How to Create a SaaS and Compete with the Big Players as a Solo Founder
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Re: How to Create a SaaS and Compete with the Big Players as a Solo Founder
#2Honestly, I think this fails at the first bullet point: "Pick a niche that is already validated".
My first bullet would be "Build a product that your existing customer says they need and they can't find."
That's how all my SaaS as a solo have come to be.
Re: How to Create a SaaS and Compete with the Big Players as a Solo Founder
#3So what's the SaaS that you created and managed to compete with big players as a solo founder?
Re: How to Create a SaaS and Compete with the Big Players as a Solo Founder
#4arrrghhh this "find a niche" stuff again. what if I am a regular 9-5 engineer in a big company. where the hell am I finding those? By using random idea generator and getting "note taking add-in for excel for amputee ballerinas"? aw jeez, they dont have enough money, I must pivot to broker ballerinas
Re: How to Create a SaaS and Compete with the Big Players as a Solo Founder
#5arrrghhh this "find a niche" stuff again. what if I am a regular 9-5 engineer in a big company. where the hell am I finding those? By using random idea generator and getting "note taking add-in for excel for amputee ballerinas"? aw jeez, they dont have enough money, I must pivot to broker ballerinas
yeah, the "find a niche" advice falls flat without an addendum entitled "how to find a niche". I think fundamentally it comes from talking to people rather than theorising in a bubble, but unless you're already talking to people it's tricky to know how to begin.
Re: How to Create a SaaS and Compete with the Big Players as a Solo Founder
#6How big is the risk of some competitor just copying with business with 10x the engineers and taking your customers?
Re: How to Create a SaaS and Compete with the Big Players as a Solo Founder
#7arrrghhh this "find a niche" stuff again. what if I am a regular 9-5 engineer in a big company. where the hell am I finding those? By using random idea generator and getting "note taking add-in for excel for amputee ballerinas"? aw jeez, they dont have enough money, I must pivot to broker ballerinas
I thought this was implicit: you find a problem you deal with on a daily basis.
This is probably why there are so many more startups pitching development tools than, for instance, something to make the lives of truckers a little easier.
If you work as a regular engineer, you must come across dozens of daily problems any of which are not properly solved by your current tools. Even simple things like following up consistently, or checking to see if someone responded to an email to a third party etc
Addendum: In response to many comments, I should add that this method is not supposed to guarantee you a good idea, but is a source for ideas to filter, refine, develop or abandon.
Re: How to Create a SaaS and Compete with the Big Players as a Solo Founder
#8Honestly, I think this fails at the first bullet point: "Pick a niche that is already validated". My first bullet would be "Build a product that your existing customer says they need and they can't find." That's how all my SaaS as a solo have come to be.
In a way that is the same point, just in your case you have already existing customers.
But if you don't have a look at what other companies customer are doing and optimize for a segment of those can certainly be a good approach IMHO
Re: How to Create a SaaS and Compete with the Big Players as a Solo Founder
#9How big is the risk of some competitor just copying with business with 10x the engineers and taking your customers?
They typically move more slowly - have more layers of design by committee than you will. They’ve already built a large ship that requires movement, you’re in a speedboat. Sure, they can crush you, if you move at the same speed and in the same direction - use your agility to move.
Re: How to Create a SaaS and Compete with the Big Players as a Solo Founder
#10arrrghhh this "find a niche" stuff again. what if I am a regular 9-5 engineer in a big company. where the hell am I finding those? By using random idea generator and getting "note taking add-in for excel for amputee ballerinas"? aw jeez, they dont have enough money, I must pivot to broker ballerinas
I thought this was implicit: you find a problem you deal with on a daily basis. This is probably why there are so many more startups pitching development tools than, for instance, something to make the lives of truckers a little easier. If you work as a regular engineer, you must come across dozens of daily problems any of which are not properly solved by your current tools. Even simple things like following up consi…
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