The Beginning
Every successful SaaS starts with a problem you've experienced firsthand. Mine started when I couldn't find a simple tool to manage client projects and communications in one place.
Year One: Validation & MVP
Finding Product-Market Fit
The first six months were about validation:
- Built a basic MVP in 6 weeks using Laravel and Vue.js
- Gave it away free to 20 beta users
- Conducted weekly calls to understand pain points
- Iterated based on feedback, not assumptions
Key Lesson: Don't build features. Solve specific problems.
First Paying Customers
Month 7 was when I charged for the first time:
- Started at $29/month (too low, in retrospect)
- Got 5 paying customers in the first week
- Realized people value solutions, not features
- Learned that pricing is positioning
The Struggle Phase (Months 8-15)
Mistakes I Made
1. Building Too Much I added features nobody asked for. Wasted 3 months on a "revolutionary" dashboard that users ignored.
2. Ignoring Marketing Built for 6 months before doing any marketing. Big mistake. Start marketing from day one.
3. Poor Pricing Strategy Underpriced initially, then jumped prices too fast. Lost 30% of customers during a price change.
What Worked
Cold Outreach
- Sent 50 personalized emails daily
- 15% response rate
- 3% conversion to paid
- Each email took 10 minutes to research and write
Content Marketing
- Wrote one technical article per week
- SEO took 6 months to kick in
- Now drives 40% of signups
Community Building
- Started a Discord for users
- Users became advocates
- Best feature ideas came from here
The Growth Phase (Months 16-24)
Finding the Right Channels
Not all marketing channels work for every SaaS:
What Worked For Me:
- SEO/Content marketing
- Cold email outreach
- Product-led growth (free trial)
- User referrals (incentivized)
What Didn't Work:
- Paid ads (too expensive for my price point)
- Conferences (wrong audience)
- Social media ads (poor ROI)
Scaling Strategy
Reached $10K MRR by focusing on:
-
Retention over acquisition
- Churn from 8% to 3% monthly
- Added onboarding sequences
- Weekly check-ins with new users
-
Pricing optimization
- Tested 5 different pricing models
- Ended up with 3-tier pricing
- Annual plans at 20% discount
-
Automation
- Automated onboarding emails
- Self-service documentation
- Chatbot for common questions
The Numbers
Here's the realistic breakdown:
- Month 1-6: $0 MRR (building & validating)
- Month 7: $145 MRR (5 customers)
- Month 12: $1,200 MRR (40 customers)
- Month 18: $4,500 MRR (105 customers)
- Month 24: $10,500 MRR (180 customers)
Key Metrics:
- Average Customer Value: ~$58/month
- Customer Acquisition Cost: $120
- Lifetime Value: $900
- Monthly Churn: 3%
- Time to profitability: 11 months
Lessons Learned
1. Start With Why
Understand the pain deeply. I used my own tool daily, which kept me focused on real problems.
2. Ship Fast, Learn Faster
Don't wait for perfect. My first version was embarrassingly simple, but it solved one problem really well.
3. Talk to Customers
I did 100+ customer calls in year one. Every major feature came from these conversations.
4. Pricing is Hard
Experimented constantly. Your first price is always wrong. Test and adjust.
5. Distribution > Product
An okay product with great distribution beats a great product with no distribution.
6. Sustainability Matters
Growth at all costs is a trap. I focused on profitable growth from month one.
What's Next
Currently at $10K MRR with a team of one (me). Next goals:
- $25K MRR by focusing on enterprise customers
- Hire first support person at $15K MRR
- Build product partnerships
- Expand into adjacent markets
Resources That Helped
- Books: The Mom Test, Traction, Obviously Awesome
- Podcasts: Startups For the Rest of Us, Indie Hackers
- Communities: Indie Hackers, r/SaaS, Twitter #buildinpublic
Final Thoughts
Building a SaaS is a marathon, not a sprint. Most overnight successes took 2-3 years. Focus on solving real problems, talk to customers, and be patient with growth.
The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is now.