How to come up with a SaaS idea? (HTS)
In this HTS ('How to SaaS') series, we discuss our lessons learned in building and scaling our SaaS. In this first part, we'll discuss how to come up with an idea for your SaaS.As with every business, it all starts with an idea ?. But what is so great about having an idea for a SaaS instead of having an idea for, let’s say a new coffee brand, is that you can start right away with validating the idea and getting people on board. We mean like literally today.When we came up with the idea of our SaaS, user feedback tool Upvoty, we literally started the same day. Within a week we had an up and running website and within a couple of weeks, we had our first potential clients. And the best thing: we didn’t use any magic here. No secret Getafix magic potion was part of this.
We did it all on our own, and so can you.
Crafting an idea for your SaaS: Framework
If you have absolutely no clue about what kind of SaaS you would like to start, there are a couple of ways to come up with a potential valid idea for your SaaS. The most important ratio is this one: PROBLEM < > SOLUTION.Let’s look at this framework for example:
It’s fairly simple but highly effective to start with. Ask yourself: What problem are you solving? And, how are you going to solve it?But, how to come up with potential problems to solve?Well, we dare you to look into these potential idea ponds:
Scratching your own itch
Do you see anything around you that could be improved? Whether it’s making something easier, more fun or cheaper. If you think of a struggle in your own life: write it down. This could be in your house, in your car, at work, or heck, even when you’re in the shower. Sometimes the next big thing is something really small. Just like Johan Vaaler did when he invented the paperclip in 1899. Let that be your inspiration.
Outdated markets
Just like Uber came up with a new innovation in the taxi market, and Airbnb did in the hotel market, there are many markets that are slowly evolving. If they even evolve at all. Do some research and try to figure out which market has potential. Who knows, maybe your product is going to be the next disruptor of it.
Talk to friends and family
Just like you face problems, struggles or irritations, so do your family and friends do. Talk to them! Write down their thoughts on things that could be improved.
Research the internet
Because we’re talking about SaaS here, the internet is a really good place to look for ideas.
Go on Twitter, Quora, Reddit, and look for people who are irritating about something. “I can’t find a decent app for X” or “I’m struggling with my workflow” or “I need help with so and so”. You name it. There could be a potential product in every need out there.Of course, there are many potential factors to kill your idea. Are there any other people that feel your solution is a real fix for a real problem for example?In order to research this, we'll talk about targetting the right audience in the next part of this series.How To SaaS series:1. Come up with an idea2. Define Your Target Audience3. How to MVP your SaaS? Learn more about starting, validating, and growing your SaaS with our Free eBook 'SaaS Growth Tactics'.