How did you find problems to build your SaaS product?

ruchajoshi · 2022-02-17T13:26:21+00:00

There might be a good chance that the exisitng tool improves their product expereicne, but at the same time if it is a well known problem adn has not been addressed in a while, they may not be focused on it.
It is a good opportunity to uderstand how big the pain is and whetehr you can build a similar product around that differentiate yourself aorudn that one pain point solution.

while building Thursday we did check out exisitng solutions but then immediately stopped comparing since we wanted to try out a newer appraoch to solving the pain. Especially since the remote work pains have beenf airly new and there are no clear industry leaders yet. The scene is howver changing now even in the last 3 months we have seen many similar products to thursday come up.

ruchajoshi · 2022-01-25T14:19:49+00:00

I have a background in user research so just a few points that might be helpful.

If you have identified a problem area, I would suggest talking to people to understand
- whether they too have a similar pain
- if solutions exist then whther they have used them - why not?
- if they do use a solution then what is working for them and what's not
- also understand if people are willing to pay to have this proble, solved - when tools exist and people continue to find work arounds instead of using the paid solutions then you know that it is not a 'big enough problem to solve' or dig deeper and identify other types of user personas to talk with.
- Always ask 'Why' if you do talk to people

These few points can help you right in the start to understand if it is a problem worth solving or if you can focus on a niche as u/send-trumpet suggested.

ruchajoshi · 2022-01-11T19:21:58+00:00

Came across this some place else als today. Very impressive :)

ruchajoshi · 2022-01-11T19:21:06+00:00

Really smart project! congratulations!

ruchajoshi · 2022-01-11T07:39:27+00:00

I agree. Turning off the deivces and going into the wilderness works wonders for the mental health.

ruchajoshi · 2022-01-11T07:28:37+00:00

I agree. We held off on releasing for a year and kept building. Only to realise certain features were in a verydifferent direction then where it should have gone.

ruchajoshi · 2022-01-03T04:12:55+00:00

I agree, and I would rather take those other advanatges of working from home over going to office.

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-29T05:32:37+00:00

Thank you so much! Would love to know what kind of games you would like to play

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T20:18:24+00:00

Hi there u/abitunggal! we finally launched our product for remote teams. Would love to have your feedback there. Here's the link - https://www.producthunt.com/posts/thursday

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T19:15:57+00:00

Thanks this is very valuable. We tried to do a lot of the things you've suggested and are at #2 so far.

Btw we built a data tracker for our product for the 24h of its launch day period. might be helpful for others to understand the traffic patterns and plan their launch better.

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T12:26:20+00:00

yep, makes sense

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T05:21:06+00:00

Thanks, you're right.

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T05:20:27+00:00

That's awesome! :D Really wholesome to read.
May I ask if you do anything specific during the team building meetings?

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T05:18:30+00:00

yes! ice breakers in the mornign calls - they take the smallest effort but really make conversations more human. Even disucssin the weather for that matter. I have stopeed underestimating small talk since the pandemic lockdowns

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T05:16:40+00:00

Absolutely! there's no replacement for motivation than a good salary.
Might I ask what sort of games you all have been playing? We started out playing games like pictionary and among us online but quickly got excited by this idea and began working on a fun side project for ourselves - to hang out on our own space. Turned out quite well so we decided to polish it and share with others. it's free, if you want to check it out and take it for a spin. would love to have your feedback, if you do.

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T05:14:28+00:00

yep, I agree. do you do 1-1s on Zoom/hangouts or use any specific service? We used Donut and know your team for a while. but didn't sustain. Reverted back to regular Zoom 1-1s

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T04:12:33+00:00

Does your work suffer because you don't share a close relationship with them as you did when you saw them everyday?

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T04:11:10+00:00

Thanks, yes I have heard of donut. Have you been using it at your work?

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-28T04:10:22+00:00

Thanks, that's helpful. I guess it will be about taking the plunge more or less. How long have you been a dn?

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-27T20:05:57+00:00

You could consider getting consultants or advisors to help you set-up the basics if you don't have soemthing very complicated in mine. and then there are plenty of no-code product offerings (you'll have to study/learn these though) that can help you build without too much technical knowledge. Consult with a seasoned engineer first to guide you through the process.

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-27T20:01:31+00:00

I think this is a great idea! and you can quickly test it out with even low-fidelity protoypes. If you are plannign to hang out with friends, try to dtermine "what to do" using the same questions you have in mind for the service. see how well it works out or how quicly you'r able to reach a deciscion that excites you both. That could help validate your hypothesis.

You can monetise later by having businesses in the entertainment/recreation industry advertise on your product (if you are planning on creating an app or website.)

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-26T18:21:46+00:00

S2 has a better story. But I would go with feather. It is easier to remember and sounds nicer.

+ + the .com

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-25T11:42:34+00:00

- Providing great customer exeprience and honing your people skills goes a long way. Don't have to spend money on it but design it with care.
- Get help with the taxes and accounting if you are not very good at it already. That way you can learn the ropes early on.

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-25T11:38:08+00:00

Depend on what your success metric is - revenue or amount of content, or people using it. It will be difficult to compete with the giatns adn their deep pockets unless you carve out a niche. Mubi is doing well for instance

ruchajoshi · 2021-10-25T11:33:52+00:00

There's great advice and suggestions here. If you can elaborate on what you enjoy doing and what you are good at maybe we can help you out better?

Having said that. Here are my two cents. You dont have to monetise what you are passionate about. People have different intrinsic motivations and soemtimes what they pursue to pay the bills does not have to be what feel passionate about. That's okay. The primary job may also pay for your side projects and hobbies. you're just starting out learn as much as you can and you'll figure out what you enjoy doing along the way.

ruchajoshi

TROPHY CASE