I Almost Gave Up on My SaaS—Here’s What Kept Me Going
The Night I Almost Quit
It was 2 AM. I was staring at my screen, refreshing my dashboard for the hundredth time. No new signups. No new messages. Just an empty, silent reminder that my SaaS wasn’t growing.
I had been working on it for months—pouring in late nights, skipping weekends, and convincing myself that this was going to be my breakthrough. But the numbers weren’t moving. The feedback was scarce. And the doubts were getting louder.
Maybe I wasn’t cut out for this. Maybe I should just shut it down and move on.
If you’ve ever built something from scratch, you probably know this feeling. That moment where everything inside you screams, Just stop. It’s not working.
But something changed. A small shift that kept me going.
Why I Started My SaaS (And How It Went Wrong)
Like many founders, I started my SaaS because I saw a problem that needed solving. I believed in the idea, and I was convinced others would too.
The plan was simple: Build a tool, launch it, get users, and grow.
But reality was different.
- My launch barely made a ripple.
- Marketing felt overwhelming.
- Finding customers was harder than I expected.
- And worst of all—no one seemed to care.
I had a working product, but I wasn’t getting traction. And without traction, it felt pointless.
At one point, I even started looking at job listings, thinking, Maybe I should just go back to something stable.
The Turning Point: Building in Public
Then, I stumbled upon an idea that changed everything: Building in Public.
I had seen other founders do it—sharing updates, wins, losses, and everything in between. At first, I thought:
- “Why would anyone care about my tiny SaaS?”
- “What if people steal my idea?”
- “What if I look like an idiot?”
But at that point, I had nothing to lose.
So, I started sharing.
At first, it was just small tweets—“Building a new feature today, let’s see how it goes.” Then, longer posts about my struggles—what was working, what wasn’t, and the mistakes I had made.
And slowly, things started changing.
How Building in Public Changed Everything
People Started Engaging
One of my first posts about my struggles got a comment from another founder: “Hey, I went through this too. Here’s what helped me.” That one comment led to a conversation, which led to advice that actually helped.
Unexpected Supporters
Indie founders, creators, and even potential users started following along. I wasn’t just pushing a product anymore—I was sharing a journey. And people like following journeys.
It Became Easier to Get Feedback
Instead of guessing what users wanted, I started getting real input. I’d post a poll: “Would you prefer Feature A or Feature B?” And people actually responded!
Momentum Picked Up
More engagement meant more motivation. I stopped feeling like I was building in a vacuum. Each small win—whether it was a comment, a share, or a new signup—kept me going.
And the best part? The more I shared, the more people discovered my SaaS.
Key Lessons I Learned
Here’s what I wish I had known earlier:
1. People connect with the story, not just the product
I used to think my SaaS needed to be “perfect” before talking about it. But people don’t connect with polished marketing—they connect with the struggle. They like seeing the ups and downs.
2. Feedback is free—use it
When you build in public, feedback comes naturally. And sometimes, the best ideas come from people watching your journey.
3. Transparency builds trust
Being honest about what’s working (and what’s not) makes people trust you more. And trust is everything in SaaS.
4. Momentum is everything
The hardest part is keeping motivation alive. When you share your journey, even small wins feel bigger. And those small wins add up.
What You Can Do if You’re Struggling
If you’re in that place where quitting feels like the only option, here’s what I’d suggest:
Start sharing your journey (Twitter, LinkedIn, Indie Hackers—wherever you feel comfortable).
Engage with others in your niche (Comment on their posts, join discussions).
Don’t be afraid to share failures (People relate to struggles more than overnight success stories).
Ask for feedback (You’ll be surprised how many people want to help).
And if you haven’t started yet, there are no-code platforms (like Fuzen.io) that make it easier to build something without getting stuck on tech. But the real challenge isn’t the tech—it’s pushing through the hard parts.
Final Words: Don’t Quit Too Soon
Every SaaS founder I admire has been through this. The moment of doubt. The near quitting.
But the ones who make it? They’re the ones who keep going.
If you’re building something, share your story in the comments—I’d love to hear it!
Let's Connect:
X: https://x.com/GirishGilda99
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishgilda/
Your story is great, and very motivating.
I've been working on a side project with a friend for a little while now, and we've come to that point where we're not sure if we should continue building more features or try to advertise (which we have no experience in).
Showing the building process is a great way to potentially handle both!
If you're interested, check out what we have so far.
Platapi is a tool to convert OpenAPI docs into mock endpoints. If you don't have OpenAPI docs, we can help build those too! You can test response speeds, status codes, and override values that get returned from the mocks.
Our main goal is to bridge the gap between API contract negotiation, writing API docs, and starting to build the app. This stems from the pain of working with multiple teams, 3rd party vendors, etc. who don't yet have their endpoints ready for us to use (or don't have a test endpoint, so we get charged while building). Would love to hear your thoughts!
platapi. om (public site)
app.platapi. om (web app)
app.platapi. om/#/document-builder (OpenAPI doc builder, no auth needed)
(I can't post links yet... so fill in the blanks 😂)
hh
Hey @10ndavis
Your product looks great! I would advise you to start advertising your product and at the same time, keep improving it. The sooner you start advertising/marketing, the better for you guys.
Getting early feedback from your users will help and drastically improve your product.
