# Sal

> Sal is a free AI business coach from Salable for people turning an idea into software they can sell. Talk your app idea through, out loud or typed, and Sal works out with you who it's for, how to reach them and what to charge, writing your business plan, pricing and build brief as you go.

Sal is web-based. Founders talk to him out loud or type.

## Who Sal is for

Sal is for someone with an idea for software they would sell to other people or businesses, who is about to build it with a tool like Lovable or has started already. The best fit is a domain expert with a problem from their own industry. Building an app is quick now; the hard part is knowing who will pay for it, for what and how much, and that is what Sal helps with.

Sal is a poor fit for apps built for personal use and for consumer apps.

## How Sal works

Sal leads the conversation through five questions, in order:

1. Who's it for first, and where to find them.
2. What they're struggling with, and how they deal with it today.
3. What the first version needs to do to solve their problem.
4. How to explain it, and why it matters to them.
5. How to charge for it: what customers pay for, how they're charged and a starting price to test.

He pushes back where an answer is thin, marks what is still a guess and writes everything up as the conversation goes. When the founder comes back with what they've learned, the plan updates.

## What a founder leaves with

- A business plan: who it helps, what they need and what still needs proving, with open questions marked.
- Pricing and packages: who pays, how much and what each package includes, with the assumptions to check before charging anyone.
- A product roadmap: what to build first, what can wait and what to park.
- A private website draft that shows the offer and its pricing.
- A build brief for Lovable, Claude Code, Codex, v0 or a developer: who uses the app, the first-version journeys, the important rules and edge cases, which features each plan unlocks and the decisions still to make.

## How Sal compares

- **ChatGPT or Claude** answer what you ask. Sal leads the conversation, works through who pays, what for and how much in a sensible order, pushes back where an answer is thin and keeps a written plan with the guesses marked.
- **AI app builders** such as Lovable, Bolt or v0 build the app. Sal works out the business first and writes the brief the builder follows.
- **AI business plan generators** typically produce investor-style documents and financial forecasts in minutes. Sal asks questions first and produces a plan to test with real customers.
- **Templates** such as the Lean Canvas are a blank grid to fill in alone. Sal fills it in with you and challenges what you put in.

## What Sal does not do

- He does not build, host or publish the app. The founder chooses who or what builds it.
- He does not produce financial forecasts or investor documents.
- He does not set anything up in Salable yet. The build brief names which features each plan unlocks, ready for Salable if the founder chooses it.
- Only the build brief can be copied out today.

## Pricing

Sal is free to use, with fair use on AI usage. Talking with Sal, saving work and copying out the build brief are free. A founder's builder and hosting may charge separately.

Salable, the platform behind Sal, earns when founders choose to charge their customers through it, which is optional and free to start. Salable can charge per seat, by usage, monthly or annually, or a mix, and prices and plans can change without rebuilding the app.

## Ownership and privacy

A founder's idea and everything they write with Sal belong to them. The website draft stays private.

## Who makes Sal

Sal is made by the team at Salable, a platform for pricing and charging for software. Salable is part of The Adaptavist Group.

## Availability

Sal is opening to founders from a waitlist at https://sal.salable.app.

## What we believe

- **If you're not learning, you're just building.** A growing product can feel like progress while you learn nothing about who will pay. We measure progress by what you know about your customers now that you didn't last week.
- **Make the numbers work from day one.** Payment is the clearest test of an idea, because it confirms the customer, the problem and the price together. So we think asking for it belongs near the start, sooner than feels comfortable.
- **Default to speed.** Trying something costs far less than it used to, for you and for your competitors. We'd rather put something real in front of customers this week than plan it for another month.

## Pages

- [Sal](https://sal.salable.app/): what Sal does, how it works, pricing and common questions
- [About Sal](https://sal.salable.app/about): who makes Sal, what we believe, why Sal is free and how founders' ideas are kept private
- [Blog](https://sal.salable.app/blog): notes on finding customers, testing an idea and charging for software

## Posts

- [How to start a software business in 2026](https://sal.salable.app/blog/how-to-start-a-software-business): A practical step-by-step guide on how to turn an app idea into a successful software business.
- [The Product Illusion is killing startups. Here's how to avoid it.](https://sal.salable.app/blog/the-product-illusion): What is the Product Illusion, why AI makes it easier to fall for, and the simple framework to escape it.

