Ask HN: Bootstrapping a SaaS – Have the idea, validated the market, what next?
I’ve encountered a specific problem in a market (product managers at startups and SMBs) that hasn’t been sufficiently solved. I have validated some demand for it, as well as basic requirements, although nothing formally documented.
Right now I just have pages and pages of notes (competitor research, ideas, prospective user feedback, etc.). I don’t have any formal specs written.
Goal: build a functional prototype and get my first actual users.
I’m a product manager, so while I can fumble my way around a command line, I don’t think I myself can build this thing. There are lots of options — no code, prototype in InVision, hire a freelancer, approach a trusted engineer colleague who could maybe moonlight with me for pay.
What’s my next step for getting this built? Assuming I have basically zero funds and will be bootstrapping it myself.
Few other things to note: app will leverage several APIs, require basic auth, a few integrations (though doesn’t have to be MVP).
I have the confidence and some validation, but now what?
Published in 2021, this chronicle by @ambivalents details the mechanics of building a profitable, self-funded business without venture backing.
The community focused on B2B customer acquisition channels, cold email vs SEO distribution, and balancing full-time employment with side-project development.
Is there a way you could do a “Wizard of Oz” or “Concierge” type of MVP for your first 5-10 customers?
So instead of building something functional, you could use no code tools to design a custom front end for these early adopters and then hardcode (manually type in) the parts that will require real code to scale.
You could then deliver these as consulting style projects, and use the revenue you capture from these customers to pay someone to build a code-based version.
Upside to this would be bootstrapped funding for development, a clearer sense of what the app does and the user stories associated with it, and validation that people will actually pay money for the product.
Downside is you will have to manage the customers and the delivery, which can quickly get overwhelming. Especially for a solo founder.
Personally, I’ve found the concierge MVP route to be really effective. I used these early adopters as a Product Advisory Board, and they became excellent advocates and case studies for our product.
I see that you have a two-fold goal where the former (build a functional prototype) is a means to an end (first actual users).
Perhaps having a functional prototype isn't the best next step to getting to your ultimate goal. Start by defining as clear as possible the task to solve and then determine the easiest and quickest way to validate your solution. If the 'pain' for your prospective customers is big enough that they're willing to pay for a solution, they're willing to accept limitations with a product in development that solves their core problem.
As a freelance developer for various start-ups I've seen this mistake being made a lot of times: jumping from basic idea validation to product development. Unless you can get a prototype built for free, development is an expense you should put off as long as possible. This goes for situations where time is less valuable than money, which in your case it seems to be.
i like the idea of balsamiq.
then invision.
then get 10 people to actually pay you $50. if you get payments from 10 customers within the next month, they get 6 months use of the product when it is released in 3 months. everyone else will have to pay $50/mo or whatever it is. if you don't get those 10 customers within a month (or whatever timeline you set), everyone gets their money back, project canceled, thank you for supporting my idea.
it'd be cool if there was a kickstarter-like escrow service that handled this threshold funding idea for you. like a private kickstarter. maybe that already exists. patreon or something.
Now, list down the features that shall be in a MVP. Once listed down, priories the list. If possible estimate the time and money required. If not, talk to the freelancers or engineering friends, and then estimate. Chalk down when and what needs to be completed.
This way, a MVP can be rolled out quickly and focus will shift to acquire early customers.
The alternate way to build the MVP is to use no code tool to build as much as possible and do the rest manually. Then over the time, replace the manual work with code.
Can you serve your first customers manually? If so, consider setting up a landing page + Stripe checkout to get your first payments. Then you’ll be in a better position to fund development or raise capital.
I’d be happy to help you setup a landing page to take payments. Shoot me an email.