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Animiso
Animiso

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I'm 17 and built my first SaaS. Here's the tech stack and what I'd do differently.

#freelance #programming #webdev #productivity

The "I wish I knew this before I started" thread

3 months ago I started building Animiso - a tool to help freelancers stop the "any update?" text chaos.

Today (Day 3 of launch): 0 users, $0 revenue, infinite lessons learned.

Here's what I built, how I built it, and what I'd change.

The Problem

As a freelance, clients would ask "any update?" via:

  • Text at 9 PM
  • Email at 6 AM
  • Slack during lunch
  • Calls that should've been a screenshot

I'd spend 2+ hours/week just on status updates.

The Solution

Animiso: A shareable project timeline.

  1. Freelancer creates project → gets unique link
  2. Posts updates (screenshot + note) in 30 seconds
  3. Shares link with client (no login for them)
  4. Client checks whenever they want

Simple. Boring. Solves a real problem.

What Took the Longest

Not the code. The uncertainty.

"Is this even useful?"
"Will people pay for this?"
"Am I wasting my time?"

I spent more time doubting than coding.

What I Learned

1. Ship before you're ready

I wanted to add:

  • Email notifications
  • File uploads
  • Comments
  • Custom branding

But I shipped without them.

Good decision. I can add features when users ask for them.

2. Building ≠ Success

I thought: "Build it and they will come."

Reality: Building is 10%. Distribution is 90%.

I have a working product and 0 users.

The hard part isn't done. It's just starting.

3. Talk to users BEFORE building

I built what I thought freelancers needed.

Should have:

  • Asked 50 freelancers first
  • Validated the problem
  • Pre-sold it

Live and learn.

Current Status

  • Users: 0
  • Revenue: $0
  • Runway: Infinite (I'm 17, live with parents, no costs)
  • Plan: Send 100 DMs/day until I get 10 users

What I'd Do Differently

  1. Validate first
    Talk to 50 potential users before writing code

  2. Build an audience first
    Post daily for 3 months WHILE building

  3. Start with a waiting list
    Collect emails before launch

  4. Make a demo video
    Show don't tell

  5. Be more aggressive
    10 DMs/day is nothing. Should be 100/day.

Want to Try It?

animiso.fun

Code LAUNCH50 = $1.50/month forever

I'm desperate for feedback from real developers who freelance.

Tell me what sucks. I'll fix it.

Questions for Devs Who've Launched

  1. How did you get your first 10 users?
  2. How long until you hit $100 MRR?
  3. What marketing channel worked best?
  4. What would you tell your past self?

Drop your answers below. I'm reading everything.

Also: If you're a dev who's thought about building a SaaS but hasn't started - do it. You'll learn more in 3 months than 3 years of tutorials.

(Even if you end up with 0 users like me 😅)

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