## Questions founders ask before they build

The hub: https://sal.salable.app/questions

- [I have an idea for an app. What should I do next?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/i-have-an-idea-for-an-app-what-should-i-do-next): Write down your best guesses about who it's for, what problem it solves for them, why they'd choose it and what they'd pay. Then go and find out: talk to five people who have the problem, put something rough in front of them and ask someone to pay. Let what they do shape what you build next.
- [Should I build my app idea?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/should-i-build-my-app-idea): Building something rough to learn from is worth doing early, as long as you put it in front of the people you'd sell to. The bigger decision is when to invest in a proper first version: once you know who it's for, what the problem costs them, how they reacted to trying it, and ideally someone has committed to pay.
- [How do I know if a SaaS idea is worth building?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/how-do-i-know-if-a-saas-idea-is-worth-building): A SaaS idea is worth building when a specific group has a frequent, costly problem, you can reach them again and again, and they'll pay more than each customer costs you to serve. Check all three before you invest heavily, using rough numbers, rough versions customers can try and a few real commitments to pay.
- [I need an AI business coach to help me think through my software idea](https://sal.salable.app/questions/i-need-an-ai-business-coach-to-help-me-think-through-my-software-idea): Look for one that leads the conversation, asks one question at a time and pushes back when an answer is thin. It should work through who pays, what for and how much, keep a written plan with the guesses marked, and send you off to test them with real people. Sal, from Salable, is a free AI business coach built to do this.
- [How much does it cost to build an app with Lovable, Bolt or Replit?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-an-app-with-lovable-bolt-or-replit): A simple app can be built in an afternoon for little or nothing: a free plan or a $20 to $30 monthly plan usually covers it. A product you can sell, with accounts, payments and teams, costs more: founders report spending anything from under $150 to several thousand dollars, and most of the difference comes from fixing and rebuilding. Once it's live, a small app usually costs under $100 a month to run.
- [How do I know if people will pay for my app idea?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/how-do-i-know-if-people-will-pay-for-my-app-idea): The clearest early sign is someone paying, or committing to pay: a payment, a pre-order or a signed letter of intent. Compliments and "I'd use that" tell you very little. So put a price in front of people early and ask. A payment shows they accepted your offer; whether they keep paying is what you learn next.
- [What questions should I ask potential customers about my app idea?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/what-questions-should-i-ask-potential-customers-about-my-app-idea): Ask about what they've already done. When did the problem last happen? What did you do about it? What did it cost you? What have you tried? Treat any question about the future, like "would you use this?", with suspicion, because people say yes to be kind. Judge them by what they do.
- [How do I test an app idea before building it?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/how-do-i-test-an-app-idea-before-building-it): Write down your guesses about the customer, the problem, your promise, the solution and the price. Then pick what you most need to find out and make a useful move: a conversation, a rough version they can try, an offer with a price, or delivering the outcome by hand. Watch what people do, make sense of it and decide what's next.
- [How do I pre-sell software before building it?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/how-do-i-pre-sell-software-before-building-it): Sell a specific outcome to a few named customers, at a real price, with a clear start date and a refund if you don't deliver. For business customers, a paid pilot or a signed letter of intent works well. Deliver the outcome by hand at first if you need to, and be honest about what exists.
- [What's the best AI tool to validate a startup idea?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/what-is-the-best-ai-tool-to-validate-a-startup-idea): It depends what you want to find out. For a quick first opinion, try a free validator like ValidatorAI. For research on your market and competitors, DimeADozen or Preuve. For a plan with financial forecasts, LivePlan or Upmetrics. For ongoing help as you test the idea, an AI coach like Buildpad or Sal. Whether people will pay is something only real customers can tell you.
- [What features should the first version of my app have?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/what-features-should-the-first-version-of-my-app-have): Only what's needed to deliver the one outcome your first customers will pay for, and it's usually much smaller than you think. Work back from your promise, then sort everything into Now, Next and Later. Now is the first version, and some of it can be done by hand at first, like setting customers up or sending reports.
- [How should I price B2B software for my first customers?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/how-should-i-price-b2b-software-for-my-first-customers): Price on the value to the customer, with your costs as the floor, and set it higher than feels comfortable. Charge for the thing that matches how they get value, like seats, usage or a flat fee per business. Keep it to one or two plans, check it covers what each customer costs you to serve, and treat it as a test.
- [How should I price an AI app?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/how-should-i-price-an-ai-app): Charge a monthly subscription that includes a set amount of AI use, and let your busiest customers buy more. Count the allowance in something customers understand, like reports or documents. Before you pick the numbers, work out what the AI costs you for each customer, because a busy customer can cost you many times more than a quiet one.
- [I built an app with Lovable. Now what?](https://sal.salable.app/questions/i-built-an-app-with-lovable-now-what): Stop adding features and find out who'll pay for it. Put what you've built in front of five people who have the problem, watch what they do with it, give it a price and ask at least one of them to pay. What they do tells you what to build next, or whether to change direction.

