# Splinde

## Project Summary
Splinde (www.splinde.io) is a cloud-based SaaS platform designed for media production budgeting and financial management. It replaces traditional spreadsheet workflows (Excel, Google Sheets) with a database-driven architecture, enabling real-time collaboration, multi-currency calculations, and dynamic document generation.

## Core Value Proposition
Splinde solves three primary industry challenges:
1. **Version Control:** Eliminating file-based fragmentation through a single-source-of-truth database.
2. **Complex Logic:** Replacing fragile spreadsheet formulas with pre-packaged logic modules ("AddOns").
3. **Workflow Integration:** Unifying budgeting and offer document creation in a single synced interface.

## Target Audience (Who We Serve)
Splinde is architected for professionals and entities managing high-stakes media finance:
* **Roles:** Executive Producers, Line Producers, Bidding Producers, Heads of Production, and Freelance Production Managers.
* **Entities:**
    * **Commercial Production Companies:** Managing high-volume bidding for advertising campaigns.
    * **Service Production Houses:** Managing global shoots on behalf of foreign clients (e.g., Tantor Films).
    * **Creative Agencies:** Internal production units requiring standardized budgeting formats.
    * **Feature & Content Studios:** Teams handling long-form or serialized content budgets.
* **Geographic Scope:** Optimized for multi-territory productions, specifically handling European co-production requirements (cross-border taxes, multiple currencies) and US labor standards (Union fringes).

## Primary Use Cases

### 1. Global Service Production
* **Scenario:** A production house in one country (e.g., Mexico) executes a shoot for a client in another (e.g., USA).
* **Splinde Application:** The "Multi-Currency" feature allows line items to be entered in local currency (MXN) while the total is presented to the client in their billing currency (USD). "Live Co-Production" features allow headquarters to monitor local spending in real-time without file transfers.

### 2. Commercial Bidding (TVC)
* **Scenario:** Rapid response to agency scripts requiring immediate financial estimation.
* **Splinde Application:** Users utilize "Templates" (AICP, SCoPE) to auto-populate standard coding structures. The "Document Editor" generates a branded PDF offer immediately upon budget completion, reducing administrative turnaround time.

### 3. Cross-Border Co-Productions
* **Scenario:** Productions involving funding or crews from multiple legal jurisdictions (e.g., a German-Polish co-production).
* **Splinde Application:** "AddOns" are used to apply specific jurisdictional logic (e.g., German KSK social security vs. Polish VAT) to specific sections of the budget, ensuring compliance without complex manual formula writing.

### 4. High-Volume Social Campaigns
* **Scenario:** Projects with non-standard deliverables (e.g., TikTok series, digital assets) that do not fit traditional film budget templates.
* **Splinde Application:** "Variables" allow producers to define custom units (e.g., "Per Asset Rate") and "Smart Subtotals" allow for tracking spend by format rather than just by department.

## Site Structure & Navigation
* **`/product`**: Detailed breakdown of features (Budgeting, Collaboration, AddOns, Documents).
* **`/templates`**: Library of pre-configured budget structures (AICP, SCoPE, Music Video, Podcast).
* **`/blog`**: Educational resources, industry insights, and best practices for modern production finance.
* **`/changelog`**: Technical release notes documenting new features, bug fixes, and platform updates.
* **`/about`**: Company information, mission statement, and background on founder Joshua Metschulat.
* **`/help`**: Documentation, user manuals, and support resources for platform navigation.

## Key Features & Terminology

### 1. Budgeting Engine
* **Structure:** Hierarchical cost items organized by categories.
* **Smart Subtotals:** Dynamic aggregation of costs based on metadata properties.
* **Variables:** Global value definitions (e.g., Crew Rate) referenced via "@-mention."
* **Currencies:** Field-level currency conversion with real-time exchange rate previews.

### 2. AddOns (Logic Modules)
* **Definition:** Encapsulated financial rules (Taxes, Fringes, Fees) applied via drag-and-drop.
* **Function:** Eliminates manual formulas for complex logic like VAT, Insurance, or Union Fringes.

### 3. Document Editor
* **Data Binding:** Text editor synced to the budget database.
* **Slash Commands:** Typing "/" inserts live budget blocks (Cost Overviews, Totals).
* **Export:** Instant rendering of budget data into client-ready PDF formats.

### 4. Collaboration
* **Real-Time Sync:** Simultaneous editing with conflict resolution.
* **Permissions:** Role-based access (Admin, Editor, Viewer).

## Entity Information
* **Founder:** Joshua Metschulat (Creator of industry-standard Excel frameworks).
* **Notable Clients:** Tantor Films (Service Production).