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  • Advice for a solo developer launching his first SaaS

    Bertalan Kozma
    17 replies
    Hi! My name is Bertalan, I'm an 18-year-old student from Hungary. After months of dedicated work, I'm about to launch my first SaaS project, Cosmo AI. As I'm doing this all by myself, so I wanted to ask you for advice. What should I focus on? What are the most important steps of building a successful SaaS? How to find customers? Thank you very much for your anwers!

    Replies

    Vincent Delitz
    @berc one of the biggest learnings as a solo dev founder is probably that you should learn how to market your product (and start this early on!). One of the things that helped me was to create a blog and document my findings as they might be interesting for your audience as well.
    Carol Moh
    Agree with what has been mentioned about building a community of users because no matter how good your product is, without people talking about it, it is incredibly hard to succeed. Starting off here in PH is a good place - you'll gain feedback and comments, which (I hope) are valuable and useful. Building a community is definitely not easy and takes time, but will be worth it in the long run! Also, one other piece of advice is to make sure you are collecting data everywhere! So you can gain as much insight as possible, especially as people near the end of your free trial - it is good to understand why or why not people convert from free to paid. Good luck!
    Bertalan Kozma
    ReviewPopup.io
    ReviewPopup.io
    @carolmoh Thank you for the reply, very valuable information. Iā€™m going to focus more on the insights as you mentioned, hopefully I can find out how to convert the trial users to customers :)
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    Sarvpriy Arya
    trying my first ever PH launch, will write a post for discussion
    In terms of finding customers, consider leveraging social media and online communities where your target audience spends time. Engage in conversations, provide value, and subtly introduce your product when relevant. Additionally, content marketing and SEO can be powerful tools for attracting organic traffic to your website.
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    Fitz Dupuy
    First of all congrats to your project. Checked out Cosmo AI, and it looks very promising, huge congrats on making this all by yourself.
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    PRIYANKA MANDAL
    Hey Bertalan, Congrats on your upcoming SaaS launch, Cosmo AI, that's impressive at 18.
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    Joseph Thomas
    Hi Bertalan, Congratulations on reaching the milestone of launching your first SaaS project, Cosmo AI! It's an exciting journey you're embarking on. Here are some pieces of advice for a solo developer launching their SaaS: 1. **Define Your Value Proposition:** Clearly articulate what makes Cosmo AI unique and valuable. Understand the pain points your SaaS addresses and how it provides a solution. 2. **Target Audience Research:** Identify your target adience and understand their needs. Tailor your marketing and messaging to resonate with your specific user base. 3. **Build a Minimal Vable Product (MVP):** Start with essential features to get your SaaS off the ground. Gather user feedback and iterate based on real user experiences. 4. **User-Friendly Design:** Ensure a smooth and intuitive user experience. A clean and user-friendly design can significantly impact user satisfaction and retention. 5. **Focus on Marketing:** Create a marketing plan that includes a website, social media presence, and content marketing. Utilize platforms where your target audience is likely to be present. 6. **Leverage Beta Testing:** Before the official launch, consider running a beta test. This helps iron out any issues, gather feedback, and create early buzz. 7. **Networking:** Connect with your target audience, influencers, and other professionals in the industry. Attend relevant events, engage in online forums, and build a network around your product. 8. **Customer Support:** Offer excellent customer support from the beginning. Responsive and helpful support can lead to positive reviews and customer loyalty. 9. **Pricing Strategy:** Carefully consider your pricing strategy. Research what similar SaaS products are charging and determine a pricing model that aligns with the value you're providing. 10. **Iterate and Improve:** Be ready to iterate on your product and marketing strategies based on user feedback and market trends. Continuous improvement is key to long-term success. Remember, patience is crucial. Building a successful SaaS takes time. Best of luck with the launch of Cosmo AI! If you have specific questions along the way, feel free to reach out.
    Techenthusiast_01
    First of all congrats to your project. Checked out Cosmo AI, and it looks very promising, huge congrats on making this all by yourself. I think when launching a SaaS, the most important is to build a loyal community. Find people who are interested in your stuff from social media like discord, reddit, etc and introduce them (nicely) to your software. This community eventually will grow by itself, but not without a strong foundation Best luck to you!
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    Bertalan Kozma
    ReviewPopup.io
    ReviewPopup.io
    @messigoat Thank you for your answer! I agree with you, however building a strong community alone is very hard. I try to reach out people interested in my stuff, but it's going very slowly as I'm doing it by myself.
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    Techenthusiast_01
    @berc Good things take time. Believe me, if you work hard, you will build a strong foundation, slowly but surely :)
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    Sarvpriy Arya
    @messigoat what advise will you give to me?