How to start and grow a SaaS startup from scratch

Many problems can be solved with good software these days. With so many people connected to their devices, they rely on them to help them get through their lives and make things easier. So, if you know what problems people are facing and know you have the right solution, then it will surely be a success.

Of course, there is a lot more involved than that. But, that should be the basis of your idea. To help people solve a problem. Then, it’s a matter of building on top of that foundation.

So, a SaaS business that solves problems and has the right pieces in place is probably one of the best businesses to start in this day and age. In this article, I will give you an outline of the basics you need to be aware of to get started. 

Have a solid foundation

The key to any software as a service type of business is that the software itself is sound. It should be flexible and stable so it can be relied upon by the early users. If your software is buggy or not able to perform as expected, then those early adopters are not likely to stick with it and your SaaS will be DOA.

Use known quantities when it comes to how you will develop your software by getting something like Azure Devops licensing. Tracking the work, and having a system to ship the software is essential to making sure that you are building your system on a stable platform.

Have a strategy

You surely have a business plan written and ready for investors and banks to understand what the plan is going to be. But, you should also have a lean strategy mapped out to keep everybody on the same page.

Outline what your value proposition is to the customer and how their problem is being solved in a unique way by your software. Begin by describing the problem and then how your software is able to solve it in a better or more efficient manner than the competition. This will give you an idea of how to make a solid strategy to get you started.

Next up is to have your tactic of getting the software out there clearly dictated. What will your sales channel be? How will you market it? This is the bread and butter of your business. You could create the best software in the world but if nobody knows about it it won’t sell. This is not a build-it-and-they-will-come type of scenario.  So, how do you connect with other businesses? This can be done through effective SaaS SEO.

At this point, you should set up some milestones to know if you are on the right track once things get rolling. 

Validate the idea

The Beta testing phase of the rollout of the software is an essential period to gain enough feedback to understand if the software is viable or not. The best way to validate this is through talking to the testers or initial customers to see where the weak spots are. Then you can determine if it is fixable or not. And if it can be worked out better than you will also understand how much to charge for it to see if it can make money.

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