New year: new you

🎉 Happy New Year 2024!

It’s that time of year again—when we set new resolutions and imagine what the next 12 months could bring. If you’ve been thinking about it, let me say this: there’s never been a better time to build your own SaaS.

Worried about the obstacles? Don’t be. Here’s how to overcome them and make 2025 your year:

"I’m not technical."

The good news is, you don’t need to know how to code from day one. You can:

• Find a tech co-founder who shares your vision.

• Or learn the basics yourself! A great way to start is with Codefast, a fun and practical course made by a SaaS founder and designed to help you build your first SaaS with AI.

"I don’t know how to distribute my SaaS."

Distribution is the lifeblood of any SaaS, and not everyone is a natural marketer. That’s okay. Here’s what you can do:

• Partner with someone who understands your target market.

• Focus on small, actionable steps to get your product in front of the right people.
  For IACrea, my home-staging SaaS, I tested different distribution channels before finding the right fit. It’s a process, and every experiment brings you closer.

I can write later a full post on that topic if you are interested, let me know!

"I don’t even know where to start."

You’re not alone—this is where most people get stuck. The secret? Just start. 

Pick a simple, achievable idea. It doesn’t have to be groundbreaking. The goal is to learn by doing. If you want to create SaaS, why don’t you start by doing the template if you don’t have idea yet? You’ll likely always have to setup a signin page, a stripe integration, etc..

Use this as a chance to get familiar with tools, build marketing skills, and even grow your personal brand. Sharing your journey online is an excellent way to connect with others and find support.

"I don’t have enough time."

You don’t need to quit your job or dedicate endless hours.
Break the process into small steps—just two hours a week can make a difference. I built my first SaaS while being a full time employee. I didn’t build it fastly, but it doesn’t matter, I shipped it.

—> Consistency beats speed.

"I’m afraid of failing."

Well, the truth: you might not succeed on your first try, like 100% of people I know, including me (many failures before product market-fit).

But even if your SaaS doesn’t take off, you’ll come out stronger.

Every “failure” teaches you something about tech, marketing, or even yourself.

"I don’t have a budget."

You don’t need a budget to start:

- vercel is free
- supabase is free
- domain name is around 30€ par year (and you don’t need one at the begginning)
- social networks are free

"I don’t know anyone in the SaaS world."

Start by joining online communities like Indie Hackers, SaaS communities on X… Engage, ask questions, and share your journey. I’ve met amazing people simply by sharing my journey and being curious. Your network might grow faster than you think. But if you don’t start, it will remain 0.

By the way, I might create a discord, would it be useful?

The hardest part of the SaaS journey is starting. Once you begin, every step feels more achievable. Break down into small steps to keep being motivated.
 
This year, I challenge you to take that first step—whether it’s learning to code, brainstorming ideas, or launching your MVP.
Take a first step: reply to this email to tell me you’ll start. Even a very small project. I’ll send you back good vibes! No kidding, if you write down you’ll start, it helps, you can’t unsend your email (I mean technically now some providers let you do it…but you get my point 🙃)

Let 2025 be the year you stop thinking about “creating” a SaaS. Now you’ll think about launching it.

If you need guidance, have questions, or just want to share your progress, reply to this email, I read them all 🙂 

Happy New Year! 🎉

Pauline