“Done is better than perfect.”
I’ve seen this quote floating around for years, but it never truly clicked—until now.
This is the story of how I built Sounds Social, a platform for music producers and musicians, from idea to working beta in just 30 days. I’m still early in the journey (with zero users so far), but I wanted to share what I’ve learned, what worked, and where I’m headed next.
Why I Decided to Build a SaaS (Finally)
For a long time, I’ve wanted to build something that wasn’t just another portfolio project or a small tool. I wanted to create something that could become a real product, maybe even a sustainable business one day.
The idea for Sounds Social came from watching the music production community online. There are plenty of places to share finished tracks, but there wasn’t a platform that truly helped producers connect, collaborate, and exchange feedback in a structured way.
So I thought:
What if there was a dedicated space for this?
Not Instagram, not Discord—but a platform designed specifically for producers to share snippets, find collaborators, and grow together.
That was enough to get me started. I set myself a challenge:
Build and launch a working beta in 30 days.
Defining the MVP: What’s the Bare Minimum?
When you only have a month, you can’t build everything. The biggest mistake I see (and used to make myself) is trying to create a fully-featured product before launch.
So I focused on three core features:
- ✅ Track Uploads — Users can upload and share their sounds
- ✅ Collab Finder — A simple way to connect with other musicians
- ✅ Feedback-for-Feedback — A system to exchange track feedback fairly
Everything else went to the “later” list. No advanced analytics, no complex profiles, no mobile app (yet). Just the basics.
Choosing the Tech Stack (and Why I Didn’t Overthink It)
I’m a full-stack developer, but I knew spending days debating the tech stack would kill my 30-day goal. So I picked tools that I knew could get me to production fast:
- Frontend: React + Tailwind CSS
- Backend: Meteor.js
- Database: MongoDB (built into Meteor)
- File Storage: Bytescale (life saver for media uploads)
- Deployment: Galaxy (Meteor’s hosting platform, easy and smooth)
Meteor might sound like an unusual choice in 2025, but honestly, it’s perfect for rapid prototyping. Real-time data, user accounts, and a reactive system out of the box? Yes, please.
Quick Note on AI Assistance
Here’s a confession: I didn’t code everything alone. I used Gemini CLI as a coding assistant during the build. Think of it like a turbo-charged Stack Overflow that actually writes code snippets for you.
Did it make me faster? Absolutely. But don’t worry—I still had to architect everything, debug errors, and make sure it all worked together. AI didn’t do the hard thinking for me; it just helped me move quicker.
The Hardest Part of the Build
The app came together surprisingly fast, but two areas gave me headaches:
1. File Upload & Management
Uploading audio is never fun. Large files, different formats, and the need for good UX made this tricky. Bytescale saved me from managing my own file storage (and from AWS S3 nightmares).
2. Monetization
Even though the platform is free right now, I wanted the infrastructure in place for a PRO plan later on. Figuring out payment flows and Stripe integration while still working on core features was… let’s just say I drank a lot of coffee.
Everything else? Smooth sailing. The UI took some time (Tailwind always looks easier than it is), but nothing too crazy.
Launching in 30 Days (Without Overthinking)
By Day 30, I had:
- A working beta with core features
- A clean(ish) UI that didn’t make me cringe
- A landing page and basic branding
Was it perfect? Not even close.
But my goal wasn’t perfection—it was done.
I deployed to Galaxy, tested everything, and stepped back. It felt surreal: 30 days ago, this was just an idea in my notes. Now, it’s live.
Where I’m At Right Now
Here’s the honest truth:
Sounds Social is still in early beta. There are no users yet.
I’m about to soft launch this week, starting with:
- Posting on my personal network (I have around 50k followers as “Insan3Lik3” in the music scene)
- DM’ing micro-producers (2k–20k followers) who might love the platform
- Writing helpful content for dev.to and the Sounds Social blog
- Sharing progress on social media (building in public)
This is the stage where many projects die—after the build, before the growth. My mission now is to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Lessons I’ve Learned So Far
Even without thousands of users yet, building this in 30 days taught me more than the last year of “thinking about building something.”
Here are my biggest takeaways:
1. Time Limits Are Superpowers
If I hadn’t set a 30-day deadline, I’d still be “planning” today. Constraints force action.
2. Build Only What’s Essential
Three features. That’s it. Everything else is a distraction at the MVP stage.
3. UI Will Eat Your Time
Tailwind is great, but design decisions take energy. Next time, I might use pre-built UI kits.
4. Don’t Wait for Perfect
I launched with missing features and rough edges. And that’s okay. The goal is feedback, not perfection.
5. Marketing Is a Whole New Game
Building is easy compared to growth. If you think “launching” is the finish line, think again—it’s the starting point.
What’s Next?
- Soft launch this week
- Start engaging micro-producers and indie musicians
- Write more content about music production and indie hacking
- Slowly improve the platform based on early feedback
Long-term? I’d love for Sounds Social to become the go-to hub for producers to collaborate, share feedback, and maybe even monetize their skills. But for now, the goal is simple:
Get the first 100 users.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been sitting on an idea, waiting for the “perfect time,” consider this your sign:
Start now. Give yourself a deadline. Build small. Ship fast.
You’ll learn more in 30 days of building than in 300 days of planning.
If you want to follow along (or join the beta when it’s ready), check out:
👉 Sounds Social
👉 GitHub Repo
Thanks for reading! Got questions? Drop them in the comments. And if you’re building something too, share your journey—I’d love to see it. 🚀
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