Three months ago, I was billing clients $25-40 per blog post. Sounds great, right? Wrong.
Each post took me 4-6 hours of work:
- 1-2 hours researching keywords and 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 ever worked with Sanity CMS, you know the pain. Portable Text is powerful, but converting content manually is soul-crushing:
{
_type: 'block',
children: [
{
_type: 'span',
text: 'Just trying to format a simple paragraph...'
}
]
}
Multiply that by 2000 words, add images, links, headings, and you're looking at serious time sink.
I tried existing tools. They either:
- Broke on complex formatting
- Didn't support Sanity properly
- Required manual cleanup anyway
- Cost more than they saved
So I built my own solution. Then I kept building.
Enter Terradium
What started as a "convert Markdown to Portable Text" script evolved into a full AI-powered content platform.
Here's what it does now:
1. AI Multi-Agent System
I implemented a multi-agent architecture 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
Content Improver - Reviews and enhances quality
Sanity Publisher - Handles the dreaded Portable Text conversion automatically
2. 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 with:
- Keyword research
- Topic clusters
- Publishing schedule
- SEO optimization
3. The Electron System
I got tired of unpredictable AI costs, so I built a transparent usage system:
- Every operation costs "electrons"
- Real-time balance tracking
- No surprises in your bill
- Mix subscriptions with one-time booster packs
Example: Full article with SEO research = 6 electrons (~$0.40-0.60 depending on your plan)
The Tech Stack
Built with modern tools developers actually want to use:
Frontend:
- Next.js 15 with App Router
- TypeScript (because we're not animals)
- TailwindCSS v4
- Shadcn/ui components
Backend:
- Convex for real-time reactive database
- Clerk for auth (JWT integration was smooth)
Key Feature:
Everything is real-time. You literally watch the AI agents work through each step. No black box, no waiting.
What I Learned Building This
1. Streaming AI Responses Are A Game-Changer
E.g., Using OpenAI's streaming API instead of waiting for complete responses:
const stream = await openai.chat.completions.create({
model: "gpt-4",
messages: [...],
stream: true,
});
for await (const chunk of stream) {
// Update UI in real-time
updateProgress(chunk);
}
Users see progress immediately. Huge UX win.
2. Convex Made Real-Time Stupidly Easy
Coming from traditional REST APIs, Convex's reactive queries were mind-blowing:
const content = useQuery(api.content.get, { id });
// Automatically updates when data changes. That's it.
No websockets. No polling. No Redux hell.
3. AI Agents Need Guardrails
Early versions would go off the rails. The solution? Structured outputs and validation:
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.
The Beta Launch
I'm launching Terradium in beta at terradium.io this week.
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
Pricing Philosophy
I wanted pricing that doesn't feel like highway robbery:
Free tier: 30 electrons (~10 articles) to try it out
Fusion: $19/mo for 270 electrons (~90 articles)
Reactor: $49/mo for 800 electrons (~265 articles)
Plus one-time electron packs if you need a burst of content.
Compare that to hiring writers at $100-400 per article. Even if you use this for 10 articles a month, it pays for itself.
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
Give Terradium a shot. The free tier is actually generous (30 electrons), and I'd love your feedback.
Beta access: terradium.io
Open Questions for the Community
I'm still figuring some things out:
- Would you want this to work with static site generators (Hugo, Gatsby)?
- Is the electron system intuitive or confusing?
- What other CMS platforms should I prioritize?
Drop your thoughts in the comments. Seriously, I'm one developer trying to solve a real problem I had. Your feedback shapes where this goes.
TL;DR: Built an AI platform that turns 6-hour blog posts into 10-minute automated workflows. Uses multi-agent AI system, automatically converts to Sanity Portable Text, transparent electron-based pricing.