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SermonWise Pro — Interview Answers (Agent-Derived)

Status: COMPLETE — All 30 questions answered from codebase analysis + established patterns. Date: 2026-03-28 Method: Derived from codebase inspection (churchwiseai-web/src/app/sermons/), sermon-pricing.ts, PRICING.md, and established CWA patterns. NOT from a founder interview — answers flagged where founder confirmation needed.

Section A: Discovery & Marketing​

Q1: Discovery Channels​

Answer:

  • Organic search (Google — "AI sermon outline generator", "sermon prep AI") — PRIMARY
  • Referral from ChurchWiseAI.com (ecosystem cross-promotion in footer + homepage)
  • PewSearch.com listing — minimal
  • IllustrateTheWord.com (same theological content ecosystem)
  • Word of mouth from another pastor
  • ChurchWiseAI blog article — possible
  • Direct Google Ad campaign — not currently running

Top 2 expected channels: Organic search and CWA cross-promotion

Q2: Landing Page Content​

Answer: The current landing page at sermonwise.ai (mapped to /sermons) shows:

  • Video background hero (SermonHero component with sw-hero.mp4) — text transitions left-to-right
  • "Why Pastors Choose SermonWise" — 6 feature cards:
    1. 17 Theological Traditions
    2. Real Illustrations, Not Hallucinations (300,000+ curated resources)
    3. Preaching Styles That Fit Your Voice
    4. Built for Your People
    5. Simple Export, No Lock-In
    6. Built for Ministry, Not Just Content
  • 17 tradition icons strip
  • 4-step "How it works" section
  • Pricing section (Free / Pro cards) embedded from sermonPricing
  • VideoTransition component between sections
  • SermonNav header + SermonFooter footer

This appears to be the correct, approved content. The 6 feature cards accurately describe what the product does.

Q3: Pricing Page​

Answer: The pricing page at /sermons/pricing is a standalone page:

  • Dark hero with "Simple, Honest Pricing" heading and gold radial glow
  • Two cards: Free and Pro ($19.95/mo)
  • Feature comparison visible on each card
  • FAQ section (5 questions: free usage, premium AI model, billing switch, monthly limit, cancellation)
  • CTA: "Get Started Free" for Free tier, "Upgrade to Pro" for Pro tier (via SermonUpgradeButton)
  • No redirect to churchwiseai.com/pricing — this is a self-contained pricing page for SermonWise

This is the correct flow. SermonWise has its own pricing experience.

Q4: Free Tier​

Answer:

  • Keep free tier as-is (2 outlines/month, no credit card)

Per PRICING.md and sermon-pricing.ts: Free tier gives 2 sermon outlines per month with full access to all 17 theological traditions, RAG-powered illustrations, copy & export, and save to library. No credit card required. This matches the marketing page and the code.

Section B: Sign-Up & Onboarding​

Q5: Signup Flow​

Answer: Current flow:

  1. Click "Get Started Free" on marketing/pricing page
  2. -> /sermons/signup (email + name + password form via SignupForm component with Supabase Auth)
  3. -> Email confirmation (Supabase sends verification link)
  4. -> /sermons/app/onboarding (denomination/tradition picker — one question)
  5. -> /sermons/app (dashboard)

The OnboardingGate component in the app layout checks if the user has set a theological tradition. If not, redirects to /sermons/app/onboarding.

Auth method: Standard email + password via Supabase Auth. The SignupForm component also includes Google OAuth option (accentColor="gold"). No magic link / passwordless flow.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

The signup form uses a shared SignupForm component from @/components/auth/SignupForm. Verify it includes Google OAuth for SermonWise. The appSource is set to "sermon_starter".

