# Industrial IoT Venture

## Overview

This repository documents the strategic planning and execution roadmap for an industrial IoT consulting and platform business, leveraging 13 years of controls engineering experience combined with 4 years of cloud engineering expertise.

## Current Status

**Phase**: Planning & Strategy  
**Target Launch**: Q1 2026 (Phase 1 - Consulting)  
**Bootstrap Approach**: Self-funded, minimal capital requirements

## Core Strategy

**3-Phase Bootstrap Approach:**
- **Phase 1 (Months 1-3)**: OT/IT Integration Consulting - Revenue generation, market validation
- **Phase 2 (Months 4-9)**: Edge Monitoring Platform - Recurring revenue, infrastructure buildout
- **Phase 3 (Months 10-18)**: GPU-Powered AI Features - Premium tier, predictive maintenance

## Key Differentiators

1. **OT/IT Hybrid Expertise**: Rare combination of PLC programming + cloud engineering
2. **Edge-First Architecture**: Data sovereignty, low latency, works offline
3. **No AWS Conflict**: Positioned as complementary, not competitive
4. **Bootstrap-Friendly**: Start with $500, scale with customer cash
5. **LXC Expertise**: Proven multi-tenant container architecture from ZeroLagHub

## Repository Structure

### Strategic Documents
- `STRATEGY.md` - Overall strategic direction and positioning
- `recommended-approach.md` - Detailed 3-phase execution plan
- `business-models.md` - All business model options evaluated
- `financials.md` - Revenue models, projections, economics
- `go-to-market.md` - 90-day sprint, customer targeting, pitch
- `risks-and-constraints.md` - AWS non-compete, risk mitigation

### Market Research
- `competitive-analysis.md` - Market research and competitive landscape
- `msp-competitive-landscape.md` - Detailed MSP and remote support competitor analysis

### Technical Implementation
- `technical-stack.md` - Infrastructure overview, tools, deployment architecture
- `virtual-plc-implementation.md` - **NEW** Complete technical implementation guide for virtual PLC platform

## Quick Reference

**Target Market**: Small-to-mid manufacturers ($10-100M revenue)  
**Initial Capital**: $500-1,000  
**Target Revenue (Month 3)**: $20k-45k  
**Target Revenue (Month 18)**: $35k/month recurring  

## Technical Implementation Highlights

The `virtual-plc-implementation.md` file contains comprehensive technical details including:

### Platform Architecture
- Multi-tenant LXC container architecture (proven from ZeroLagHub)
- GTHost dedicated servers ($59-500/month)
- 70% code reuse between gaming and industrial platforms
- Revenue model: $500-5,000/month per customer (vs $50-150 for gaming)

### Virtual PLC Options
- **OpenPLC** (open source, $0 cost) - for 70% of customers
- **CODESYS Virtual Control** (commercial, $99-499/month) - for premium/certified needs
- Hybrid approach for maximum flexibility

### Software Stack
- **Lightweight**: OpenPLC + Node-RED + Grafana ($0 software cost, 98% margins)
- **Professional**: CODESYS + RapidSCADA + Grafana ($380/year, 90% margins)
- **All-in-One**: Beremiz (PLC + HMI combined, $0 cost)

### Edge Hardware
- **Recommended**: Industrial Mini PCs ($110-250) - reliable, affordable, professional
- **Not Recommended**: Raspberry Pi (SD card failures, support nightmare)
- **Premium**: Certified Industrial PCs ($400-1,500) for enterprise customers

### Business Model
- **Tier 1**: Dev/Simulation - $500/month
- **Tier 2**: Virtual Commissioning - $1,500/month
- **Tier 3**: Production Monitoring - $2,500-5,000/month
- **Target**: 2-5 customers for $10k MRR (vs 70-200 gaming customers)

## Latest Research

### MSP Competitive Landscape
The `msp-competitive-landscape.md` file contains comprehensive research on:
- Tier 1 competitors (Rockwell, Siemens, Schneider)
- Tier 2 system integrators (New Frontier Technologies, Atlas OT, ITS)
- Digital twin providers (NVIDIA, GE Predix, Rockwell FactoryTalk Twin Studio)
- MSP market gaps and opportunities
- True subscription model scarcity
- Competitive positioning strategies

**Key Finding**: Significant blue ocean opportunity for true MSP/subscription model serving mid-market manufacturers ($1k-5k/month range).

### Virtual PLC Implementation
The `virtual-plc-implementation.md` file documents:
- Complete multi-tenant platform architecture using LXC
- Virtual PLC software options (OpenPLC, CODESYS, hybrid approach)
- SCADA/HMI stack (Node-RED, RapidSCADA, Grafana)
- Edge hardware recommendations
- Security, backup, and monitoring architecture
- Cost analysis and economics (86-88% gross margins)
- Step-by-step implementation roadmap

## Next Actions

1. **Immediate** (Week 1): Provision GTHost trial server, deploy OpenPLC + Node-RED
2. **Short-term** (Month 1): Build customer container template, identify pilot customers
3. **Medium-term** (Month 2-3): Onboard first pilot customer, refine deployment process

See `go-to-market.md` for the complete 90-day sprint checklist.

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*Last Updated: December 2025*