6
What’s something you wish you’d done differently in your first 6 months building your SaaS?
r/SaaS
7/9/2025
Content Summary
Founders reflect on early-stage SaaS building mistakes and lessons learned. Key themes include the importance of validating demand before coding, hiring experienced contractors, focusing on user problems over features, and implementing conversion boosters like Google login. Multiple contributors emphasize building in public, collecting pre-launch interest, and using tools like Hotjar and Typeform for validation. The discussion highlights 'fail fast' mentality and avoiding premature optimization without user feedback.
Opinion Analysis
Mainstream consensus emphasizes early validation and user-centric development. Dominant viewpoints:
- Validation before coding (Key-Boat-7519) is critical
- Hiring experienced contractors saves time (Valuable-Opposite354)
- Building in public with pre-marketing (imtommitchell)
Controversial aspects:
- Some debate exists about how early to pivot - while muiediicot advocates pivoting after 5 months, others suggest even earlier validation
- Conflicting opinions on technical debt vs speed: No-code solutions vs polished dashboards
Notable debate:
- Tension between 'build perfect product' vs 'ship validated MVP' approaches, with strong support for the latter
SAAS TOOLS
| SaaS | URL | Category | Features/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotjar | Analytics | Identify user friction in prototypes | |
| Typeform | Surveys | Capture NPS feedback quickly | |
| Pulse for Reddit | Social Listening | Monitor niche threads and engage buyers | |
| Zapier | Automation | Create no-code workflows | |
| Airtable | Database | Manual workflow fulfillment via spreadsheets |
USER NEEDS
Pain Points:
- Building features users don't care about
- Wasting time on non-converting traffic
- Delayed user validation
- Inexperienced team members consuming time
- Premature optimization without users
Problems to Solve:
- Validate product-market fit early
- Prioritize user needs over features
- Efficient team building
- Improve conversion rates
- Avoid wasted development efforts
Potential Solutions:
- Conduct 30+ problem interviews before coding
- Create no-code MVP using Zapier/Airtable
- Implement Google login for conversions
- Build in public and collect emails pre-launch
- Use analytics tools (Hotjar/Typeform) for validation
GROWTH FACTORS
Effective Strategies:
- Early validation through user interviews
- Pre-launch marketing and email collection
- Pivoting quickly based on feedback
Marketing & Acquisition:
- Personal outreach to potential users
- Social media announcements
- Monitoring niche communities via Pulse for Reddit
Monetization & Product:
- Charge early ($50) even with manual fulfillment
- Focus on core outcomes over polished features
- Price based on validated demand
User Engagement:
- Engage users during development
- Collect NPS feedback via Typeform
- Participate in Reddit conversations for insights