## Common questions

Answered in Sal's voice, as on the homepage.

### Who is Sal?

I'm an AI business coach, made by Salable, the team behind a platform for pricing and charging for software. I'm not a person, but I'll ask questions and push back like one, and I'll keep track of what we decide.

### What kind of ideas is this for?

Software you'd sell to other people or businesses. If it's an app just for you, you don't need a business plan, and I'm probably not the right help.

### How is this different from asking ChatGPT?

ChatGPT answers what you ask. I lead the conversation, working through who pays, what for and how much in a sensible order. I push back where it’s thin, and I keep a written plan with the guesses marked.

### Is Sal an AI business plan generator?

Yes, with one difference. A generator fills in a plan from whatever you type. I ask questions first, push back where an answer is thin and write the plan as we talk, with the guesses marked. It takes a little longer, and you finish with a plan you can test.

### I have an app idea. What do I do next?

Before you build, get clear on who'd pay for it, what for and how much, and what the first version needs. Talk it through with me and I'll write it up as we go, right through to your pricing and a brief your builder can follow.

### How much of an idea do I need?

A problem you know first-hand is enough to start. It helps if you can picture who might pay to solve it.

### How do I create a business plan for my app?

Start with who it's for and what problem it solves, then what the first version needs and how you'll charge. Talk it through with me and I'll write the plan as we go, with anything that's still a guess clearly marked.

### What if I don't know the answers?

That's fine, and it's useful. I'll note what's still a guess and what you'd need to find out, so you know what to check before you build.

### How do I validate my app idea?

Start by writing down what you're assuming about who has the problem, how they deal with it today and what they'd pay to fix it. That's what I help you do, and I mark which parts are still guesses. Then test the riskiest ones with real people before you build.

### Do I need a prototype or an MVP first?

Not to start. First get clear on who'll pay and what for, and test that with real people. Then build the smallest first version that keeps your promise to them. I'll help you decide what goes in it and what can wait.

### How much should I charge for my app?

It depends on who pays and what it's worth to them. We'll work out a starting price and plans together, and I'll mark it as a guess to test with real customers before you rely on it.

### Can Sal help me price a SaaS or AI product?

Yes. We'll work out who pays, what they pay for and a starting price, whether that's a flat monthly fee, per seat, by usage or a mix.

### Will you build or publish my app?

No. I'll help you work out the business and prepare the build brief. You choose who or what builds the app. The website draft we make together stays private.

### Does this work with Lovable, Claude Code, Codex or v0?

Yes. Your build brief is written for coding agents and developers alike. Copy it into Lovable, Claude Code, Codex or v0, or hand it to a developer.

### What should I give Lovable to build my app?

A clear brief that says who uses the app, what they need to do in it and what each plan unlocks. I write it for you once we've worked out the business.

### Do I have to use Salable in my app?

No. You can take your plans and brief elsewhere. Your build brief is written so your app can use Salable for plans and feature access, if you choose.

### Is this free?

Talking with me, saving your work and copying out your build brief are free. Building and hosting your app may cost money. Salable's monetisation platform is free to start.

### Who owns my idea and plans?

You do. Your idea and everything we write together are yours.