7 Things I Got Completely Wrong About Building a SaaS (I Haven’t Even Launched Yet)

Let me be real with you:

I haven’t launched.
I don’t have paying users.
I’m still deep in the building phase of my first SaaS.

But even without launching, this process has already taught me more than any YouTube video or tweet thread ever did.

So here are 7 things I believed when I started — and what I’ve learned (the hard way) while trying to bring my product to life.

1. “You need the perfect idea to start.”

I used to think I needed a genius idea. Something original. Something people would immediately want.

So I sat on the sidelines. Overthinking. Overplanning. Waiting for “perfect.”

Now I know:

You don’t need a perfect idea. You need a real problem — one that someone’s already annoyed by.

The boring problems are often the best ones.

2. “I’ll build it first. Then I’ll do marketing.”

As a developer, this felt natural:
Code first. Talk later.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

If you wait until it’s done to talk about it, it’s already too late.

Marketing isn't a task you add on after the product is ready.
It's a muscle you build while you build.
It’s storytelling. Sharing. Asking questions. Showing up publicly — even if it's messy.

3. “If it looks polished, people will use it.”

I’ve been a freelance fullstack developer for years.
I know how to build slick UIs. Dark mode, smooth animations, responsive design — I can make a dashboard look damn good.

So I focused hard on polish.

But here's what I didn't see coming:

Users don’t care how pretty it is — unless it solves something painful for them.

Clients pay for polish.
Users pay for outcomes.

I’m now learning to obsess less about aesthetics and more about results.

4. “I need to build all the features before launch.”

Every time I got close to launching, I’d think:

“Wait — let me just add this one more thing…”

Spoiler: there’s always one more thing.

And truthfully? Most of them weren’t even necessary.

Done is better than perfect.
Launched is better than hidden.

People can’t give feedback on something they can’t use.

5. “Nobody will care what I’m building.”

This one held me back more than anything.

I assumed nobody would care. That no one wanted to hear from “just another dev building a side project.”

But I was wrong.

The first time I posted a raw, honest update online — people responded.
Some asked questions. Others offered advice. A few even said, “I’m building something similar.”

You don’t need thousands of followers.
You just need a few people to care.

And they usually show up once you start showing up yourself.

6. “Other founders have it all figured out.”

From the outside, everyone looks like they know what they’re doing.

Their landing pages are perfect.
Their tweets are sharp.
They’re getting traction.

But the more I talk to other indie founders, the more I realize:

Everyone’s guessing. Everyone’s making it up as they go.

The difference? Some people keep going despite the doubt.
Others let it stop them.

7. “Eventually I’ll feel ready.”

I kept waiting to feel “ready.”
To have a complete product.
To feel confident enough to launch.
To be sure.

But that feeling never came.

And I’ve learned that it doesn’t.

You don’t get ready. You get tired of waiting — and start anyway.

Every builder I admire says the same thing: the hardest part is starting despite the fear.

So that’s where I am now. Still afraid. Still unsure. Still building.

But building anyway.

Where I’m At Right Now

I’m still coding every day.
Still rewriting parts of the product.
Still debating pricing and messaging.
Still nervous about putting it out there.

But I'm no longer hiding behind “almost ready.”
I’m showing up. Publicly. Honestly.
And trusting that done is coming.

Final Thought

I haven’t launched my SaaS yet.

But I’ve already launched something more important:
a new mindset.

One that says:

• It doesn’t have to be perfect.

• You’re allowed to be early and messy.

• Keep going — especially when nobody’s watching.

If you’re in this same spot, you’re not alone.

We’re all figuring it out. One bug, one post, one tiny ship at a time.