Ask HN: 57 sales totaling $1,539 for micro-SaaS? Is the idea dead?

#1

Post by ilyaovchinnikov » Thu, Mar 07, 2024, 8:28 AM UTC

Hi friends, I'm making a small web service based on GPT4 for non-English speaking audience. It creates marketing strategy for marketers and business owners.

4 years behind, 9 ideas with 0$ mrr, thousands of hours on my ass, living on credit, dreaming and here I have my first 57 sales (one-time payments) for 1539$ in just 2 months. I was happy, but not for long.

I learned an interesting detail, making the first sales doesn't mean that the idea will eventually survive and work in the long run. It just shows that the idea is proven.

All my sales came from non-scalable channels (telegram chat with marketing strategists). I started looking for the same segment online:

- Buying promotional posts on telegram. - Wrote articles on local startup sites. - Did search advertising in yandex.direct, google ads - I did sms mailing.

Nothing. Not a single sale. Absolutely the same offer.

I have a question. Could it be that it was just a mirage? These sales confused me and gave me faith in an idea that is dead? Or should I dig further, test hypotheses, spend time looking for a segment?

Friends, please share your experiences. Thanks in advance.

Re: Ask HN: 57 sales totaling $1,539 for micro-SaaS? Is the idea dead?

#2

Post by ikoichi2112 » Thu, Mar 07, 2024, 8:34 AM UTC

I think your product is validated. The fact you weren't able to make any other sales might be a red flag, or simply a numerical issue. Are you sure you were reaching out to the right people via the other channels? Were those people ready to buy your service, right then?

You have a niche of marketing strategists, who are willing to pay for your service. Marketing is harder than one can think, even when you think you found the right user persona.

Keep leveraging the telegram chat and maybe look at high-quality search intent (SEO traffic from Google), it takes time but it rewards in the long term.

Re: Ask HN: 57 sales totaling $1,539 for micro-SaaS? Is the idea dead?

#3

Post by saintmichel » Thu, Mar 07, 2024, 9:02 AM UTC

talk to the 57 that paid, did it actually generate value for them? did anyone repeat buy? what would make it a recurring sale. consider also that that maybe its not product market fit, but market product fit. a lot of startups changed their product to fit the market, not the other way around.

Re: Ask HN: 57 sales totaling $1,539 for micro-SaaS? Is the idea dead?

#4

Post by erikson » Thu, Mar 07, 2024, 10:47 AM UTC

How did you initiate the first 57 telegram chats? Can you scale that?

Re: Ask HN: 57 sales totaling $1,539 for micro-SaaS? Is the idea dead?

#5

Post by tucaz » Fri, Mar 08, 2024, 9:13 PM UTC

To me it seems like you solved the first problem when building a company which is building something that at least some people are willing to pay for. The next problem you have to solve now is figuring out if there are more people who want it and how you get to those people.

Your idea is not dead. It passed the first step. Now you move to the next one.

Re: Ask HN: 57 sales totaling $1,539 for micro-SaaS? Is the idea dead?

#6

Post by moralestapia » Fri, Mar 08, 2024, 9:18 PM UTC

erikson wrote: post #4

How did you initiate the first 57 telegram chats? Can you scale that?

This, remember there's GPT4 now, and Telegram bots are free. Go wild!

Also, show HN, everything is a sales channel.

Re: Ask HN: 57 sales totaling $1,539 for micro-SaaS? Is the idea dead?

#7

Post by mattlondon » Fri, Mar 08, 2024, 9:23 PM UTC

erikson wrote: post #4

How did you initiate the first 57 telegram chats? Can you scale that?

That is the startup idea right there. Pivot!

Re: Ask HN: 57 sales totaling $1,539 for micro-SaaS? Is the idea dead?

#8

Post by HorizonXP » Fri, Mar 08, 2024, 9:24 PM UTC

Of those 57 sales, were there any that truly loved what you built? That couldn't live without it?

Focus on making 10 people really love you, make their problem your problem, and you'll likely figure out the answer to your questions, eventually.

Re: Ask HN: 57 sales totaling $1,539 for micro-SaaS? Is the idea dead?

#9

Post by Fischgericht » Fri, Mar 08, 2024, 9:26 PM UTC

So, you have a tool that "creates marketing strategy for marketers and business owners". But you are not getting sales.

Suggestion: Use a tool that "creates marketing strategy for marketers and business owners". That should solve your problem.

scnr.

Re: Ask HN: 57 sales totaling $1,539 for micro-SaaS? Is the idea dead?

#10

Post by rand1239 » Fri, Mar 08, 2024, 9:29 PM UTC

Fischgericht wrote: post #9

So, you have a tool that "creates marketing strategy for marketers and business owners". But you are not getting sales. Suggestion: Use a tool that "creates marketing strategy for marketers and business owners". That should solve your problem. scnr.

Sums up human existence.