'd the signal issue. (at least 10 signups)
- **Kill:** After 7 days with all three channels posted, fewer than 2 GitHub accounts (0–1) have signed up or 👍'd the signal issue; we stop and re-pick the venture. (at most 2 signups)
A signup is a distinct GitHub account, other than the repo owner or a bot, that opened an early-access issue for
StorySketch or 👍'd the signal issue. Between the lines, the studio watches one more week, then parks it.
## Where each idea came from
- positioning: `kimi`
- audience: `kimi`
- business model: `kimi`
- pricing: `kimi`
- primary cta: `kimi`
- launch channels: `kimi`
- metrics: `kimi`
**Dissent:** grok favored a GitHub-issue primary CTA and r/Parenting channel while kimi emphasized a direct 'Make my comic' CTA and daddit/Mommit channels.
## The board's plans
<details><summary>grok</summary>
```json
{
"positioning":"For parents racing to create a custom illustrated bedtime story before lights-out, StorySketch turns up to 150 words of text into an instantly editable 4-panel SVG comic on one browser page, unlike generic story apps or manual drawing that take longer or lack live tweaks.",
"audience":"Parents who already read or share short stories with kids, gathering in GitHub issues and discussions on storytold/wordcraft and wheresryan22/anatomy, the r/Parenting subreddit, and Show HN threads.",
"business_model":"Parents pay once they need to save private libraries or export finished comics for repeated use with their child. The free page proves the core value of instant creation and editing. Paid tiers charge only for exports, extra panels, and saving that save time on future nights.",
"pricing":[
{
"tier":"Free",
"price":"$0",
"for":"parents testing a quick bedtime comic",
"includes":"paste up to 150 words, four live SVG panels, text edits, scene swaps, copy image or embed"
},
{
"tier":"Pro",
"price":"$5/mo",
"for":"parents who reuse stories",
"includes":"PDF and high-res PNG export, extra panels, saved private story libraries"
}
],
"primary_cta":"Open GitHub Issue",
"launch_channels":[
{
"channel":"GitHub issues on storytold/wordcraft",
"draft":"Trying a one-page tool that splits a short story into four editable SVG panels for quick bedtime use. Feedback welcome in this issue."
},
{
"channel":"r/Parenting subreddit",
"draft":"Built a browser page that turns typed bedtime stories into tweakable 4-panel comics instantly. Looking for parent feedback before adding paid exports."
},
{
"channel":"Show HN",
"draft":"StorySketch: type a short story and get a live editable 4-panel SVG comic on one page"
}
],
"success_metric":"10 GitHub accounts open early-access issues or 👍 the signal issue",
"success_signups":10,
"kill_metric":"Fewer than 3 GitHub accounts engage after 7 days",
"kill_signups":2
}
```
</details>
<details><summary>kimi</summary>
```json
{
"positioning":"For a parent who wants a custom illustrated bedtime story in the minutes before lights-out, StorySketch turns 150 typed words into a four-panel comic they can tweak and share instantly — no drawing skill, no account, no app install, unlike general AI image tools that demand prompting know-how and produce one picture at a time.",
"audience":"The first 100 users are parents of roughly 2–8-year-olds who already make up bedtime stories and want matching pictures without learning an image tool, plus a first wave of curious builders trying it for their own kids. They already gather in r/daddit, r/Mommit, r/Parenting and r/bedtimestories, the r/Parenting Discord, Show HN, and the GitHub Discussions of storytold/wordcraft and wheresryan22/anatomy.",
"business_model":"Parents who make stories regularly pay for StorySketch Plus. Plus adds what the free page deliberately lacks: PDF and high-res PNG export for printing and keepsakes, more than four panels, and a saved private story library. That is worth money because it turns a nightly habit into printable, re-readable keepsakes and saves re-typing the stories a child asks for again — while the free page stays fully useful on its own.",
"pricing":[
{
"tier":"Free",
"price":"$0",
"for":"any parent who wants a quick illustrated bedtime story tonight",
"includes":"Up to 150 words split into 4 panels, simple matching SVG scenes drawn live, edit any panel text or swap scenes with instant update, one-click copy as image or embed code"
},
{
"tier":"StorySketch Plus",
"price":"$5/mo founding price (early-access list only — nothing is charged today)",
"for":"parents who make stories often and want to keep, print, and reuse them",
"includes":"PDF and high-res PNG export, up to 8 panels, saved private story library, founding price locked in for early-access members"
}
],
"primary_cta":"Make my comic",
"launch_channels":[
{
"channel":"Show HN",
"draft":"Show HN: StorySketch – type a bedtime story, get a 4-panel comic in under a minute\n\nHi HN. I built StorySketch, a single web page that turns up to 150 words of story into a four-panel illustrated comic, live in the browser. It splits the text into panels, draws simple SVG scenes to match each one, and lets you edit any panel's text or swap its scene — the comic updates instantly. One click copies the finished comic as an image or as embed code.\n\nIt's built for one specific moment: a parent who wants a quick custom bedtime story with pictures before lights-out. No account, no install, free to use.\n\nA paid version is planned (PDF and high-res PNG export, more than four panels, a saved private story library). Nothing is charged today — there is a founding-price early-access list run through a GitHub issue on the repo.\n\nI'd especially love feedback from parents: does the panel splitting pick sensible scenes? Link in the comments."
},
{
"channel":"r/daddit",
"draft":"Free tool I built: turn a short bedtime story into a 4-panel comic in about a minute\n\nI made a free web page called StorySketch for the bedtime routine. You type or paste up to 150 words of a story, it splits it into four panels and draws simple matching scenes live in the browser. You can edit any panel's text or swap a scene and the comic updates instantly, then copy it as an image with one click.\n\nNo account, nothing to install. It's aimed at parents who want a quick custom story with pictures before lights-out.\n\nThere's a planned paid version (PDF/high-res export, extra panels, a saved private story library) with a founding-price early-access list run through a GitHub issue — nothing is charged today. Happy to answer questions, and honest feedback is very welcome."
},
{
"channel":"GitHub Discussions on storytold/wordcraft (cross-post to wheresryan22/anatomy if a relevant thread exists)",
"draft":"A non-developer take on text+illustration: bedtime-story comic generator\n\nThe clean-room text-plus-illustration approach in this project inspired me to build something a non-developer could enjoy immediately: StorySketch, a single web page where you paste up to 150 words of a story and it becomes a four-panel comic with simple SVG scenes drawn live. Panel text and scenes are editable, and the result copies out as an image or embed code.\n\nPosting here in case it's a useful example of where this approach can go for everyday users — in this case, parents making a quick custom bedtime story. Feedback is welcome. There's also a founding-price early-access list (a GitHub issue, nothing charged) for a planned paid version with PDF export and saved story libraries."
}
],
"success_metric":"Within 7 days of all three channel posts going live, at least 10 distinct GitHub accounts have asked for early access or 👍'd the signal issue.",
"success_signups":10,
"kill_metric":"After 7 days with all three channels posted, fewer than 2 GitHub accounts (0–1) have signed up or 👍'd the signal issue; we stop and re-pick the venture.",
