Specific

What do they actually do

Specific is a web platform that turns natural‑language specifications and tests into a running backend. You describe the system you want, provide tests, and the service generates APIs and jobs, configures the underlying infrastructure (databases, queues, storage), runs tests, and deploys it for you so you don’t write server code by hand (specific.dev, YC listing).

The product appears to be in early access: their site routes to an app (app.specific.dev) and invites users to “try” or join a waitlist, and they launched via a Show‑HN post to gather early users and feedback (specific.dev, HN launch).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Early‑stage startup engineering teams building an MVP: They lose weeks on boilerplate and infra setup instead of product work; they want to ship backends quickly without hiring more backend engineers.
• Solo engineers or very small SMB teams: They need to implement features and manage ops with limited time and no dedicated infra resources; configuring databases, queues, and storage for each project is a burden.
• Product teams building internal tools or simple services: They repeatedly rebuild common backend pieces (auth, payments, scheduled jobs) and want reliable, ready‑made integrations.
• QA leads and engineering managers: They need confidence that changes won’t break production; current deployments are slow and brittle, and they prefer a tests‑first workflow that keeps regressions out.
• Consultancies, freelancers, and prototype teams: They face tight timelines and overhead from building, testing, and deploying infra for each client or demo; they value faster paths to a production‑ready backend.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Personally recruit from the HN thread, YC network, and the waitlist; do concierge onboarding and deploy one of their real specs/tests in exchange for detailed feedback and a short testimonial.
• First 50: Run targeted workshops and hands‑on onboarding for startup communities and meetups; publish 3–5 end‑to‑end templates (auth, payments, scheduled jobs) and pilot a paid POC with a few freelance agencies to create case studies.
• First 100: Launch a limited self‑serve plan with templates, concise tutorials, easy import, and example repos; pair with published case studies, outreach to consultancies/startup studios (with credits or rev‑share), and modest paid promotion to teams building quick prototypes.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

Specific straddles BaaS and low‑code dev tooling. The global backend‑as‑a‑service market is estimated around $4.7B in 2025, growing at ~23% CAGR to 2035 (Future Market Insights). Low‑code application platforms are estimated at roughly $30B in 2024 with strong growth through 2030 (Grand View Research).

Bottom-up calculation:

Assume 75,000 small teams globally each year build or rebuild a simple backend/internal tool that could be spec‑driven, and an average annual spend of $3,000 for hosted generation, infrastructure, and support. That implies an initial serviceable TAM of roughly $225M, with upside as coverage and enterprise readiness expand toward broader BaaS/low‑code budgets.

Assumptions:

• 75,000 eligible teams per year (startups, SMB engineering teams, internal tool squads).
• Average annual spend per team of ~$3,000 for hosted generation + managed infra.
• Scope limited to small teams/simple services; enterprise use expands TAM toward broader BaaS/low‑code markets.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Supabase: Open‑source BaaS providing Postgres, auth, storage, and serverless functions; reduces infra setup but expects engineers to write SQL and app logic rather than use natural‑language specs.
• Firebase: Google’s BaaS (auth, databases, hosting, functions) for quick backends; removes ops work but requires wiring APIs/SDKs by hand instead of spec‑driven generation.
• Anvil: Low‑code/full‑stack builder with visual UI and server‑side Python; targets fast MVPs but relies on GUI and code, not natural‑language specs + tests to synthesize backends.
• Railway: Deploy platform that provisions databases, queues, and services with simple workflows; eases infra but developers still supply business logic/code.
• Retool: Internal tools platform for composing UIs over data sources; competes on fast internal apps but focuses on UI/data wiring rather than generating and operating a full backend from specs.