Evaluation RuleDecision layer

SideNote Pro Rule: Adopt Only When the Client Brings Their Own API Key and Windows 11

Should our agency deploy SideNote Pro for a client, or is the bring-your-own-key model going to stall the rollout? Deploy SideNote Pro only after the client confirms Windows 11 coverage and hands over working API keys, then scope the engagement as a fixed-fee rollout rather than a resold subscription.

By InnovaAI ResearchPublished Updated

“Should our agency deploy SideNote Pro for a client, or is the bring-your-own-key model going to stall the rollout?”

Deploy SideNote Pro only after the client confirms Windows 11 coverage and hands over working API keys, then scope the engagement as a fixed-fee rollout rather than a resold subscription.

Common Mistake

Operators treat SideNote Pro like a resellable SaaS seat and quote it as recurring licence revenue, then discover the client must fund their own API usage and run Windows 11, so the deal stalls at procurement and the agency eats the unbilled setup hours.

Why This Works

SideNote Pro ships with no bundled AI usage, so every prompt runs on the client's own provider account and the $49 one-time licence covers one user on two devices, with a $349 monthly Business tier for 10 user licences when centralized purchase and coordinated licence issuance matter. The verdict is explicit that resale potential is limited because clients need their own API keys and Windows 11 machines, which makes this a services and configuration play, not a per-seat margin play. The 30-day free trial lets the agency prove selected-text actions, document analysis, screenshot capture, and local folder indexing against the client's real files before any licence is bought.

Apply When
  • •The client's staff run exclusively Windows 11 machines, since SideNote Pro is a native Windows 11 sidebar with no macOS or browser equivalent.
  • •The client already holds an AI provider account (OpenAI, Ollama, LM Studio, or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint) and can supply API credentials on day one.
  • •The engagement is a small professional services team of 1 to 5 staff doing recurring document review, which matches the Starter Rollout target and its $1,800 fee.
  • •The client handles sensitive material and needs conversation history and document analysis to stay on the local machine rather than in a vendor cloud.
  • •The agency can bill a 16-hour setup window for workstation configuration, folder indexing, and prompt library build.
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