Off-Grid Stack Builder with AI

# Off-Grid Stack Builder — SoloStack Skill File
> Drop this file into your SoloStack repo and Claude Code will use it as
> context to run this workflow automatically.
---
## Overview
Deconstruct the SaaS you actually use, isolate the 20% of features you touch, and produce a build plan to replace them with API-powered local versions. Go off the grid as a software user.
## Capabilities
1. **Feature-Level Audit, Not Tool-Level** — Most 'SaaS alternative' content compares whole products. This skill works at the feature level — you might use 3 features in Notion, 2 in Canva, 4 in Calendly. You only rebuild the features you actually touch, which is why the build is small enough to actually finish.
2. **API-First Replacement Library** — Each feature maps to a documented replacement: Calendly's slot-picker → Google Calendar API + 80 lines. Canva templates → Pillow + Remotion. Notion DBs → Neon table + tiny Astro UI. Klaviyo flows → Resend API + a cron. Every replacement runs on commodity APIs with free tiers.
3. **Personal Sovereignty Scorecard** — Tracks the journey: $ reclaimed per month, % of your stack now owned in your repo, days off-grid since last new SaaS subscription. Gamifies the off-grid lifestyle. Great for sharing milestones publicly.
4. **Cancellation Safety Net** — For each tool you're cancelling, the skill generates an export checklist (what data to pull before you cut the cord) and a 7-day parallel-run plan (keep the SaaS running while you validate your replacement). No surprises, no panicked re-subscriptions.
5. **Build Order Engine** — Ranks tools by ROI: (monthly_cost × how_often_you_use_it) ÷ build_complexity. Tells you which to attack first. Klaviyo at $100/mo with daily use beats Loom at $15/mo with weekly use, even though they're roughly the same to rebuild.
6. **Storyable Output** — Every deconstruction produces a one-pager you can post as content: tool name, monthly cost, features kept, features dropped, replacement plan, $ saved. Built-in for a 'going off-grid' social series — one tool per post, same template.
## Pipeline
1. **Subscription Inventory** — Paste your card statement, screenshot of subscriptions, or a list — outputs a structured table of every tool, monthly cost, and category
2. **Feature Strip** — For each tool, list the 2-5 features you actually use. Everything else gets ignored — you're not rebuilding the product, you're rebuilding your slice of it
3. **Off-Grid Map** — Each used feature is matched to the smallest possible replacement — an API, an open-source library, or 50 lines of code. Output is a build spec per tool
4. **Prioritised Plan** — Tools ranked by (monthly_cost × usage_frequency) ÷ build_complexity. You attack the highest-ROI cancellations first
5. **Off-Grid Scorecard** — Running tally of $ reclaimed, % of stack now owned, and a personal sovereignty score that goes up with every cancellation
## Use Cases
- **The Personal Stack Teardown:** Run it on yourself first. Paste your card statement, get a ranked list of what to cancel, and start with the highest-ROI tool. Most users find at least one zombie subscription on the first scan.
- **The 'Going Off-Grid' Content Series:** Each tool deconstruction is a complete content asset: features kept, features dropped, replacement plan, $ saved. Post one per week — same template, different tool. Builds a serialised narrative your audience can follow.
- **Pre-Cancellation Safety Check:** Before you cancel anything, run the safety net step — export checklist, parallel-run plan, rollback option. Removes the 'what if I need it back' anxiety that keeps people subscribed forever.
- **30-Day Off-Grid Challenge:** Pick the top 3 tools by ROI, deconstruct each, build the replacements in sequence, cancel by day 30. Public commitment + scorecard = strong content arc + real savings.
## Warnings
- Don't cancel before the replacement has run for at least 7 days in parallel — surprises always show up
- Some 'feature' workflows are actually network effects (Loom for sharing with clients) — owning the playback is easy, but you may still want a hosted CDN. Plan for that
- Tools you use for genuine craft (a writing surface you love, a design canvas you draw in) may be worth keeping. Off-grid is a goal, not a religion
- The scorecard is for motivation, not strict accounting — count 'sovereignty %' however motivates you
## Sample Output
```json
{
  "tool": "Calendly",
  "monthly_cost": 12,
  "usage_frequency": "daily",
  "roi_score": 84,
  "features_used": [
    "30-minute booking slots",
    "reminder emails",
    "calendar invites",
    "public booking page"
  ],
  "features_dropped": [
    "routing forms",
    "group events",
    "paid bookings",
    "Zapier integrations",
    "team round-robin"
  ],
  "replacement_plan": [
    { "feature": "slot picker", "replacement": "Google Calendar API freebusy", "cost": "$0", "effort_hours": 2 },
    { "feature": "booking page", "replacement": "Astro page + Netlify form", "cost": "$0", "effort_hours": 1 },
    { "feature": "reminder email", "replacement": "Resend + cron Netlify Function", "cost": "$0", "effort_hours": 0.5 },
    { "feature": "calendar invite", "replacement": "Google Calendar API events.insert", "cost": "$0", "effort_hours": 0.5 }
  ],
  "total_build_hours": 4,
  "safety_net": {
    "export_steps": ["download upcoming bookings as ICS", "export event types as JSON"],
    "parallel_run_days": 7,
    "rollback_plan": "keep Calendly subscription active for 1 cycle after replacement ships"
  },
  "sovereignty_gain": "+8% off-grid",
  "annual_savings": 144
}
```
Download the complete skill file with full implementation details,
agent prompts, and ready-to-run scripts.