I'd suggest starting with The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank.
Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?
61–70 of 102 posts
Re: Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?
#62Successful solo digital entrepreneur here. Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco is the most important book I've ever read.
Re: Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?
#63If your motivation for starting a business is to have more time, then I would recommend Financial Independence Retire Early(FIRE) instead.
A good place to start: https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/
I used to be just like you. I wanted to start a business so that I wouldn't have to work for anyone! I'm going to be my own boss!
The reality is that instead of working for one boss, you are going to be working for 1000 bosses. Unless you like sales and customer support, you are going to be miserable.
The odds of having a successful business are low. And even if you do succeed, you are going to have to keep working anyway. It's not like you build it once and forget it.
On the other hand, if you have a six-figure job, you can retire in 5 to 15 years depending on your lifestyle. There is no uncertainty. No emotional roller coaster. This fail-proof path will give you a peace of mind.
Re: Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?
#64What do you need to learn? Product? Design? Sales? There is a lot that can be found in books, sure. But no one book or even series of books will give you a map that's even remotely on point for the journey you want to understake.
My advice would be to build something and get a customer. Then get another. By the time you have 10 customers you'll know as much as the books could teach you...and you'll have 10 customers.
Re: Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?
#65It feels like you're saying, "I want to make some sort of widget... who cares what... But something that gets me monthly revenue so I can quit my job. I'm curious how often this succeeds vs. someone who starts with an idea or passion and the financial success is a side effect. A less charitable interpretation is that you're asking people how to get rich quick.
Hmm, then I must have come off wrong. That being my final goal does not mean that I care less for what I do. I try to find meaning in my every day work by optimizing for the value I create for the end user and can not be less motivated than when I only work on something because "I have to" or it "being the only way".
Re: Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?
#66It feels like you're saying, "I want to make some sort of widget... who cares what... But something that gets me monthly revenue so I can quit my job. I'm curious how often this succeeds vs. someone who starts with an idea or passion and the financial success is a side effect. A less charitable interpretation is that you're asking people how to get rich quick.
Hmm, then I must have come off wrong. That being my final goal does not mean that I care less for what I do. I try to find meaning in my every day work by optimizing for the value I create for the end user and can not be less motivated than when I only work on something because "I have to" or it "being the only way".
Fair enough. Good luck with your efforts!
Re: Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?
#67Here are the things that lead to my startup's success: Get a mentor who's already been there Read Traction by Gino Wickman Read Traction by Gabriel Weinberg Identify and engage a big enough channel that will sell your product for you. Build the product that they want. You build what they want, and they'll enthusiastically sell it for you.
Thank you! If I may ask, how did you go about finding a mentor to help you on your journey?
Re: Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?
#68Fellow aspiring solo founder here! Here are a few books/resources I've found helpful: --- The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick This book stresses the idea of starting with customer interviews before you build anything and how to ask questions of prospective customers to get meaningful information when people's bias is to just tell you, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," even though they'd never pay money for it. I spen…
Start Small, Stay small is 10 years old. A lot has changed since then. The author made an unfortunate decision to write extensively about things that are not perennial. So after reading for a while about software tools and practices that are now dead or outdated, describing the limitations of an iPhone 3G, etc, I decided to stop and return the book.
The author here.
Yep, that makes sense. I’ll say most marketing books I listen to that are 10 years old are brutally out of date.
The focus on detail that made the book a success also made it go out of date relatively quickly.
It needs an update. That is on my to do list most years (between running MicroConf and TinySeed) and one of these days I will circle back and get it done.
Honestly, this weighs on me. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for years.
Re: Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?
#69“Start small, stay small” is good (but a bit old) Definitely check out Indie Hackers though! The whole community and podcast is built around that idea.
I did see "Start small, stay small" being recommended but was put off a bit by its age. But you would still recommend it today then?
The author here.
Startup for the rest of us (podcast) tracks better with my current day thinking.
There’s a major chunk of the book that’s high-level mindset and strategy that still holds up. The detailed tactics do not (unsurprising given we’re 10 years out).
Re: Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?
#70This is the playbook.
1. make a landing page. 2. maybe run google ads. 3 check for traction. 4. build it. 5. profit.