I would be happy to help in any way possible. Let's connect over any social media -
X: https://x.com/GirishGilda99
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishgilda/
So happy you turned it around
Build in public was just the external layer tho. How did you start getting customers? Just posting your journey? 🤔
Thanks! And you're spot on, just sharing the journey wasn't the whole story.
Honestly, 'build in public' got the ball rolling, but real customers came from a mix of things. I spent a lot of time figuring out who my ideal customer was and then went where they were online.
Some direct outreach, some targeted ads, and a ton of listening to early feedback to make the product actually solve their problems. Basically, the journey got people curious, but the actual value of what I was building is what kept them around.
Cool, thanks for extending it! Appreciate 😁
Inspiring post. I am in a similar situation right now. My twin brother and I are building a SaaS, and we also struggle to get traction. We both have a developer background and are even thinking about partnering with someone who knows marketing. Build in public might be worth trying for us too.
Bookmarked this post, thanks. This is exactly, what every indie founder needs to know when starting out. There will be ups and downs, but it is important to not give up. I love building in public and need to be more active on Twitter. This was my sign ✌🏼
Great to hear it resonated! Good luck on your journey. ✌️
Earlier I faced similar challenges with my SaaS, and it's comforting to know I'm not alone. Thank you for sharing all these briefly.
You're very welcome! It's definitely a common experience, especially with SaaS development. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and those little daily steps really do make a difference. Glad I could offer some helpful thoughts.
I'm in the same boat right now. Launched my app two days ago and still no sign ups. Thanks for motivation!
Thanks for sharing! Would love to know more about your product.
Thank you so much for sharing as this is what most founders and creators go through. Entepreneurialism is journey vs a destination. Continue to move forward.
You're absolutely right. Entrepreneurship is definitely a journey, not a destination. It's a constant process of learning, adapting, and growing.
Often, I find myself loosing momentum due to being occupied with other life activities. The solution I have discovered is to work a little bit everyday, even if I have no time left. Even if it’s just a single line of code.
I completely understand that! 'A little bit every day' is such a powerful approach. It's amazing how much you can achieve with that mindset. Thanks for sharing!
Its you persisting on improving which is a good thing.
Thank you :)
Relatable Experience:
Thank you and all the best
Thank you for sharing.
i hope it was useful:)
How you respond to those challenging moments will separate you from the crowd.
Yes I completely agree!
Love the honesty in this journey. SaaS is tough, but persistence pays!
thanks @Rupam_vohra
This one really hit home and I thank you for sharing it. It’s exactly what I needed to hear. Although I’m not SaaS (yet, I own a small digital marketing company working on SaaS internally for myself.) yesterday I had that “it’s time to call it.” I’m glad I didn’t. I’m going to post the story in a few days as I’m new here.
This is a great story and truly inspirational!
I love building new products, but I face similar challenges every time.
Thanks for sharing your story!
This is gold—thank you for sharing such a relatable and motivating perspective! The emphasis on engagement, vulnerability, and persistence is spot on. It's true—building something great is never just about the tech; it’s about pushing through those tough moments. Kudos to all the founders who keep going despite the doubt. Let’s celebrate the journey, struggles, and wins together! Excited to hear others’ stories—let’s build and grow as a community. 🙌
Wow, your story is seriously inspiring! It really captures the emotional rollercoaster of building a SaaS, that moment where you almost gave up feels so relatable for a lot of folks. What kept you going, like those small wins or finding clarity again, is super motivating. Some tools could totally come in handy during those chaotic phases, helping to organize thoughts or priorities.
Maybe sharing one specific trick that pulled you out of the slump would’ve been the cherry on top?
Either way, thanks for this honest take, it’s a real push to keep grinding!
Thank you for sharing
When you build in public, you have others rooting for you. It helps keep you motivated and you get real time feedback.
Thanks for sharing your story!
Good read
This feeling is so familiar! Building a SaaS can be mentally exhausting, especially when growth feels stagnant. But the way you turned things around through Building in Public is inspiring.
Instead of sharing your history on IndieHackers or any community of founders, why not sharing it in the social media accounts of your startup?
Tune the histories to not be about the entrepreneurship journey but your history about the issues lived as a person that needed your solution and then, once created, the person that use your tool.
There you have dozens and dozens of histories to post. Your customer will love this and it works like a charm.
never knew i'd relate so much to someone.
Bookmarking this for the next time I feel like quitting. The reminder that people connect with the story, not just the product, is gold.
Cheers!!:)
Your perseverance is truly inspiring! The journey of building a SaaS can be tough, but hearing how you pushed through challenges is motivating. What was the biggest lesson you learned that helped you stay on track?
Thank you! That's very kind. Honestly, the biggest lesson I learned was the importance of focus and iteration.
Not building anything for myself yet but I work at Docsumo, where we are building an agentic document extraction tool. It's honestly difficult to stand out considering how much agentic ai has taken over the world. Thanks for sharing your journey though- it's very inspiring :)
That sounds really interesting! Docsumo's work with document extraction is definitely tackling a tough space. I get what you mean about standing out in all this AI noise. And thanks, I'm glad you found my journey inspiring.
Right now I am observing a real-life problem that I can solve one day!
All the best @Raushan_9s
This comment was deleted 6 months ago.
Thank you