How to Build a SaaS as a Solo Developer

What You're Building

A SaaS is a web application that people pay for monthly or yearly. It's the holy grail of solo developer businesses because once it works, recurring revenue keeps coming in while you sleep. The catch? It's also one of the hardest things to build and sell by yourself.

I've built three SaaS products solo. Two are still running and generating revenue. The third failed because I built something nobody wanted, not because the tech was wrong. If you go in with the right approach, this is absolutely doable as one person.

Difficulty & Timeline

Recommended Tech Stack

Next.js with Supabase and Stripe on Vercel. This gives you a full-stack TypeScript app with authentication, database, and payments in one cohesive setup. You can go from zero to deployed MVP in a single weekend if you scope aggressively.

If you prefer Python, Django with the built-in admin panel and Stripe integration is equally solid. I've used both. Next.js is faster to launch, Django is faster to add complex backend features later.

Step-by-Step Plan

Phase 1: Foundation (Week 1-2)

Start with the boring stuff. Authentication, a basic dashboard layout, and your database schema. I know you want to jump straight to the exciting core feature. Don't. A SaaS without login, billing, and a sensible database design is just a demo.

Set up Supabase for auth and database. Wire up Stripe for payments. Build a simple pricing page with two plans. Most of this is copy-paste from starter templates, and that's fine. Don't reinvent what's already been solved a thousand times.

Phase 2: Core Features (Week 3-6)

Now build the ONE thing your SaaS does. Not five features. One. I made the mistake of building an entire feature suite before launch on my first SaaS. Nobody used 80% of it. Pick the single feature that solves a painful problem and make it work really well.

Build it, test it with 3-5 people you trust, and iterate based on their feedback. If you can't explain what your SaaS does in one sentence, you've built too much.

Phase 3: Polish & Launch (Week 7-8)

Add a landing page that explains the value proposition clearly. Set up transactional emails (welcome email, subscription confirmation, password reset). Add basic error tracking with Sentry. Make sure the payment flow works flawlessly end to end.

Then launch. Post on Product Hunt, Indie Hackers, relevant subreddits, and X (Twitter). Your first launch won't be perfect. That's fine. Ship it.

Monetization Strategy

Start with simple subscription tiers. A free plan with limited usage, a paid plan at $19-49/month, and maybe a higher tier at $79-149/month. Price based on value, not cost.

Here's what I've learned. Solo SaaS developers almost always underprice. If your tool saves someone 5 hours per month, charging $29/month is a steal. Don't race to the bottom on pricing. You're not competing with VC-funded companies that can afford to give things away.

Add usage-based pricing (credits, API calls, storage) as a growth lever. Users who hit limits are your most engaged customers, and they'll happily pay more.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Building in isolation for 6 months. Talk to potential users before you write a single line of code. I spent four months on a SaaS that exactly zero people were willing to pay for. That pain still stings.

Over-engineering the architecture. You don't need microservices, Kubernetes, or event-driven architecture. A monolith with a good database schema will serve you well past $10k/month in revenue.

Ignoring churn. Getting new users is exciting. Keeping them is what makes a SaaS sustainable. Track why people cancel and fix the top reasons. This matters more than any new feature.

Trying to compete on price. If your only differentiator is being cheaper, you'll lose. Compete on ease of use, specific niche focus, or customer support. Those are things a solo developer can actually win on.

Is This Worth Building?

Yes, but only if you've validated the idea first. SaaS has the best business model in software (recurring revenue, high margins, compounding growth), but it also demands the most sustained effort. You're committing to months of building, then months or years of maintenance, support, and iteration.

The market is competitive but enormous. B2B SaaS is a trillion-dollar industry. You don't need a big slice. A few hundred paying customers at $30/month is $100k/year. That's life-changing money for a solo developer, and it's very achievable if you pick the right niche and execute well.