Lessons I’ve learned from launching a SaaS

Launching a SaaS as a developer

About two months ago, I launched a software product in the recruitment industry. The idea came to me while I was applying for software development positions. I was sending out around 30 applications a week, which isn’t really enough, especially in the current job market. I noticed that the majority of job postings averaged over 100 applicants.

So, I decided to build an automation tool that would review each applicant’s resume and identify the best fit from the pool of candidates. Like any other developer, I immediately started coding the software, and about three weeks later, I launched the SaaS.

As you might have guessed, it failed tremendously. I tried adding additional features, but it didn’t work. It was only after speaking with a few industry experts that I realized my perceived value was too high and not as relevant as I had thought.

I did fail this time around, but I’ve learned a lot. Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Do extensive market research before building.

2. Understand your target market and its pain points.

3. Look at what the competitors are doing and see if you can do a better job.

4. Niche down as much as possible.

5. Talk to people in the industry you’re trying to build a solution for.

6. Build a waiting list and gauge interest.

7. Build and launch your MVP – do it fast ⚡️.

8. Learn how to market – this might be the hardest part for a developer. Lol

The SaaS was tanelt.com if anyone is interested in checking it out.