Context
It's 2024 and I'm looking for a new project.
After years working mainly as a backend developer, I've become increasingly interested in learning frontend development. Around the same time, I've also been listening to podcasts about solo developers building SaaS businesses online.
The idea appeals to me: build a useful product, find customers, and slowly create a more independent source of income.
I decide to try it for myself.
Effort
At the time, I'm part of a small group where creators share feedback on YouTube thumbnails and titles. One thing we all struggle with is generating good preview images to share ideas quickly.
So I decide to build a SaaS to solve the problem.
I spend about a month building an MVP and eventually launch a free version to the group. A few people start using it and I slowly improve the app based on feedback.
Eventually I add a paid tier for $29 and message a couple of active users directly to explain the benefits.
One of them signs up.
It's my first ever SaaS customer.
Results
For a moment, the sale feels hugely significant. I've gone from listening to podcasts about SaaS businesses to having someone actually pay for a product I've built myself.
But after that, momentum fades quickly.
The group only has a small number of people in it and I have no clear way to consistently find new users.
Today, the app has 137 users and two paid customers, generating $58 in revenue.
Lesson
This project made me realize how easy it is to confuse excitement with demand.
I loved building the product. I enjoyed learning frontend development and solving a problem I personally had. But I never properly thought about how I would continue finding customers after launch.
Once the initial excitement wore off, I was left facing a problem I didn't really know how to solve: attention.
Building the product had felt exciting. Trying to get people to care about it didn't.
Numbers
- Time to first sale
- 1 month
- Price
- $29
- Total sales
- 2
- Revenue
- $58
If you're trying to move from thinking about something to actually building it, I occasionally work one-to-one with people here.