diff --git a/docs/marketing/briefs/2026-04-22-partner-api-keys-positioning-brief.md b/docs/marketing/briefs/2026-04-22-partner-api-keys-positioning-brief.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..86bd6bfb --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/marketing/briefs/2026-04-22-partner-api-keys-positioning-brief.md @@ -0,0 +1,130 @@ +# Phase 34: Partner API Keys — PMM Positioning Brief +**Owner:** PMM | **Status:** Draft | **Date:** 2026-04-22 +**Assumptions:** GA date TBD (blocked on Phase 32 completion + infra); partner tiers TBD with PM + +--- + +## Executive Summary + +Phase 34 (Partner API Keys) ships a `mol_pk_*` scoped key type that lets CI/CD pipelines, marketplace resellers, and automation tools create and manage Molecule AI orgs via API — without a browser session. This is the foundational capability for three strategic channels: **partner platforms**, **marketplace resellers**, and **enterprise CI/CD automation**. Each channel requires distinct positioning, but all share the same core value prop: *programmatic org provisioning, at scale, without compromising security*. + +--- + +## What Phase 34 Ships (Technical) + +| Component | Detail | +|-----------|--------| +| Key type | `mol_pk_*` — SHA-256 hashed in DB, returned in plaintext once on creation | +| Scoping | Org-scoped only; keys cannot access other orgs | +| Rate limiting | Per-key limiter, separate from session limits | +| Audit | `last_used_at` tracking on every request | +| Endpoints | `POST /cp/admin/partner-keys`, `GET /cp/admin/partner-keys`, `DELETE /cp/admin/partner-keys/:id` | +| Secret scanner | `mol_pk_` added to pre-commit secret scanner | +| Onboarding | Partner onboarding guide + two code examples (org lifecycle, CI/CD test org) | + +--- + +## Positioning by Channel + +### Channel 1: Partner Platforms + +**Buyer:** DevRel + platform integrations lead at platforms that want to embed or white-label Molecule AI as the agent orchestration layer. + +**Core message:** *"Molecule AI embeds in 10 lines of code. Provision a full org, attach your branding, and hand the tenant a ready-to-run fleet."* + +**Problem:** Platforms that want to offer agent orchestration as a feature today have two bad options — build it themselves (months of work, ongoing maintenance) or integrate via browser sessions (brittle, non-programmatic). Neither scales. + +**Solution:** Partner API Keys give platforms a first-class provisioning path. A partner platform calls `POST /cp/admin/partner-keys` with `orgs:create` scope, provisions a white-labeled org for each customer, and hands the customer a dashboard that is already their org, already wired up, already running agents. + +**Three claims:** +1. **Zero browser dependency.** Every provisioning action is an API call. Integrations don't break on UI changes. +2. **Scope-isolated by design.** Each partner key is scoped to one org. A compromised key cannot access other tenants or the platform's own infrastructure. +3. **Revocable instantly.** `DELETE /cp/admin/partner-keys/:id` revokes access on the next request. No waiting for session expiry. + +**Target dev:** Platform integrations engineer, DevRel who owns partner ecosystem +**CTA:** Request partner access → `docs.molecule.ai/docs/guides/partner-onboarding` + +--- + +### Channel 2: Marketplace Resellers + +**Buyer:** Marketplace ops team at cloud marketplaces (AWS Marketplace, GCP Marketplace) or agent framework directories who want to offer one-click Molecule AI org provisioning alongside existing listings. + +**Core message:** *"Molecule AI on [Marketplace]: provision in seconds, manage via API, bill through your existing account."* + +**Problem:** Marketplaces that list SaaS tools today have to manually provision trials, manage credentials out of band, and reconcile billing. The manual overhead makes Molecule AI a low-margin listing. + +**Solution:** Partner API Keys enable fully automated provisioning through marketplace billing APIs. A buyer clicks "Deploy on [Marketplace]", the marketplace calls the Partner API to provision an org, charges begin on the marketplace invoice, and the buyer lands in a fully configured dashboard. + +**Three claims:** +1. **Automated provisioning end-to-end.** From click to running org in under 60 seconds — no manual handoff. +2. **Marketplace-native billing.