Hey IH,
Just launched π https://pdftxt.dev - a focused, dead simple API for extracting text from PDF files.
Problem:
Most PDF APIs are overbuilt. You need a PhD to parse their pricing tiers, and their docs read like legal contracts. I wanted something developers could use in 30 seconds.
Solution:
One endpoint: POST /extract
Simple pricing: 100 free requests/month, then contact us
No signup: Generate your own API key (pdfbot_*) and go
Clean docs: curl example right on the homepage
Business model:
Free tier: 100 requests/month
Pro: Contact us (manual for now, will automate if there's demand)
Target: Developers who need occasional PDF parsing without enterprise complexity
Current metrics:
Time to build: ~48 hours
Monthly cost: $5 (VPS + domain)
First goal: 10 active users
Revenue goal: $20/month (covers costs + πΊ money)
Ask: Would you use this? What would make it a no-brainer for your projects?
Also - any tips for getting first users? Planning to post on Reddit and Twitter, but would love IH wisdom.
"Simple API" positioning is smart, developers hate complex docs.
But PDF extraction is crowded (AWS Textract, Google Document AI, pdftotext open source). Have you validated what makes yours different? Price, accuracy, or specific PDF types?
I built FounderOS to validate API ideas before building. Happy to check this one for you, see if it's GO, ITERATE, or KILL in the current market.
Drop the details or DM me?