When you start your outreach message with "What's up bro"...
You instantly irritate a significant portion of your potential audience.
Including myself.
Same true for "Hey, if we could guarantee you: ..."
WTF, bro? I can guarantee you I block you.
You don't need an original idea to start a SaaS.
Just a single feature of an established biz.
Product-market fit is already there.
Make it better/cheaper.
Done.
Sometimes I feel like a failure.
And I know you do too.
But listen:
Everyone faces the same struggles as you and I.
Most just hide it.
Seek for similar people's company. Share your struggles with them.
They'll be grateful and you'll feel relief.
You're not alone.
SaaS is complex. So you need a fast way to test your ideas with an MVP.
But how?
1/ Use boilerplates
=====
Those have already done the heavy-lifting of common requirements like authentication and payment plan management.
My favorites:
- SaaS Pegasus for Python
- ShipFast for JS/TS
2/ Assemble UI
=====
You don't have to code UI anymore. Use pre-made components for maximum speed.
My favorites:
- TailwindUI
- Shadcn (open source)
If you absolutely can't find some something pre-made, then create components using AI at v0.dev
3/ Don't make it future-proof
=====
As a creator you feel the urge to over-optimize. Don't do it!
You'll have time to refactor once your project has taken off.
Are you still craving for human-made images in the era of AI?
Here's my mega-collection of 66 free stock photo websites with some hidden gems 💎:
🌟 nappy .co
🌟 cc0 .photo
🌟 moveast .me
🌟 skuawk .com
🌟 pexels .com
🌟 pexels .com
🌟 pixabay .com
🌟 pixabay .com
🌟 freepik .com
🌟 picjumbo .com
🌟 stocksnap .io
🌟 unsplash .com
🌟 rgbstock .com
🌟 jeshoots .com
🌟 unsplash .com
🌟 picjumbo .com
🌟 diverseui .com
🌟 libreshot .com
🌟 shotstash .com
🌟 nos.twnsnd .co
🌟 magdeleine .co
🌟 picography .co
🌟 lifeofpix .com
🌟 jaymantri .com
🌟 pikwizard .com
🌟 picography .co
🌟 mystock .photos
🌟 freestocks .org
🌟 kaboompics .com
🌟 librestock .com
🌟 morguefile .com
🌟 splitshire .com
🌟 stockvault .net
🌟 barnimages .com
🌟 everypixel .com
🌟 stockvault .net
🌟 freeimages .com
🌟 isorepublic .com
🌟 foodiesfeed .com
🌟 freelyphotos .com
🌟 littlevisuals .co
🌟 glyphs .co/photos
🌟 skitterphoto .com
🌟 designerspics .com
🌟 photos.icons8 .com
🌟 gratisography .com
🌟 gratisography .com
🌟 goodfreephotos .com
🌟 realisticshots .com
🌟 freerangestock .com
🌟 getrefe.tumblr .com
🌟 allthefreestock .com
🌟 freenaturestock .com
🌟 pxhere .com/en/photos
🌟 travelcoffeebook .com
🌟 semi-recta.tumblr .com
🌟 cupcake.nilssonlee .se
🌟 startupstockphotos .com
🌟 crowthestone.tumblr .com
🌟 altphotos .com/altphotos
🌟 publicdomainarchive .com
🌟 deathtothestockphoto .com
🌟 rawpixel .com/free-images
🌟 shopify .com/stock-photos
🌟 vecteezy .com/free-photos
🌟 lookingglassfreephotos.tumblr .com
Do you know more? 👇
My favorite feature in SaaS-building frameworks?
Two-way migration.
Nothing's better than automatically revert even the data changes with a single command when sh!t happens...
And believe me, it will happen.
Eventually.
Curiosity...
Gary Halbert said it's the most powerful emotion you can evoke in your customers.
But that's all?
4 other emotions you could also trigger in your SaaS users:
1/ Trust & security
2/ Fear of missing out
3/ Desire for efficiency
4/ Success & achievement
I hate being bad at stuff.
That has always given me the drive to improve myself.
The problem?
I rejected to look like a beginner for such a long time.
Not a good combo.
Instead of locking yourself away for months, co-create your MVP design with users to build something truly innovative.
How?
Easy.
• Start with a simple (but working) prototype from existing components
• Bring in target users early
• Observe their behaviors & listen to their needs
• Evolve the design together
• Empower users to be co-creators & advocates
A simple way to identify features that delight your customers during the validation phase:
Ask them to go through their workflow in real time with you.
You'll see opportunities to make their life easier they can't see, but obvious to you with a fresh perspective.
The best software doesn't make you think. It just works right out of the box.
But achieving simplicity and ease-of-use is hard.
You need to:
• understand user behaviors
• find the gaps to improve the experience
• create delightful journeys
• communicate product decisions
Ship fast & gather feedback; this is the way for starting a new project.
But wireframes are lame.
Here’s how I would design my SaaS MVP to be visually engaging and attractive to early adopters. I would:
- Choose a frontend UI kit for Figma with ready-to-go components
- Create pages using the components
- Export the whole thing into HTML with Framer
- Host it on Netlify
Boom, I have a nice-looking MVP to show around for feedback.
Alex Hormozi said the 4 scarcest skills that make billionaires are the ability to:
1/ Raise & multiply money at scale
2/ Capture & multiply attention at scale
3/ Influence the behaviour of others at mass scale
4/ Return time to other people at no incremental cost to yourself at scale
#4 is basically building an SaaS business.
This is the easiest way for a tech-savvy person.
That's why I like the idea so much.
Why to integrate gamification into your daily tasks?
👾 Increases motivation by making routine tasks feel like a game
🎱 Enhances productivity through achievements
⛳️ Makes learning new skills less of a chore
🎲 Encourages creativity and problem-solving
The Godfather of stress relief for IT professionals:
✨Non-Tech Activities✨
Stepping away to engage in physical hobbies, nature walks, or flexing your creative muscle recharges your mind and brings a sense of well-being to keep your sanity in the long-term.
I love this quote from Tim Ferris:
“Personal branding is about managing your name — even if you don’t own a business — in a world of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google records.”
And if you work in IT?
Tech-savvy managers are everywhere.
If you want to get ahead in your career, make conscious efforts to manage your name.