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Using the New Positioning Docs - Implementation Guide

This guide shows how different user personas should navigate the updated documentation.

User Personas & Their Journeys

Persona 1: "Evaluator" (CTO, Tech Lead)

Goal: Decide whether to build or buy memory infrastructure

Journey:

  1. Start: Comparison Cheat Sheet (3 min read)

    • One-page overview of features, costs, timelines
    • Quick ROI calculation ($180K+/year savings)

  2. Next: When Do You Need Papr (5 min read)

    • Decision tree with clear branching
    • Honest assessment of when DIY is fine

  3. Deep dive: Why Papr (15 min read)

    • Detailed comparison with code examples
    • Failure modes and solutions

  4. Technical validation: Reddit to Papr (10 min read)

    • Component-by-component mapping
    • Migration path if already building DIY

Outcome: Clear build vs. buy decision with concrete cost/benefit analysis

Persona 2: "Builder" (Engineer assigned to implement memory)

Goal: Get prototype working quickly, understand scaling path

Journey:

  1. Start: Quick Start (15 min hands-on)

    • Working prototype with real API calls
    • Sees simplicity: POST /v1/messages, search()

  2. Context: Why Papr - "What You'd Build Yourself" section (5 min)

    • Validates that Papr covers what they'd implement
    • Understands what Papr prevents

  3. Implementation: Golden Paths (10 min read)

    • Choose relevant path (Chat, Document, Structured, Agent)
    • See DIY example + Papr equivalent for chosen path

  4. Deep dive: Architecture (20 min read)

    • Understand how Papr implements hybrid stack
    • See "What breaks" comparison table

Outcome: Prototype running, clear path to production

Persona 3: "Skeptic" (Engineer who wants to build DIY)

Goal: Understand why buying is better than building

Journey:

  1. Start: Reddit to Papr (15 min read)

    • Validates that they understand the problem correctly
    • Sees exact stack they'd build (8 components)
    • Realizes complexity of production system

  2. Reality check: Why Papr - "Failure Modes" section (10 min)

    • Memory drift (contradictory facts)
    • Context explosion (200K tokens)
    • Cross-session incoherence
    • "Oh, I'd hit these issues"

  3. Cost analysis: Comparison Cheat Sheet (3 min)

    • $15,775/month (DIY) vs. $99/month (Papr)
    • 2-3 months to build vs. 15 minutes
    • 0.75 FTE maintenance vs. zero

  4. Validation: Try Quick Start (15 min hands-on)

    • Proves it's actually that simple
    • Working in 15 minutes vs. 2-3 months

Outcome: Convinced to try Papr, even if they prototype DIY in parallel

Persona 4: "Lurker" (Reddit/HN community member)

Goal: Learn about memory systems, evaluate options

Journey:

  1. Discovery: Land on Reddit to Papr from Reddit link

    • Recognizes the discussion (BM25 + vector + graph)
    • "Oh, this maps to the stack people are building"

  2. Curiosity: Comparison Cheat Sheet (3 min)

    • Feature comparison matrix
    • Code comparison (4 approaches)
    • "This is cleaner than what we're building"

  3. Validation: Why Papr - "Failure Modes" (10 min)

    • Recognizes problems from Reddit threads
    • Memory drift, context explosion, etc.

  4. Action: Quick Start (15 min)

    • Gets API key
    • Working prototype
    • Shares back to Reddit community

Outcome: Community validation, potential advocate

Persona 5: "Researcher" (Product Manager, Founder)

Goal: Understand market, competitive landscape

Journey:

  1. Market context: When Do You Need Papr (5 min)

    • Decision tree
    • Clear use case boundaries

  2. Competitive analysis: Comparison Cheat Sheet (5 min)

    • Feature matrix (vs. DIY, vs. competitors)
    • Cost structure

  3. Technical depth: Reddit to Papr (15 min)

    • Understands what community is building
    • Papr's positioning in ecosystem

  4. Use cases: Architecture + Use Cases (20 min)

    • What's possible
    • Customer examples

Outcome: Clear market positioning, competitive advantage understanding

How to Share These Docs

For Sales/Marketing

Recommended flow:

  1. First touch: Comparison Cheat Sheet

    • Shareable infographic
    • ROI calculator

  2. Follow-up: When Do You Need Papr

    • Decision guide
    • Qualification questions

  3. Demo prep: Golden Paths

    • Show relevant path for their use case

  4. Post-demo: Quick Start

    • Let them try it themselves

For Community Engagement (Reddit, HN, Discord)

Recommended approach:

Reddit thread: "I studied memory systems for 2 years..." Comment:

Great breakdown! We built Papr after seeing this exact pattern emerge.

