Tweet
I started a SaaS product as a side hustle next to my 9-to-5 job as a senior in the software industry.

These are my strategies to stay focused, efficient and productive.

Thread ๐Ÿงต๐Ÿ‘‡

#buildinpublic #SaaS
When building my SaaS application, I underestimated the complexity of multiple subscription tiers.

You must enable the app to handle those:
* Switch features on/off
* Count quotas
* Limit access if quotas exceeded

Next time, I only offer one pricing model.

#buildinpublic #SaaS
Processing payments for SaaS is painful.

Stripe has excellent documentation, but getting everything working in your app is complicated.

Just to name a few problems:
* Checkout process (legally compliant)
* Recurring payment fails
* Invoices
* Taxes

#buildinpublic #SaaS
When I started to develop my SaaS product, I had to pick the primary programming language I wanted to use.

I decided to use typescript because you can use it throughout the entire tech stack.

The language was new for me, so I learned it.

#buildinpublic #SaaS
How to start a side hustle if you work a regular 9-to-5 job

* get up one hour earlier and work on your project when everybody's still asleep
* get up at the same time on weekends to get some extra hours
* do it consistently. You'll make fast progress

#buildinpublic #SaaS
I'm thinking about outsourcing some of the development work for my SaaS product. Do you have any tips on where I should look?

#SaaS #buildinpublic #softwaredeveloper
Efficiency again (for solo SaaS developers).

You can use automation pipelines to get more efficient with the deployment of your app.

Don't
* spend too much time on manual deployment work
* risk downtimes because of error-prone manual steps

#buildinpublic #SaaS
Efficiency is critical for a solo founder of a SaaS product.

To stay efficient in the ongoing development of new features and not break the running system, I test as much as possible with automated tests.

#buildinpublic #TDD
If you're a software developer, I challenge you to build a big project as a side hustle and pick technology you're not used to.

You will
* learn a lot
* build up a portfolio that stands out
* get new job opportunities (employed or freelancing)

#buildinpublic #softwaredevloper
As a software developer, building a complex SaaS product is beneficial even if you fail to make a living from it.

You show potential employers that you
* can build something very complex
* know the technology
* have patience and consistency

#buildinpublic #SaaS
For my SaaS product, I decided only to use serverless technology.
As a solo developer, you save a vast amount of time and energy by not caring for server operation and administration.

I use
* @awscloud
* @goserverless
* @gitlab

#buildinpublic #SaaS
Hey, this is me sharing my SaaS building experience in public.

I force myself to share progress, and maybe there is somebody who will learn from my successes and failures.

This thread explains what my project is about.

#buildinpublic #SaaS