The original post: /r/php by /u/ManuelKiessling on 2024-12-23 16:22:03.
Hi everyone,
I’m working on a business idea centered around selling a software toolkit for the PHP/Symfony ecosystem.
In the past, I fell into the common trap of focusing too much on the fun part — coding and building — only to end up with a product that lacked a real market need. This time, I’m determined to approach things differently. My goal is to validate whether there’s genuine interest in what I’m planning to offer, instead of creating a solution in search for a problem.
That’s where you come in! I’d love your feedback on whether this idea has potential or if it’s fundamentally flawed.
Here’s the gist:
I’m creating a pay-once, use-forever Software Development Starter Kit designed to give developers a solid foundation for building mid- to large-sized Symfony projects. While the concept itself isn’t unheard-of, I believe it can deliver substantial value by addressing common pain points.
The product offers three key benefits:
1. Batteries-Included Code Base
All the tedious setup work and low-level configurations are taken care of. The Starter Kit includes:
Pre-configured tools like PHP-CS-Fixer, PHPStan, and Tailwind (with dark/light theme switching).
Features such as a responsive app shell, i18n with multi-language SEO URLs, a language switcher, and a living style guide.
A robust test setup, including end-to-end testing with Panther.
Fully implemented user flows: sign up, sign in, forgot password, social login, “Magic Link” login, and more.
Advanced setups like organization/team management (including fully implemented “invite teammember” functionality"), a working Symfony Messenger setup, Stripe integration, and OpenAI/GPT model support.
2. Sensible Code Structure
Instead of leaving you with a mishmash of tools and features, the kit provides a clean, organized architecture, a feature-based structure across four layers: Domain, Infrastructure, Presentation, and API. What this means is that everything related to a specific application feature is contained in its own feature folder that sorts the feature’s implementation into the aforementioned four layers, making the codebase easier to grow and maintain.
3. Sample Code, Tutorials, and Documentation
The kit comes with best-practice implementations of common features to jump-start your own project, and detailed, beginner-friendly tutorials to guide you through the codebase.
The Ask:
Does this sound like a useful idea? Is there a market for something like this? Or am I barking up the wrong tree?
I’ve summarized the pitch in this screenshot of the landing page. (Note: still a work in progress!)
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts — please don’t hold back!