Three months ago, I was billing clients per blog post. Sounds good, right? Until you realize each post consumed 4-6 hours of my time. The math wasn't working—not just financially, but fundamentally.
Here's how those hours broke down:
- 1-2 hours researching keywords and analyzing competitors
- 2-3 hours writing and editing
- 1 hour (yes, ONE HOUR) manually converting Markdown to Sanity's Portable Text format
That last part? That's what broke me.
## The Portable Text Problem
If you've worked with Sanity CMS, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Portable Text is powerful—brilliantly structured, queryable, platform-agnostic. But manually converting content into it is soul-crushing.
Picture this: You write a perfectly formatted article in your favorite editor. Beautiful headings, code blocks, links. Then you open Sanity Studio and spend an hour transforming this:
```markdown
## How to Use the API
Simply call `fetchData()`:
```
Into deeply nested JSON objects. Every. Single. Paragraph.
I tried existing tools. They either broke on complex formatting, didn't support Sanity properly, or required so much manual cleanup they weren't worth the time.
So I built my own converter. Then I kept building.
## Enter Terradium
What started as a "convert Markdown to Portable Text" script evolved into something bigger—an AI-powered content platform that handles the entire workflow from research to publishing.
Here's what it does now:
### The Multi-Agent Architecture
I implemented a system where specialized AI agents handle different parts of content creation:
- **Master Coordinator** - Plans the entire content strategy
- **SEO Research Agent** - Uses Perplexity AI for real-time competitive analysis
- **Content Writer** - Generates SEO-optimized articles with GPT-4
- **Content Improver** - Reviews and enhances quality
- **Sanity Publisher** - Handles the Portable Text conversion automatically
Each agent focuses on what it does best. The coordinator orchestrates everything.
### Content Planning at Scale
Instead of one-off articles, you can generate entire content strategies:
**Input**: "AI tools for developers"
**Output**:
- 12-article content plan
- Keyword research for each piece
- Topic clusters
- Publishing schedule
- Full SEO optimization
All generated in minutes, not days.
### The Electron System
I got tired of unpredictable AI costs. You know the feeling—"Did I just spend $50 on API calls this month?" So I built a transparent usage system.
Every operation costs "electrons"—a predictable, trackable unit. Real-time balance tracking. No surprises in your bill.
**Example**: Full article with SEO research = 6 electrons (~$0.40-0.60 depending on your plan)
You can mix subscriptions with one-time booster packs. Use what you need, when you need it.
## The Tech Stack (Because I Know You're Curious)
Built with modern tools that actually make development enjoyable:
**Frontend:**
- Next.js 15 with App Router
- TypeScript (because we're civilized)
- TailwindCSS v4
- Shadcn/ui components
**Backend:**
- Convex for real-time reactive database
- Clerk for authentication
**Key Feature**: Everything is real-time. You literally watch the AI agents work through each step. No black box, no waiting wondering if something's happening.
## What I Learned Building This
### 1. Streaming AI Responses Transform UX
E.g., Using OpenAI's streaming API instead of waiting for complete responses changed everything:
```typescript
const stream = await openai.chat.completions.create({
model: "gpt-4",
messages: [...],
stream: true,
});
for await (const chunk of stream) {
updateProgress(chunk);
}
```
Users see progress immediately. The difference between "is this working?" and "I can see exactly what's happening" is massive.
### 2. Convex Made Real-Time Stupidly Easy
Coming from traditional REST APIs and Redux state management, Convex's reactive queries were revelatory:
```typescript
const content = useQuery(api.content.get, { id });
// Automatically updates when data changes. That's it.
```
No websockets. No polling. No state management hell. It just works.
### 3. AI Agents Need Guardrails
Early versions would go completely off the rails. The solution? Structured outputs with validation:
```typescript
const schema = z.object({
title: z.string().max(60),
keywords: z.array(z.string()).min(3).max(10),
outline: z.array(z.string()),
});
```
Now agents can be creative within constraints. Freedom with boundaries.
## The Honest Reality
Here's something I need to say: AI-generated content isn't perfect. It never will be—at least not yet.
What Terradium does is eliminate the 80% of work that's predictable:
- Keyword research
- Competitive analysis
- First draft generation
- SEO optimization
- CMS formatting
The final 20%—your voice, your insights, your unique perspective—that's still yours to add. And now you actually have time to focus on it.
## Why I'm Launching in Beta
I've been using Terradium for my own content work for three months. It's transformed my workflow. But building in isolation only gets you so far.
I need real users. Real feedback. Real use cases I haven't thought of.
**What works:**
✅ AI content generation with multi-agent system
✅ Automatic Sanity CMS publishing
✅ Content planning and bulk generation
✅ Real-time progress tracking
✅ Transparent electron-based pricing
**What's coming:**
- More CMS integrations (WordPress, Contentful)
- Custom AI model support
- Team collaboration features
- Advanced analytics
## The Pricing Philosophy
I wanted pricing that doesn't feel exploitative:
- **Free tier**: 30 electrons (~5 articles) to genuinely try it
- **Fusion**: $19/mo for 270 electrons (~90 articles)
- **Reactor**: $49/mo for 800 electrons (~265 articles)
Compare that to hiring writers at $100-400 per article. Or spending 6 hours of your own time. The math makes sense.
## Try It Yourself
If you're:
- Spending hours on content creation
- Fighting with CMS formatting
- Doing client content work
- Running a dev blog or documentation site
- Just tired of the manual grind
Give Terradium a shot. The free tier is actually generous, and I genuinely want your feedback.
**Beta access**: [terradium.io](https://terradium.io)
## What I'm Still Figuring Out
Honestly? A lot.
1. Should this work with static site generators (Hugo, Gatsby)?
2. Is the electron system intuitive or confusing?
3. What other CMS platforms should I prioritize?
4. How much AI assistance do people actually want versus full automation?
I'm one developer who built this to solve my own problem. Your feedback literally shapes where this goes next.
---
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