SaaSGuide
How to Build a SaaS: The Complete Guide from Idea to Paying Customers
How to build a SaaS in eight steps: validation, MVP scope, tech stack, subscription billing, EU VAT and GDPR, launch and your first paying customers.
16 min read
SaaS and MVP
SaaS development for founders and growing companies
I build your SaaS from the first version to paying users. Fast enough to test the market and solid enough to keep building on. We prioritise what your first customers need.
Free and no strings attached. Reply within 1 business day.
From idea to product
[01]Who it's for
This is for you if ...
- 01
You have an idea for a software product and want it in front of real users before you've spent a year and the whole budget.
- 02
You have customers waiting, but no product they can sign up for and pay for yet.
- 03
Your no-code or AI-built prototype has outgrown itself and needs to be built properly.
- 04
You have an internal tool or specialist know-how that other businesses would pay for.
- 05
You run a SaaS already, but need a developer who can own the next version.
Sound like you?
Tell me about your project[02]Deliverables
What you get, and what you don't
A SaaS is more than features. The less visible parts decide whether it can be sold and run.
What you get
- A clear definition of the smallest version that proves your idea, and what waits until later
- User accounts, login, roles and onboarding, so new users get off to a good start
- Subscriptions and payments, usually with Stripe, including trials, upgrades and invoices
- An admin panel to manage customers, data and content yourself
- Multi-tenant architecture when several companies share the platform with separate data
- Automated tests and continuous deployment, so new features don't break old ones
- Code in your own repository from day one, documented so another developer can take over
What you don't get
- Every feature on day one. We build what proves the idea and save the rest for later.
- Marketing, sales and content. I build the product and make it measurable, you own the go-to-market.
- Branding, logo and visual identity. If you have a designer, I'm happy to build from their designs.
[03]MVP
MVP: the smallest version you can sell
An MVP isn't half a SaaS. It's a real product with a deliberately small scope.
The biggest risk in a new SaaS is rarely the technology. It's spending months on something nobody wants to pay for. So I start by finding the one thing your product has to do better than the alternative, and build that first.
A prototype shows the idea. An MVP is a product people can sign up for, use and pay for. It's small, but it sits on a foundation you can keep building on instead of starting over once the first customers say yes.
- 01
One core feature
The thing that solves your user's problem. Everything else goes on the list for version 2.
- 02
Payments from day one
The best test of an idea is whether someone will pay. That's why billing is in the first version.
- 03
Measurable
You see what users actually do, so the next priority is based on data, not gut feeling.
- 04
Ready for version 2
A proper database, tests and an architecture that can grow. No rewrite once things start going well.
[04]Process
From idea to launch
A clear process, so you always know where we are and what happens next.
Intro call
20 minutes, free. You tell me about the idea, and I ask about users, payments and what needs proving first.
Plan for version one
We trim the MVP down, write up the requirements and sketch the architecture. You get a fixed price for the first version.
Build and demo
I build in short cycles and show progress on a staging site as we go, so you can give feedback while changes are still cheap.
Launch and version 2
We go live together. Then we prioritize the next version based on what the first users do and say.
Typical timelineWe agree on a timeline that fits the task
Start with an intro call[05]Pricing
How much does it cost to build a SaaS?
It depends on what the first version needs to do. We agree on scope and price before I start.
Price
Priced to fit the scope
You'll know the price before we start.
All prices exclude VAT. I only work with businesses.
What drives the price
- Number of user types and roles
- Billing model: subscription, usage-based or per seat
- Integrations with other systems
- Requirements for multi-tenancy, security and compliance
- How much design needs to be done from scratch
Typical timelineWe agree on a timeline that fits the task
- Pricing agreed up front
- You own the code from day one
- Reply within 1 business day
[06]Stack
The stack, and why
I pick mature tools that lots of developers know. That makes your SaaS cheaper to run and easier to hire for.
- Laravel
- A backend with login, queues, email and subscriptions built in or available as official packages. Fast to build with and easy to maintain.
- React and Next.js
- Fast, modern interfaces and public pages that can be found on Google.
- TypeScript
- Fewer bugs in production and a codebase that's easier to hand over.
- Tailwind CSS
- A consistent design system that's quick to extend.
- Stripe
- Subscriptions, invoices and card payments, without handling card data yourself.
[07]FAQ
Questions I often get
How much does an MVP cost?
It depends on the scope. We discuss what the first version needs to do and agree on pricing before I start.
How long does it take to build an MVP?
It depends on what the first version needs to do. We agree on a timeline and you follow progress along the way. Starting with fewer features is often better than squeezing the schedule.
Will we have to rebuild when we grow?
No, that's the whole point. The scope is small, but the foundation is solid: a proper database, tests and an architecture that scales. You build on it instead of starting over.
Who owns the code?
You do. The code lives in your own repository from day one, and you have access the whole way. You're never dependent on me to move forward.
Can you take over a SaaS someone else built?
Yes. I start with a code review and give you an honest take on what can be built on and what should be redone. You'll know what you have before you decide anything.
Why a freelancer instead of an agency?
You talk directly to the person writing the code. There's no project manager translating your requests and no agency overhead in the price. The trade-off is that I'm one person, which is why I document as I go and keep the code in your repository.
Your idea deserves real users.
Tell me briefly about the idea and who it's for. You'll get an honest answer on what a first version could look like.
Tell me what you need
Free and no strings attached. Reply within 1 business day.
Guides
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03 Laravel development
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04 AI app to production
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05 Maintenance and development
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06 Websites
Fast websites that get found on Google and turn visitors into inquiries.