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Ask HN: Why goes into launching a successful SaaS platform?

8 points by MuffinFlavored ↗ HN
1. Pick an idea and attempt to prove it will be a viable business plan 2. Determine target audience and methods of outreach 3. Figure out monetization 4. Build app focused around strong user experience 5. Market through social media, blog posts, and aggregator sites like Reddit/HackerNews

How many SaaS platforms follow this recipe and amount to nothing? What is the hardest part?

If you are launching an app in an already established industry (aka the business idea has been proven viable), how do you gain market share?

6 comments

[ 2.3 ms ] story [ 31.6 ms ] thread
davismwfl
I don't have statistics, but let's say a lot fail at step 1 or 2. Generally developers build something without validating it is worth building first. Plenty of great ideas out there, but find a market before you build. If you find the market, you can then figure out monetization and decide if it is worth building, but usually, I'd say the vast majority fail between step 1 & 2 as you have listed them.

Hardest part depends on who you are and what is happening. e.g. if you are a dev who is afraid to get in front of people then usually that is the hardest part and where you will fail.

Gaining market share is about how you advertise and which niche you target first. Within all markets there exists niches you can exploit first, and then expand. The key is finding them and exploiting them. And there is a definite need to spend money on marketing and business development which is foreign to a lot of engineering mindsets at first.

BTW -- not bashing on engineers/developers it is just where most people fail that come from engineering backgrounds IMO.

MuffinFlavored
> without validating it is worth building first

Is it safe to say if there is already existing competition, it is worth building based on the premise that there is obviously market longevity to be reached because other companies are already doing it? Or does the flip side of the "not worth it coin" become "they have all of the market share, therefore you will not get any and it will not be worth it"

> And there is a definite need to spend money on marketing and business development which is foreign to a lot of engineering mindsets at first.

It's probably because in engineering, there is usually a pre-determined list of possible solutions to a problem. Marketing seems like a black box. There's no one size fits all for even high level recommendations for budgeting, methods to acquire customers, etc.

davismwfl
Competition in a space is actually usually a good sign, and might help validate the product is worth making. However, if you are a me to product, there is generally little value in that, you still need something original or unique to catch market share. So in that case, I'd validate that the unique concept is something people want to pay for, and if so then build away. Disrupting an existing market is far easier than creating a new one in a lot of ways. Primarily the market is already educated on the need and understands it. When you have to educate a market to the need the costs go up dramatically.
simplecomplex
I think you mean app not platform. A platform is a business that makes money by other business building on top of it. Apple App Store/iOS is a platform.
saluki
SaaS is hard, I've worked on several SaaS ideas but haven't found success yet, this could be the year though. It's about execution and keeping at it. There is tons of great advice and inspiring podcasts, but you have to do the work, execute on your idea.

Listen to this for inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CDXJ6bMkMY

I also highly recommend StartUpsForTheRestOfUS.com.

You can follow Rob and his journey from small apps to SaaS and a nice exit with Drip.com.

Lots of great advice, start back on episode 1 in their archives. It was a great ride/story. Lots of great advice on SaaS, marketing, product market fit, etc.

MuffinFlavored
Why have you not found success yet in your words? What do you keep getting wrong?