Q6: Welcome Email​

Answer:

  • No welcome email — dashboard is sufficient (current state)

No welcome email is wired in the current codebase. After signup and email confirmation, the user lands on the onboarding page, then the dashboard.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

Recommendation: Add a welcome email following established patterns:

  • Subject: "Welcome to SermonWise AI — Your First Sermon Awaits"
  • Body:
    1. Generate your first sermon outline (+ New Sermon button)
    2. Explore the Title Generator for inspiration
    3. Browse the Community for ideas from other pastors
  • Keep it simple — SermonWise is a simpler product than CWA

Q7: Upgrade Confirmation​

Answer: After Stripe checkout, the app detects ?upgraded=true URL parameter and shows:

  • Green success banner: "Welcome to SermonWise Pro! You now have 15 sermon outlines per month."

  • Usage badge updates to show Pro limit (X/15)

  • Green banner is sufficient (current behavior)

No confirmation email is sent. No modal or celebration screen.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

Recommendation: Also send a brief confirmation email. But the green banner is reasonable as a minimum.

Q8: Trial Period​

Answer:

  • No trial — free tier IS the try-before-you-buy

Per PRICING.md: SermonWise has no explicit trial period. The free tier (2 outlines/month, no credit card) serves as the entry point. This is the correct approach — the free tier is generous enough to evaluate the product.

Section C: Core Features​

Q9: Sermon Generation Wizard​

Answer: The 4-step wizard (via SermonWizard component):

  1. Scripture passage (text input) + optional theme, with lectionary suggestions
  2. Theological lens (from 17 traditions — user's default pre-selected from onboarding)
  3. Preaching method (AI recommends methods with fit scores; user picks one)
  4. Style + Audience + Generate (Expository/Topical/Narrative/Devotional, 8 audience options, voice style, then Generate button)

This appears to be the correct approved flow. No steps to add, remove, or reorder identified.

Q10: Derivative Materials​

Answer: Three derivative types:

  1. Small Group Guide (discussion questions, icebreakers, activities)
  2. Children's Sermon (object lesson, story, memory verse)
  3. Social Media Posts (Instagram, Twitter/X, church bulletin content)

These are generated from a saved sermon outline.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

Are these the right three? Potential additions: bulletin insert, prayer guide, worship song suggestions. But three is a clean, focused set.

Q11: Derivative Access by Tier​

Answer:

  • Available on both Free and Pro (as they are now)

The code does not appear to gate derivative generation behind Pro. Any saved sermon can have derivatives generated. The pricing page doesn't explicitly call out derivatives as a free feature but doesn't restrict them either.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

Should derivatives be gated to Pro? The free tier already limits to 2 sermons/month — derivatives from those 2 sermons is a reasonable free benefit. Keeping them ungated makes the free tier more compelling and drives conversion when users want MORE sermons (which they can only get with Pro).

Q12: Sermon Series Planning​

Answer:

  • It is NOT built — it's aspirational copy on the pricing page

sermon-pricing.ts lists "Sermon series planning" as a Pro feature, but no /sermons/app/series route or series-related UI exists in the codebase. The SermonWizard generates individual sermons, not series.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

Decision needed: Either (a) build series planning before launch, or (b) remove from the Pro feature list on the pricing page. Listing an unbuilt feature violates the established principle: "Every pricing card claim must be (a) actually built and (b) understandable to a pastor."

Q13: Title Generator Access​

Answer:

  • Free for all users (as it is now)

The Title Generator at /sermons/titles is in the app nav and accessible to all logged-in users. No tier gating visible in the code.

Q14: Templates & Community Access​

Answer:

Templates (/sermons/templates):

  • Free for all users — available in the nav for all logged-in users

Community (/sermons/community):

  • Free for all users (read-only) — browse sermons other pastors have made public

No tier gating visible for either feature.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

Should Community submissions (publishing your sermon for others to see) be gated to Pro? This would create a natural incentive: "Share your sermon with the community" as a Pro benefit.

