DEV Community: Muhammad Hammad

Building a Simple SaaS Taught Me That Solving One Problem Beats Building 100 Features

Muhammad Hammad — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 06:46:08 +0000

Every developer dreams of building the next big SaaS.

We imagine dashboards, AI features, user authentication, analytics, subscriptions, APIs—the list never ends.

I had the same mindset until I started building ScriptTimer, a web application that estimates how long a script will take to speak before someone records a video, podcast, or presentation.

Ironically, building the product changed the way I think about software.

The biggest lesson wasn't technical.

It was learning when not to build another feature.

The original problem was surprisingly small

The idea came from a simple frustration.

I'd write a YouTube script and assume it would take about five minutes to present.

After recording, I discovered it often took eight or nine minutes.

The word count looked reasonable, but speaking speed changed everything.

I looked for a quick way to estimate the duration before recording.

Most solutions either required unnecessary steps or included features I didn't actually need.

So I decided to build one.

My first mistake: planning too many features

Like many side projects, the feature list grew almost immediately.

I wanted to add:

User accounts
Script history
AI suggestions
Export options
Team collaboration
Analytics dashboards
Multiple workspaces

Then I asked myself one question:

Would any of these features solve the user's immediate problem?

The answer was "not really."

Users wanted to know one thing:

How long will this script take to speak?

Everything else could wait.

That realization completely changed the scope of the project.

The MVP became much smaller

The first version only needed four things:

A text area for the script.
Word counting.
Speaking speed selection.
A duration estimate.

That was enough to solve the core problem.

Shipping a focused MVP also meant I could start collecting feedback much sooner instead of polishing features nobody had requested.

Performance became part of the product

Utility websites have different expectations than social platforms or enterprise software.

People visit because they want an answer immediately.

Every extra second feels like friction.

While building ScriptTimer, I tried to keep the experience lightweight by:

Reducing unnecessary JavaScript.
Avoiding large third-party libraries where possible.
Optimizing the page for mobile devices.
Keeping the interface clean.
Minimizing clicks before the user gets a result.

Fast software isn't just a nice-to-have—it becomes part of the user experience.

SEO influenced how I structured the application

One lesson I underestimated was how much information architecture affects discoverability.

Instead of putting every calculator on a single page, I created separate pages for different user intents.

For example:

Words to Minutes Calculator
Speech Timer
Podcast Timer
Reading Time Calculator
YouTube Shorts Timer

Each page focuses on one specific problem while remaining connected through internal links.

It helps users find the right tool and creates a clearer structure for search engines.

Shipping is only half the job

I used to think development ended when the application went live.

It doesn't.

After launch, I spent far more time on:

SEO
Technical improvements
Writing documentation and articles
Guest posting
Product directory submissions
Collecting user feedback

The code may stay the same for weeks, but the product continues evolving through user interaction.

What I'd do differently

If I started another SaaS tomorrow, I'd spend less time thinking about features and more time understanding the problem.

I'd also launch sooner.

Real feedback is more valuable than assumptions made during development.

Users have a way of revealing problems you never considered.

Final thoughts

Building ScriptTimer reminded me that software doesn't have to be complicated to be useful.

Sometimes the best products solve one frustrating problem exceptionally well.

For developers working on side projects or micro SaaS ideas, my biggest takeaway is simple:

Start with a problem that people actually experience, build the smallest useful solution, and let real users decide what comes next.

I'd love to hear from other developers:

What's one feature you removed—or decided not to build—that ultimately made your product better?

I Built a Free Script Timing Tool Because I Was Tired of Guessing Video Length

Muhammad Hammad — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:01:00 +0000

I Built a Free Script Timing Tool Because I Was Tired of Guessing Video Length

When you're building a small SaaS product, the best ideas often come from solving your own problems.

That was exactly how ScriptTimer started.

As someone who creates YouTube videos and presentations, I kept running into the same issue: I'd finish writing a script that looked "about right," start recording, and realize it was two or three minutes longer than I expected.

Editing around that mistake wasted more time than writing the script itself.

So I decided to build a tool that could answer one simple question:

"How long will this script actually take to speak?"

The Problem

Word count doesn't automatically translate into speaking time.

Two people can read the same 1,000-word script at completely different speeds.

A technical tutorial might require slow delivery.

A promotional video might be much faster.

Simply dividing words by an average speaking speed wasn't enough—I wanted users to adjust the pace based on how they actually speak.

Building the MVP

The first version was intentionally simple.

The core features were:

Paste your script
Count the words
Choose a speaking speed
Instantly estimate speaking time

No login.

No account.

No unnecessary features.

I wanted people to get an answer in seconds.

Keeping Performance Fast

Because it's a utility tool, speed matters.

Users don't want loading screens just to calculate a few numbers.

While building ScriptTimer, I focused on:

Minimizing JavaScript
Compressing static assets
Keeping the interface lightweight
Reducing unnecessary dependencies

The goal wasn't flashy animations.

It was responsiveness.

SEO Was Part of the Product

One lesson I learned is that SEO shouldn't be an afterthought.

Instead of creating one homepage targeting every keyword, I built dedicated pages around specific user intent.

Examples include:

Reading Time Calculator
Words to Minutes Converter
Speech Timer
Podcast Script Timer
YouTube Script Timer

Each page solves a different problem while supporting the overall product.

