Skip to content

Portfolio Archaeology Engine: Rediscover & Monetize Lost Creative Work

Every creative has gigabytes of forgotten genius buried in old projects, external drives, and cloud archives. These "lost" works represent untapped portfolio material, stock asset potential, and emotional resonance—but manual excavation is overwhelming. Inspired by HN's story of Jack Kerouac's lost manuscript, what if AI could be your digital archaeologist?

App Concept

  • Upload old hard drives, zip archives, or connect cloud storage accounts for AI-powered scanning
  • Computer vision + metadata analysis identifies high-quality creative work (photos, designs, illustrations, music stems, video clips)
  • AI curator scores each asset: portfolio-worthy vs. stock potential vs. nostalgic value
  • Automated restoration: upscaling images, removing dust spots, color correction using generative AI
  • One-click publishing to portfolio sites, stock marketplaces (Adobe Stock, Shutterstock), or NFT platforms
  • "Memory lane" social posts: "Found this logo concept from 2015—should I finish it?"

Core Mechanism

  • Drag-and-drop interface for uploading entire folder structures (supports 10+ years of files)
  • AI triage: CLIP models assess aesthetic quality, technical execution, market trends alignment
  • Smart categorization: "Portfolio highlights", "Stock marketplace ready", "Personal archive", "Rework candidates"
  • Batch editing tools: apply modern color grading, remove outdated design trends (drop shadows, gradients)
  • Trend analysis: "Your 2017 minimalist illustrations match 2025's retro-minimal trend"
  • Social proof dashboard: Shows which rediscovered assets get the most engagement
  • Integration with Behance, Dribbble, Instagram for instant publishing

Monetization Strategy

  • Freemium: Scan 1GB, get 10 AI-curated highlights
  • Creator tier ($15/month): Unlimited scanning, 50GB storage, basic restoration tools
  • Pro tier ($49/month): Advanced AI restoration, stock marketplace auto-submission, trend forecasting
  • Revenue share: 15% commission on stock sales generated through the platform
  • Enterprise: White-label solution for creative agencies managing decades of client work

Viral Growth Angle

  • "Throwback Thursday on steroids": Users post before/after of restored 10-year-old work
  • "What was I thinking?" viral format showing embarrassing old designs alongside polished versions
  • Gamification: "Portfolio archaeology level" badges for years excavated
  • Nostalgia loop: Every creative wants to prove their old work was ahead of its time
  • Stock earnings notifications: "Your 2014 photo just earned $50" triggers dopamine sharing

Existing projects

Evaluation Criteria

  • Emotional Trigger: Evoke magic (rediscovering lost potential), be prescient (old work feels fresh), limit risk (monetize sunk costs)
  • Idea Quality: Rank: 9/10 - Taps deep emotional resonance + practical monetization; HN's lost Kerouac story validates the "archaeology" framing
  • Need Category: Recognition & Respect Needs (showcasing hidden portfolio gems), Stability & Opportunity Needs (generating passive income from old work)
  • Market Size: 50M creatives worldwide, each with 10-20 years of archives (500M+ potential "dig sites")
  • Build Complexity: Medium-high - Requires robust file parsing, CLIP/vision models, image restoration AI, marketplace integrations
  • Time to MVP: 4-5 months with AI agents (file scanner + CLIP scoring + basic UI + one marketplace integration)
  • Key Differentiator: Only platform combining AI-powered asset archaeology, restoration, curation, AND multi-marketplace monetization in one workflow