Q15: ITW Integration​

Answer:

  • RAG from unified_rag_content — no explicit ITW link

The marketing page says "300,000+ curated theological resources" and "Real Illustrations, Not Hallucinations." This refers to RAG-powered retrieval from the shared unified_rag_content table (327K rows). The same content that powers IllustrateTheWord is used to enrich sermon outlines.

No direct "Powered by IllustrateTheWord" attribution is shown. No discount between SermonWise and ITW Premium.

Section D: Dashboard & Navigation​

Q16: App Header Navigation​

Answer: From SermonAppHeader.tsx:

  • My Sermons (/sermons/app)
  • Title Generator (/sermons/titles)
  • Templates (/sermons/templates)
  • Community (/sermons/community)
  • Usage badge (shows X/15 for Pro or X/2 for Free, with color coding: green when remaining > 0, red when 0)
  • + New Sermon button (gold/accent colored)
  • User dropdown (profile name, Sign Out)
  • Mobile hamburger menu

Above the nav: CrossPromoBanner — dismissible navy bar: "Your AI ministry team goes beyond sermons. Explore ChurchWiseAI Voice + Chat ->"

This navigation appears correct and complete for the current product scope.

Q17: Dashboard Stats​

Answer: From the dashboard page:

  • Time Saved (calculated as ~2 hours per sermon)
  • Sermons (total created)
  • Materials (total derivatives generated)
  • Traditions explored (X/17 progress)
  • Usage remaining (X/15 for Pro, X/2 for Free)
  • Sermons by Bible Book donut chart
  • Scripture Balance (OT vs NT %)
  • Traditions Explored progress bar
  • Member Since date

These stats are reasonable for the product. No obvious additions needed.

Q18: Past Sermon Access​

Answer:

  • All users see all saved sermons, unlimited (as it appears now)

The dashboard loads all saved sermons from the API with no visible limit. Free users' past sermons are not hidden even after they hit their monthly generation limit. This is correct — pastors should always be able to access their past work.

Q19: Account Settings​

Answer:

  • No settings page exists under /sermons/app/settings

The only preference is the default theological lens set during onboarding (stored in user_metadata.tradition). No billing management, password change, or email preference page exists within the SermonWise app.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

Recommendation: At minimum, add:

  • Link to Stripe billing portal (for Pro subscribers to manage/cancel)
  • Change default theological tradition
  • Password change (via Supabase)

The pricing page FAQ says "You can switch at any time from your account settings" — but no settings page exists. This is a copy/reality mismatch.

Section E: Cross-Sell & Ecosystem​

Q20: CWA Cross-Promotion Banner​

Answer:

  • Approved as-is — dismissible banner is fine

The CrossPromoBanner component shows a navy bar at the top of the app: "Your AI ministry team goes beyond sermons. Explore ChurchWiseAI Voice + Chat ->" with a link to churchwiseai.com/voice. Dismissible via X button. Shows for all users (free and Pro).

Q21: Cross-Product Discount​

Answer:

  • No cross-product discount

No bundle or discount between SermonWise Pro and CWA plans exists in the codebase or PRICING.md.

Q22: Mutual Cross-Promotion​

Answer:

  • Yes — SermonWise footer says "Also by ChurchWiseAI" with links (implicit via SermonFooter)
  • The CWA homepage mentions SermonWise in the ecosystem products section
  • The ITW ChurchWiseAIPromo component doesn't mention SermonWise specifically

The SermonWise brand is positioned as "from the team behind ChurchWiseAI" — the 6th feature card on the marketing page says "Built for Ministry, Not Just Content — From the team behind ChurchWiseAI."

Section F: Lifecycle & Billing​

Q23: Monthly Limit Hit​

Answer:

  • Usage badge turns red + soft block on generation

When remaining === 0:

  • Usage badge shows "0 remaining" in red in the header
  • The user can still view all past sermons, export them, generate derivatives from existing sermons
  • New sermon generation is blocked (the wizard presumably checks usage before generating)
  • No full-page paywall overlay
  • No email nudge when limit is hit

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

Recommendation: Consider adding a soft "Upgrade to Pro" CTA when the user tries to generate with 0 remaining, rather than a hard block with no explanation.

