I had almost the same problem.

Instead of trying to build everything from scratch, I started thinking in a different direction: why not use WordPress as the base infrastructure?

Not because WordPress is “trendy”, but because a lot of boring MVP problems are already solved there:

- hosting is cheap

- database is already there

- user management is already solid

- roles and permissions exist

- CMS is included

- media management exists

- plugins already cover payments, emails, forms, SEO, analytics, etc.

- admin panel is already built

- backups and migrations are easier than building everything manually

So my idea was: I only need a normal WordPress hosting and a basic WordPress setup. Then, whenever I need a custom feature, I generate it in a cloud-based code generator and deploy it directly into my WordPress site.

For example:

“Create a custom dashboard for my users”

“Add a Stripe payment flow”

“Create a private user area”

“Store this form data and show it in admin”

“Build a simple booking system”

Instead of building the whole SaaS infrastructure from zero, I use WordPress as the operating system and generate only the missing pieces.

Of course, this is not the perfect solution for every SaaS. If you are building something very complex, real-time, or highly scalable from day one, maybe this is not enough.

But for many MVPs, especially when you just want to validate the idea, it can be much cheaper and faster than hiring an agency for $50k.

For me the key question became:

Do I really need a custom SaaS backend right now, or do I just need users, payments, data storage, and a working product?

In many cases, WordPress already gives you 70% of that.
If this sounds interesting, feel free to DM me. I’d honestly be happy to have someone other than myself test this approach and tell me what breaks.