This approach has been much more effective than trying to rank a single page for dozens of unrelated keywords.

Shipping Before Perfect

Like many developers, I was tempted to keep adding features before launching.

Dark mode.

Accounts.

Analytics.

History.

Export options.

Eventually I realized none of those mattered if nobody was using the tool.

Launching early gave me something much more valuable than another feature:

Feedback.

Real users immediately pointed out things I hadn't considered.

Some wanted faster calculations.

Others wanted different speaking speeds.

Several requested additional calculators.

Those conversations shaped the roadmap far better than my assumptions ever could.

One Unexpected Benefit

The biggest surprise wasn't the tool itself.

It was how often people mentioned saving editing time.

Instead of recording a video, discovering it was too long, cutting sections, and recording again, they could fix the script before ever turning on the camera.

Sometimes solving a tiny problem creates a much bigger impact than expected.

What's Next?

I'm continuing to improve ScriptTimer by adding more creator-focused tools that help writers, presenters, educators, and video creators plan their content more efficiently.

The goal hasn't changed:

Remove small friction points so creators can spend more time creating and less time fixing avoidable mistakes.

If you're curious or have feedback, you can try the tool here:

https://www.scripttimer.io/

I'd genuinely love to hear what features you'd build next or what challenges you've faced when planning video scripts.

How to Estimate Video Length From Script Word Count

Muhammad Hammad — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 08:38:43 +0000

How to Estimate Video Length From Script Word Count

If you've ever finished writing a YouTube script and wondered:

"How long will this video actually be?"

you're not alone.

One of the biggest challenges for content creators is estimating video duration before recording. A script that looks short can easily become a 10-minute video, while a script that feels long might only produce a few minutes of content.

After dealing with this problem repeatedly while creating content, I started using a simple word-count method to predict video length before hitting the record button.

In this article, I'll explain how it works and how you can estimate your video duration in seconds.

Why Video Length Matters

Knowing your estimated video length before recording helps you:

Plan content more effectively
Stay within your target video duration
Improve pacing
Reduce editing time
Avoid rewriting scripts after recording

Whether you're creating YouTube videos, Shorts, podcasts, online courses, or presentations, timing your script can save hours of work.

The Basic Formula

The simplest way to estimate video duration is:

Video Length = Total Words ÷ Words Per Minute

The key variable is your speaking speed.

Average Speaking Speeds

Most creators fall into one of these ranges:

Speaking Style	Words Per Minute
Slow	120–130
Average	140–160
Fast	170–190

For most YouTube creators, 150 WPM is a good starting point.

Examples

Example 1

Script Length:

750 words

Speaking Speed:

150 WPM

Calculation:

750 ÷ 150 = 5 minutes

Estimated Video Length:

5 Minutes

Example 2

Script Length:

1,500 words

Speaking Speed:

150 WPM

Calculation:

1500 ÷ 150 = 10 minutes

Estimated Video Length:

10 Minutes

Example 3

Script Length:

2,250 words

Speaking Speed:

150 WPM

Calculation:

2250 ÷ 150 = 15 minutes

Estimated Video Length:

15 Minutes

Quick Reference Table

Video Length	Approximate Words
1 Minute	130–160
3 Minutes	400–500
5 Minutes	650–800
10 Minutes	1,300–1,600
15 Minutes	2,000–2,400
20 Minutes	2,600–3,200

Why Manual Calculations Aren't Always Accurate

The formula works well, but real-world videos include:

Pauses
Breathing
Screen recordings
Demonstrations
Transitions
B-roll footage
Visual explanations

This means your final video can be slightly longer or shorter than the calculation suggests.

That's why many experienced creators calculate script timing before recording and then adjust based on their personal speaking style.

The Problem I Kept Running Into

When I started creating content, I would write an entire script and assume it would fit my target video length.

Most of the time, I was wrong.

Sometimes a script I expected to be 10 minutes ended up being 7 minutes.

Other times it stretched to 12 or 13 minutes because I naturally spoke slower while explaining concepts.

After repeating this mistake enough times, I built a simple Script Timer tool to estimate content duration instantly.

Using a Script Timer Instead

Instead of manually calculating:

Word Count ÷ WPM

you can simply:

Paste your script
Choose a speaking speed
Get an instant estimate

The tool can be useful for:

YouTube videos
YouTube Shorts
Podcasts
Speeches
Presentations
Blog reading time estimates

You can try it here:

👉 https://www.scripttimer.io/

Tips for Better Accuracy

Track Your Personal WPM

Record yourself reading a script and calculate:

Total Words ÷ Minutes Spoken

This gives you a much more accurate estimate than using generic averages.

Use Different Speeds for Different Content

For example:

Tutorials: 120–140 WPM
Educational videos: 130–150 WPM
Commentary videos: 150–180 WPM
Podcasts: 140–170 WPM

Leave Room for Editing

Even if your script estimates exactly 10 minutes, editing can significantly change the final runtime.

Final Thoughts

Estimating video length from script word count is one of the simplest ways to improve content planning.

For most creators:

150 words ≈ 1 minute
750 words ≈ 5 minutes
1,500 words ≈ 10 minutes

Knowing these numbers before recording helps you stay on target, reduce editing time, and create more consistent content.

If you regularly create YouTube videos, podcasts, or presentations, a simple script timer can save a surprising amount of time and guesswork.

What speaking speed do you use for your content? Let me know in the comments.