ResearchPilot compresses the read-highlight-copy-organise loop into a sidebar. It works on any page, summarises and extracts on demand, and keeps a searchable library of what you have collected.
It was built deliberately without a front-end framework – vanilla JavaScript on Manifest V3 – because extension bundle size and startup cost are user-visible in a way they are not on a website. The commercial side was designed at the same time as the code: a free tier with usage caps, a paid tier for heavy users, and a cost model that stays positive at every tier.
What it changed
- Shipped a working browser product with a defined commercial model
- Bootstrapped business plan built alongside the code rather than after it