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Ask HN: Is it possible for a non-programmer to bootstrap a SaaS business alone?

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Re: Ask HN: Is it possible for a non-programmer to bootstrap a SaaS business alone?

#21

Post by swalsh »

I'm in the process of bootstrapping a SaaS. I'll say it's absolutely possible, or more precisely, it has equal chance as the programmer going it alone has. The simple reason being that the product is only a tiny piece of the puzzle.

I find the opposite question equally as valid. Why is it assumed that a programmer can bootstrap a successful SaaS alone?

To build an application, you need someone who can identify an opportunity (product market fit.... and that's harder than most would assume). Of course even if you have something customers want, you still often need to help them want it... so you need a marketing/sales guy.

Implementation is the last piece of the puzzle. I think these are completely different skill sets, and a successful company 90% of the time needs 2 or more people to pull it off.

Re: Ask HN: Is it possible for a non-programmer to bootstrap a SaaS business alone?

#23

Post by flukus »

swalsh wrote: post #21

I'm in the process of bootstrapping a SaaS. I'll say it's absolutely possible, or more precisely, it has equal chance as the programmer going it alone has. The simple reason being that the product is only a tiny piece of the puzzle. I find the opposite question equally as valid. Why is it assumed that a programmer can bootstrap a successful SaaS alone? To build an application, you need someone who can identify an opp…

The product is still the most important piece that you can't do with out. You might be able to get by without a marketer/sales guy, but without a product you're selling vaporware. All the other jobs can be done (poorly) by the programmer, but the reverse isn't true.

Just look at all those scams on kickstarter, the one thing they're missing is a viable product that an engineer can tell them is impossible.

Re: Ask HN: Is it possible for a non-programmer to bootstrap a SaaS business alone?

#24

Post by swalsh »

amorphid wrote: post #20

I (developer) chatted with a water quality consultant during a plane flight. Consultant mentioned the CRM for his niche business sucked. He asked if I'd be interested in building a CRM for no money upfront, instead making money later (a percentage of his business I could sell, a license fee, profit sharing, whatever). I realized in that moment once the app was built, I wouldn't need him at all, and that I could sell…

Why do you assume that water quality consultants would buy a software product from you alone? Selling is hard, and a big part of it is knowing your customer, and gaining their trust. This guy would have a much better chance at accomplishing that. He had a lot of value, you just failed to see it. He made the right choice by finding someone else.

Re: Ask HN: Is it possible for a non-programmer to bootstrap a SaaS business alone?

#25

Post by bigiain »

senior_james wrote: post #4

I'm a developer and have helped bootstrap a couple of SaaS. The problem is that in most partnerships like this, the other person can usually only offer ideas or something very minimal with regards to the success of the business. I usually end up just doing everything myself. Unless you offer something besides just the idea (money, contacts, industry experience). The partnership will not work. I've had to quit a few s…

Similar experience here.

If the other person in the proposed partnership cannot demonstrate equivalent-value skills and equivalent previous success in critical-to-the-business areas where I'm weak (or uninterested) like sales, marketing, biz-dev, enterprise sales, acquiring VC - then my answer is almost certainly going to be "Sure, $8k/month is my usual rate - discounts of 20% for 3 month or longer block bookings. When would youy like me to start?"

If the other person refers to themselves as "An ideas guy!", my rates double, and require 50% up front.

Software development is serious time consuming and often difficult work. Do not ask me to do it for less than market rate without making it very clear that you are going to work just as hard with equivalent skill and experience to make the idea succeed.

Re: Ask HN: Is it possible for a non-programmer to bootstrap a SaaS business alone?

#26

Post by codeclown »

Hey Rob, it is certainly possible for you to bootstrap a successful SaaS. Without money to pay a developer, though, your best bet would be to learn to code yourself enough to put out a product to test the waters. Once that gains some traction, partnerships and funding would be easier to come by. That path would probably eat up 3-9 months given the bulk of your spare time and energy.

Why do you think you want to build a SaaS product though? It seems to me like you're already putting out content pretty regularly. I would recommend moving it off medium to a domain you control and start getting some emails for your list. You can still publish there, but link back to your own site. With an email list, your readers can turn into your customers. As a designer, you can then start building products like books, courses, podcasts, guides you name it which will let you take advantage of the skills you have already. Check out Design for Hackers, for example. Why not use the edge you built up instead of starting at a disadvantage?

Re: Ask HN: Is it possible for a non-programmer to bootstrap a SaaS business alone?

#27

Post by bikamonki »

It depends entirely on the SAAS. A non-programmer friend of mine paid peanuts to an off-shore programmer to build an über simple slack-clone with Firebase + Angular + Phonegap. He has two paying customers so far. Will this scale? Probably not but if he reaches 20 customers he'll have the money for the rockstars.

This friend is a sales ninja, the tech is not an obstacle for him.

Re: Ask HN: Is it possible for a non-programmer to bootstrap a SaaS business alone?

#28

Post by intrasight »

hluska wrote: post #9

It is freakishly hard to build a successful SAAS if you have funding and a solid team. Doing it alone as a solo non-programmer has got to feel like trying to drink the ocean. I've never been able to figure out how non-programmers can sift through mounds of freelancers to find a good developer. And, even if they find good developers, I have no idea how they manage to motivate and retain them. I'd love to read some sto…

I don't have a link - but I have my story. I assisted a colleague and friend to launch his SaaS last year. It looks to be very successful. I helped him by providing technical architecture (I did no programming) and by finding a contractor (offshore) to do the development. We used Firebase. He had a designer do the mockups in UXpin. This is hard yes but impossible no. Things have changed for the (much) better in the last two years.

Re: Ask HN: Is it possible for a non-programmer to bootstrap a SaaS business alone?

#29

Post by vinceguidry »

swalsh wrote: post #24
amorphid wrote: post #20

I (developer) chatted with a water quality consultant during a plane flight. Consultant mentioned the CRM for his niche business sucked. He asked if I'd be interested in building a CRM for no money upfront, instead making money later (a percentage of his business I could sell, a license fee, profit sharing, whatever). I realized in that moment once the app was built, I wouldn't need him at all, and that I could sell…

Why do you assume that water quality consultants would buy a software product from you alone? Selling is hard, and a big part of it is knowing your customer, and gaining their trust. This guy would have a much better chance at accomplishing that. He had a lot of value, you just failed to see it. He made the right choice by finding someone else.

There's a lot of value available by building apps for strangers for free? All I can see is risk. If you can find a way to de-risk that business model, then you'll have your value.

Perhaps you meant potential. But then there's potential in most everything. Every manuscript in a slush pile has a certain amount of potential.

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