I have made more than $1000 so far from selling software before launch. Validated idea.
There are not that many, but that encourages me.
How did I do it?
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For a week I developed a small concept and put it on GitHub.
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I made some screenshots of the software
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I created a small landing page with the sign-up form for the waitlist.
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I posted on social media and other channels.
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For 6 months I collect subscribers and suggestions and work on the product.
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Since I didn't have a price list yet, people were interested in buying early for a discount. So I developed the website and completed the price list and created a lifetime deal.
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A week ago I sent an email to all subscribers to be an early adopter.
That's it, I validated my idea!
It's very hard to earn trust, It took me almost 6 months, but in the end, it's satisfying and it motivates me to work on the product and create the coolest and most useful Self-hosted social media management software.
If you are curious to see what this software can do, I invite you to visit the website: https://mixpost.app/
That's an interesting take on validation. Congrats on the milestone!
Are there differentiators on the paid product or are you basically using it as a way to sponsor the development?
Yes, there are differences. The Lite package which is free has a basic scheduling feature and some analytics data. The paid product is more professional and best suited for businesses and agencies, or for users who want to launch a SaaS and start generating revenue if purchasing a Pro SaaS package.
You can see the feature differences between Lite and Pro on the pricing page, Comparison section -> https://mixpost.app/pricing