Awesome SaaS

Author: awesaas

  • Solve a Pain You Deeply Understand – Then Design for UX Superiority

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    Tactic Description:Derrick built SavvyCal because he hated the rigid, impersonal feel of tools like Calendly. Instead of chasing feature parity, he obsessed over making scheduling feel collaborative, not transactional. Priority: Short-termDifficulty: MediumBest Stage: Idea to Early Growth Example / Use Case:SavvyCal introduced features like overlay availability (instead of hide-and-seek) and easy calendar comparisons — designed…

  • Charge From Day One – and Charge What It’s Worth

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    Tactic Description:Justin warns against free plans and underpricing. Transistor launched with paid-only pricing to set a tone of value and seriousness, avoiding low-intent users. Priority: Long-termDifficulty: MediumBest Stage: Launch to Growth Example / Use Case:Instead of freemium, they offered a 14-day free trial followed by paid plans starting at $19/mo – converting a high percentage…

  • Focus on “Calm SaaS” – Profit Over Hype

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    Tactic Description:Justin explains that Transistor’s growth came from sustainable, profitable choices – not raising money or chasing hyper-growth. They focused on quality customers, pricing discipline, and long-term retention. Priority: Mid-termDifficulty: MediumBest Stage: Growth Example / Use Case:They rejected VC, stuck with indie-friendly pricing, and grew via word-of-mouth and partnerships – not ads or discounts. Founder…

  • Build an Audience Before You Build the Product

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    Tactic Description:Justin emphasizes the idea of “audience-first SaaS” — building trust, insight, and email lists before writing a single line of code. By the time Transistor launched, they already had fans asking to pay. Priority: Short-termDifficulty: MediumBest Stage: Pre-product Example / Use Case:Justin co-hosted podcasts, ran newsletters, and shared indie founder stories years before Transistor.…

  • Use Public Wins and Transparency to Build Credibility Without Paid Ads

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    Tactic Description:Courtland explains that many successful SaaS founders grow by sharing their journey — revenue, traffic, product challenges — which attracts likeminded customers and builds organic trust. Priority: Long-termDifficulty: MediumBest Stage: Growth Example / Use Case:Many Indie Hackers stories cite “open startup” dashboards, Twitter revenue threads, or transparent milestone sharing as major lead drivers. Founder…

  • Talk to Customers Like a Peer, Not Like a Marketer

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    Tactic Description:Courtland suggests that founders often sound too polished or robotic. Instead, you should speak like a fellow builder or practitioner – using plain language, inside jokes, and real-life metaphors. Priority: Mid-termDifficulty: EasyBest Stage: Growth Example / Use Case:Indie Hackers’ newsletters and interviews use conversational tone and direct quotes – making the content feel like…

  • Start With a Real Community, Not a Hypothetical Market

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    Tactic Description:Courtland emphasizes building for a real group of people you already know – not a made-up persona. By embedding yourself in that community, you build deep empathy and get direct access to real problems. Priority: Short-termDifficulty: MediumBest Stage: Idea to MVP Example / Use Case:Indie Hackers started as a content site serving bootstrapped founders.…

  • Reinforce Value with Personal Touches at Key Moments

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    Tactic Description:To stand out with minimal budget, Ankit added personal moments to the user journey — handwritten emails, welcome videos, and celebratory badges. These small gestures improved retention and sparked referrals. Priority: Long-termDifficulty: EasyBest Stage: Growth Example / Use Case:Each new user got a personalized email that referenced their goal. After their first milestone, they…

  • Use Micro-Communities to Get Hyper-Targeted Traction

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    Tactic Description:Instead of blasting ads or content everywhere, Ankit focused on micro-communities – niche Slack groups, subreddits, and Discord servers where his ICP already hung out. He joined, contributed, and softly introduced the product. Priority: Mid-termDifficulty: MediumBest Stage: Early Growth Example / Use Case:He posted helpful comments in podcasting forums (his audience), then DM’d members…

  • Launch Before You’re Ready – Then Iterate in Public

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    Tactic Description:Ankit emphasizes the power of launching early and refining in the open. Instead of perfecting the product, he shipped a functional MVP, gathered user feedback publicly, and used that visibility to build both trust and traction. Priority: Short-termDifficulty: MediumBest Stage: MVP to Early Growth Example / Use Case:He launched Aola on Twitter and Indie…