Building My First SaaS: Lessons Learned

The Idea

Every SaaS starts with a problem. For me, it was seeing small businesses struggle with managing their operations. I decided to build a solution.

Technical Decisions

• Stack: PHP, MySQL, Tailwind CSS, Alpine.js
• Hosting: VPS with Nginx
• Payments: PayStack integration
• Email: AWS SES

Mistakes I Made

1. Building too many features before validating demand
2. Not talking to potential customers early enough
3. Underestimating the importance of onboarding
4. Trying to be perfect instead of shipping

What Worked

• Starting with a simple MVP
• Getting feedback from real users quickly
• Focusing on one core problem first

Building a SaaS is a marathon, not a sprint. Start small, iterate fast, and listen to your users.