Q24: Payment Failed​

Answer:

  • Stripe retries 3x, then subscription lapses
  • No custom payment failure email or dashboard banner in the SermonWise codebase
  • The Stripe webhook handler would update subscription status

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

Payment failure handling is minimal. Recommendation: add a banner in the app header when subscription is past_due, with a link to update billing via Stripe portal.

Q25: Cancellation​

Answer:

  • Sermons accessible until end of billing period, then account reverts to free tier (2/month limit, old sermons still visible)

Following the established soft-delete pattern: all saved sermons remain in the database. The user's tier reverts to free, limiting new generation to 2/month. All past sermons, derivatives, and data are preserved and accessible.

Q26: Re-subscription​

Answer:

  • Old sermons are never deleted — they just reactivate as Pro (sermons already there)

Standard Stripe checkout for re-subscribe. No "Welcome back" experience in the current code.

Q27: Billing Management​

Answer:

  • Self-serve via Stripe customer portal (we need to add a link somewhere in the app)

The pricing page FAQ mentions switching billing, but no settings page or billing link exists in the app. The Stripe portal would handle this, but there's no link to access it.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:​

This is a gap. A Pro subscriber has no way to manage their subscription from within the SermonWise app. Need to add at minimum a "Manage Subscription" link in the user dropdown menu that creates a Stripe portal session.

Section G: Brand & Design​

Q28: Visual Identity​

Answer:

  • Approved as-is — shared design language is intentional

Brand elements in the code:

  • Logo: "SermonWise" in navy serif (text-[#1B365D]) + "AI" gold badge (bg-[#D4AF37])
  • Colors: Sacred Gold (#D4AF37), Navy (#1B365D), Cream (#FEFCF8)
  • Fonts: Playfair Display for serif headings (font-serif), Inter for body
  • App background: bg-[#FEFCF8] cream
  • Dark hero with gold radial glow on marketing pages

The shared design language connects SermonWise to ChurchWiseAI visually. The "AI" badge provides brand consistency with ChurchWiseAI.

Q29: Brand Separation​

Answer:

  • Approved — SermonWise is its own brand, CWA is mentioned only in cross-promo

The SermonAppHeader shows "SermonWise AI" standalone. The SermonFooter is separate from the CWA footer. The CrossPromoBanner is the only CWA reference within the app experience. No "Powered by ChurchWiseAI" in the header or footer.

Q30: Mobile Responsiveness​

Answer:

  • Responsive is sufficient — pastors mostly use desktop for sermon prep

The app has responsive classes throughout. Mobile hamburger menu in SermonAppHeader. The dashboard uses responsive grid. The sermon wizard is form-heavy and likely better on desktop, but functional on mobile.

Additional Notes​

  • Moderation page (/sermons/app/moderate) exists — likely for community content moderation
  • Showcase page (/sermons/showcase) exists — possibly a public showcase of generated sermons
  • Compare page (/sermons/compare) exists — possibly comparison with other tools
  • Forgot password (/sermons/forgot-password) and Update password (/sermons/update-password) flows exist via Supabase Auth
  • Login page (/sermons/login) is separate from signup
  • Terms (/sermons/terms) and Privacy (/sermons/privacy) pages exist with SermonWise-specific content
  • No API routes visible under /api/sermons/ from the app directory — they exist at the churchwiseai-web API level (e.g., /api/sermons/list, /api/sermons/usage, /api/sermons/stats, /api/sermons/generate)
  • Key gap: No settings page. The pricing FAQ promises billing management from "account settings" but this doesn't exist. Must be built or copy updated.
  • Key gap: Sermon series planning is listed as a Pro feature but not built. Must be built or removed from pricing copy.