The "serious stack" you describe (vector + BM25 + graph + consolidation) is 
exactly what we packaged into one API. Here's the component-by-component mapping:
[link to reddit-to-papr.md]

We also created a decision guide for when DIY makes sense vs. using a platform:
[link to when-do-you-need-papr.md]

Happy to answer questions about any of the components!

Hacker News: "Show HN: Built a hybrid memory system" Comment:

Nice! The hybrid approach (vector + keyword + graph) is the right architecture.

For others exploring this: here's a comparison of different memory stacks and 
what breaks at each level: [link to why-papr.md]

Also created a cheat sheet mapping the Reddit/community "consensus stack" to 
specific implementations: [link to comparison-cheat-sheet.md]

For Blog Posts

Recommended topics:

  1. "We Built the Memory System Reddit Wants (So You Don't Have To)"

    • Use Reddit consensus as framework
    • Show Phase 1, 2, 3 progression
    • Link to reddit-to-papr.md

  2. "The Real Cost of DIY AI Memory: $180K+/Year"

  3. "5 Production Failures We Prevent (That Simple Memory Doesn't)"

    • Memory drift, context explosion, etc.
    • Real customer examples
    • Link to why-papr.md

  4. "When Should You Build Your Own Memory System?"

For Documentation Site

Navigation recommendations:

Homepage hero:

Papr Memory API
The memory layer that doesn't break in production

[Compare Approaches →] [Quick Start →] [See Examples →]
              ↓
    comparison-cheat-sheet.md

Sidebar navigation:

Getting Started
├─ Comparison Cheat Sheet ⭐
├─ When Do You Need Papr? ⭐
├─ Quick Start
└─ Golden Paths

Understanding Papr
├─ Why Papr ⭐
├─ Reddit to Papr ⭐
├─ Architecture
└─ Use Cases

...rest of docs...

Footer CTA:

Still evaluating?
• [Comparison Cheat Sheet] (1 min)
• [DIY vs. Papr Calculator] (interactive)
• [Talk to Us] (30 min call)

Metrics to Track

Engagement Metrics

  • Views on comparison docs vs. other docs
  • Time spent on each comparison page
  • Click-through rate: comparison → quick start
  • Conversion rate: comparison → signup

User Journey Metrics

  • Most common entry point (which comparison doc)
  • Navigation path (which docs read in sequence)
  • Drop-off points (where users leave)
  • Success rate: docs → working prototype

Quality Metrics

  • Feedback: "Was this helpful?"
  • Support questions: Before/after positioning update
  • Community sentiment: Reddit/HN comment analysis
  • Sales cycle: Time from first touch → decision

A/B Testing Recommendations

Test 1: Entry Point

A: Land directly on Quick Start
B: Land on Comparison Cheat Sheet → Quick Start

Hypothesis: Comparison first increases conversion by validating choice

Test 2: Messaging

A: "Predictive Memory Graph" (current technical messaging)
B: "Simple API that doesn't break in production" (new positioning)

Hypothesis: Simplicity messaging increases trial signups

Test 3: Social Proof

A: Stanford benchmark, technical specs
B: "Reddit community converges on this stack" + cost savings

Hypothesis: Community validation resonates more than benchmarks

Next Actions

Immediate (This Week)

  • Review new docs for accuracy
  • Add to main navigation
  • Create comparison infographic from cheat sheet
  • Update homepage hero to include comparison link

Short-term (This Month)

  • Write blog post: "We Built the Reddit Memory Stack"
  • Post on Reddit/HN with comparison docs
  • Create interactive cost calculator
  • Add customer testimonials to comparison pages

Long-term (This Quarter)

  • Create video walkthrough of comparison
  • Build interactive decision tree tool
  • Collect case studies: DIY → Papr migrations
  • Launch comparison landing page A/B test

Success Criteria

Documentation is successful when:

  1. Users say "This explains exactly what I was trying to build"
  2. Conversion rate increases (comparison view → signup)
  3. Support questions decrease ("Is this overkill?")
  4. Community shares docs as reference
  5. Sales cycle shortens (faster evaluation → decision)

Target metrics (3 months):

  • 50% of new users view comparison docs before signup
  • 30% increase in trial → paid conversion
  • 25% decrease in "is this right for me?" support questions
  • 10+ community references to comparison docs
  • 20% shorter sales cycle for enterprise

Conclusion

The new positioning docs create a clear narrative:

  1. Acknowledge reality: Simple approaches (SQLite + BM25) work for demos
  2. Show what breaks: Specific failure modes in production
  3. Position Papr: Simplicity of Phase 1 + sophistication of Phase 3
  4. Enable decision: Clear criteria for build vs. buy

This addresses the Reddit consensus: developers want simple solutions that handle the hard parts without manual orchestration. Papr is exactly that — but the old docs didn't communicate it clearly.

The new docs do.