🙅♂️Want to Create a SaaS? Don't - 👨🔬 Future Founder
Since I’ve joined the IH community about 9 months ago, I’ve noticed that a lot of attention is put heavily on the tech part of creating a SaaS.
I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to adjust the perspecive.
Here is why
Numerous lists of tools that teach you how to build a SaaS without code, with low code, or get it quickly deployed with seamless backend solutions are paving the path.
blog.futurefounder.me
I think it depends on your goals.
Honestly, a lot of Indie Hackers are either "wannapreneurs" or hobbyists who really just like building things. They don't actually want to be completely self-employed.
That said, if your goal is to build a real business, your advice is spot on.
I toyed around with SaaS ideas for years whole I had a job, but when I decided I was going to get serious about being a full-time entrepreneur, I started a productized service. Within weeks I was collecting $10k+ in monthly revenue and doing it full-time. I never would have been able to go independent this quickly with a SaaS.
Stop calling me out 😭
lol
Thanks for your perspective and amazing story! Are you able to share what kind of service you were providing?
It's a niche content service:
https://draft.dev
Sweet, thanks for sharing!
You can generate interest in your business without building first sure, but you can't satisfy customer needs without the actual product.
I hear what you're saying and what gets repeated time and again "generate interest first before building, then MVP" and I agree. But no customer can be satisfied by nothing. Also if you're able to satisfy a business need without software then surely you aren't in the software business, no?
Thanks for your perspective.
This really depends on what you see as the product. Is the product the software service where the client can do things, or is the product your service, where you are actually solving the clients' problems?
In my opinion the second.
In part true, but my point is exactly this. By satisfying a business need you are put it the position of being able to solve it with software much better, faster and you already have clients that happily pay you.
If you "just" create the software you have to validate many things.
Maybe this example of a founder portraits the point I am trying to make a bit clearer
Building a Startup Is Not About Building a Product, It's About Solving a Problem - YC
This is nice and it makes sense. Always validate, if a person would pay for your product by offering a service.
On another note, I really liked your blog, did you code or used no code too? Can you give details on tech stack and the theme.
Thanks for your perspective.
Sure:
The blog is created with Hugo, hosted on Github, deployed on Netflify and the theme is Paper.
You can learn hugo fast with the documentation/youtube videos,no coding needed, but a bit of terminal stuff. Very easy.
I think this is a valuable post, thank you. And I think it depends on what your goals are.. some people love to build tools and games etc, others are more interested in other things. This post is a good reminder to be honest with ourselves and find out what we want (to give).
Good to hear, that you think its valuable, thanks!
And absolutely, always be honest to yourself.
Valid points and a lot of people definitely put more focus on the tech itself rather than the "business" part of the equation. Starting and running a profitable SaaS is super hard. Providing a service first and then understand what people's problems are, and consequently solving them is much much more important.
True
That was really tough to read.
Tough as in "not written well" or in "this shatters my world-view" ?
not written well.
I think it’s written quite well and the text flows pretty nicely. Why do you think it’s not written well?
Thanks for your perspective