I Built a SaaS in 30 Days — Here's What I Learned

I launched ScripTube — a tool that extracts YouTube video transcripts — about 6 months ago. Here's what I'd tell past-me.

1. Ship the Most Embarrassingly Simple Version First

My first version was one input field, one button, and raw text output. No formatting, no features, no accounts. People used it. Their feedback told me what to build next.

I spent weeks before launch debating features that turned out to not matter.

2. Writing Content is Your Most Important "Feature"

Nobody finds your SaaS through divine intervention. I should have started blogging, posting on social media, and answering questions in forums from day one. The product doesn't market itself.

3. Your First Users Come from Communities, Not Google

SEO takes months. My first real users came from Reddit, Twitter, and Indie Hackers. Being genuinely helpful in communities (not spammy) drove early adoption.

4. Solve a Workflow, Not a Moment

My tool isn't just "get transcript." It's the first step in content repurposing, research, SEO, accessibility, and education workflows. Understanding the full workflow helped me communicate value better.

5. Analytics Obsession is Procrastination

I spent embarrassing amounts of time checking analytics in the early days. With 10 visitors a day, there's nothing to analyze. That time is better spent creating content or talking to users.

6. Pricing is a Feature, Not an Afterthought

I agonized over pricing models. In retrospect, I should have just launched with simple pricing, observed what people are willing to pay for, and iterated.

The Tech Stack

• Next.js for frontend and API routes
• Vercel for deployment
• YouTube transcript API under the hood
• Upstash Redis for rate limiting

What I'd Do Differently

Start marketing on day 1. Build in public from the beginning. Launch with pricing instead of "everything free." Talk to users before writing code.

Current State

ScripTube handles thousands of transcript extractions. Free plan: 50 videos/day. Pro: 600. Business: 2000.

The journey continues. Happy to answer questions about the build, marketing, or technical decisions.