** Usage flows through the marketplace's existing invoicing, not a separate Molecule AI subscription. +3. **API-first management.** Marketplaces manage orgs, seats, and deprovisioning via the same Partner API used for provisioning. + +**Target dev:** Marketplace listing owner, cloud marketplace integrations engineer +**CTA:** List on [Marketplace] → contact partner team + +--- + +### Channel 3: Enterprise CI/CD Automation + +**Buyer:** DevOps / Platform engineering team at enterprises that want to spin up ephemeral test orgs as part of CI pipelines, run integration tests against a fresh Molecule AI org per PR, or automate org provisioning for dev/staging environments. + +**Core message:** *"Test against a real org, every commit, without touching the production fleet."* + +**Problem:** Enterprise teams building on Molecule AI today have to either share test orgs (flaky, data contamination) or manually provision ephemeral orgs per test run (slow, non-automatable). Neither supports a high-velocity CI/CD workflow. + +**Solution:** Partner API Keys + CI/CD example in the onboarding guide gives platform teams a fully automated org lifecycle per pipeline run: `POST` to create org → run tests → `DELETE` to teardown. Each PR gets a clean org. No cross-contamination. No manual cleanup. + +**Three claims:** +1. **Per-PR ephemeral orgs.** Each pipeline run gets a fresh org with default settings. Tests run in isolation. No shared-state flakiness. +2. **Automated teardown.** `DELETE /cp/admin/partner-keys/:id` deprovisions the org and stops billing immediately. +3. **No browser required.** The entire lifecycle — create, configure, test, teardown — is one or two API calls. CI/CD-native from day one. + +**Target dev:** Platform engineer, DevOps lead, CI/CD team +**CTA:** CI/CD integration guide → `docs.molecule.ai/docs/guides/partner-onboarding#cicd-example` + +--- + +## Cross-Channel Positioning + +All three channels share a single technical differentiator that should appear in every channel's collateral: + +> **Partner API Keys are org-scoped, scope-enforced, and revocable in one call.** A `mol_pk_*` key cannot escape its org boundary. Compromised keys cost one `DELETE` to neutralize. This is not a personal access token with a org-wide blast radius — it is an infrastructure credential designed for the partner tier. + +--- + +## Phase 30 Linkage + +Phase 30 (Remote Workspaces) shipped the per-workspace auth token model (`mol_ws_*`). Phase 34 extends that model to the *platform tier* with `mol_pk_*` — partner/platform-level keys that provision and manage orgs. Cross-sell opportunity: every Phase 34 org comes with Phase 30 remote workspace capability at no additional configuration. + +--- + +## Collateral Needed + +| Asset | Owner | Status | +|-------|-------|--------| +| Partner onboarding guide (`docs/guides/partner-onboarding.md`) | DevRel / PM | Not started | +| CI/CD example (org lifecycle + test teardown) | DevRel | Not started | +| Partner API Keys landing page section | Content Marketer | Not started | +| Marketplace listing copy | Content Marketer | Not started | +| Battlecard update (add Phase 34 row) | PMM | Not started | +| Partner tier pricing page | Marketing Lead / PM | TBD | + +--- + +## Open Questions for PM / Marketing Lead + +1. Partner tiers: will there be multiple key tiers (e.g., `orgs:create` vs `orgs:manage` vs `orgs:delete`)? Pricing model? +2. GA date: dependent on Phase 32 completion — any updated ETA? +3. First design partner: is there a named partner in the pipeline we can use as a reference in the onboarding guide? +4. Rate limits: what are the per-key rate limits? Do limits vary by tier? +5. Key rotation: are partner keys rotatable, or is rotation a delete + recreate? + +--- + +## Competitive Context + +No direct competitor has a published Partner API Key program at the agent orchestration layer. CrewAI and AutoGen focus on developer-seat pricing. LangGraph Cloud uses per-user licensing with no partner provisioning tier. This is a first-mover opportunity to own the "agent platform-as-a-backend" positioning before the category standardizes. + +**Risk:** If AWS/GCP/Azure absorb agent orchestration into their managed AI platforms (Phase 30 risk, tracked in ecosystem-watch), the partner platform channel may shift to OEM relationships rather than API-key-based reselling. Monitor for cloud provider announcements.