For a solo SaaS, the hard part starts after building
A first solo project showed that coding was not the hardest part. Product problems such as fixing bugs, improving the , and making the app faster had clearer causes and clearer next steps. The harder work came after the product seemed ready: setting a price before having customers, deciding which features should be free or paid, and handling payments, trials, cancellations, and upgrades.
The work also included writing words that make the value easy to understand, creating a brand from nothing, and finding first users when nobody knows the product exists. A product rarely feels completely finished because there is always another bug, feature, or design improvement to chase. At some point, the product has to leave the polishing stage and be shown to real people.
The current main challenge is learning and getting the first users. Possible paths for the first 10 customers include SEO, content, communities, and .
Key points
- The first solo project made the business work feel harder than the coding work.
- Pricing, free versus paid features, payments, trials, cancellations, and upgrades became major decisions after the product was built.
- Clear copy, a new brand, and first-user discovery were separate challenges from product development.
- The product never feels fully done, so it eventually has to be shown to real users.
- The first 10 customers may come from SEO, content, communities, or , but the right channel still needs testing.