The start of my SaaS journey — Get SaaSy With Me!

As someone who has always dreamed of creating something impactful, I’ve decided to embark on a journey into the world of SaaS. While I’m new to building SaaS products, the concept really interests me. It’s an idea that sounds simple on the face of it, but the more I learn the more depth I uncover. If SaaS intrigues you too, feel free to read on to learn more about me and what this blog is all about.

Who am I?

As of right now, I’m 24 years old, unemployed, and living in England. I’d describe myself as technically minded, and I’ve always been interested in computing and the digital world.

When I was about 14 and starting business classes in school, the first thing the teacher asked the class was about our aspirations. My hand shot up and I said “I want to build something that is used by millions of people”. While I cringed about my answer as others said ‘pilot’ or ‘astronaut’, I did truly mean it. I wanted to build something I was proud of that actually helped people.

I tinkered with developing websites, putting together botched code to try and build something that people used. The closest I got was a Dogecoin cryptocurrency marketplace (during the first crypto boom) but there wasn’t enough of a market for it, and after a slow launch me and my cofounder decided to call it a day.

Then, I started a business while in school, selling everything you can imagine through Amazon FBA. After leaving school, I decided to focus on this business full time, and it went really well. I built it up to a team of 7 people and almost £2 million in annual revenue. I sold hundreds of thousands of items, and thought it’d never end. I was always stressed, there were always a million things to do, and I never truly felt passionate about it, but I kept going.

Due to a variety of factors that I can boil down to me trying to run before I could walk, the business — pretty much the only thing I knew — came crashing down. Overheads were too high, we had too many customer returns sitting around collecting dust, and perpetual lending (which the business was reliant on) dried up as the economy took a decline.

I learnt a lot about myself and business over the months when it was all going wrong. There was so much uncertainty, and so many big decisions I had to make. I was hopeful right until the end, though. And then in the blink of an eye it was all over, and the realisation kicked in that I’m suddenly out of a job, and you can’t just start a business that pays the bills overnight.

What’s next?

Lots has changed, but one thing has remained consistent: my aspiration is still to create something that is used by millions of people.

Building SaaS products seems like the perfect candidate to achieve this goal, by melding my love for digital products that solve real world problems with my aspiration.

I took some time for myself and went on a solo trip to Asia. Sat in my box-sized room in the middle of Hong Kong, struggling to sleep at 1am because I could hear the person in the room next to mine do everything (including using the bathroom), I had a big talk with myself, and came up with the idea to start this blog.

We could all use some personal responsibility at times, so rather than fester alone, I thought I’d put my journey out there, and set myself a goal of a post per week.

What this blog is all about

My aims with this blog are to deepen my understanding of the SaaS industry and share insights with anyone interested. I believe that SaaS businesses are the future — they address real-world problems and can be a force for good when done right.

I haven’t started building a SaaS of my own yet, because I’m waiting for the right idea, then waiting to validate it, before I put any time into it. From what I’ve seen so far, jumping straight into building is where most people go wrong. A successful SaaS will solve a problem that people actually have, not solve a problem that you think people have.

I intend on writing regular posts:

• Documenting my journey from idea conception to growth
• Sharing valuable resources, tips and concepts I learn
• Sharing SaaS ideas, with plenty of market analysis and research thrown in
• About positivity, so we have something to turn to when times get tough!

The world of SaaS is incredibly broad. A great idea is just the first step. Succeeding requires skills in sales, marketing, product development, business management, growth strategies, and so much more.

Want to Get SaaSy With Me?

You’re more than welcome to come along for the ride! Whether you’re also just getting started, or already have a successful SaaS, I’m confident you’ll learn something. Feel free to sign up to email notifications whenever there’s a new post below.

While I’ll strive to thoroughly research and present accurate information, I’m still learning. If you have any feedback or knowledge to share, please reach out so we can learn together.