Building a SaaS as a solo developer can feel overwhelming—too many features, too many tools, too little time.
In this post, I’ll break down how I went from an idea to a working SaaS MVP in 30 days, what I focused on, what I intentionally skipped, and the mistakes I made so you don’t repeat them.
This is not a hype story. It’s a practical, execution-first breakdown.
Why I Decided to Build an MVP (Not a Perfect Product)
Like many developers, I had more ideas than execution.
I realized:
A shipped MVP beats a perfect idea
Users don’t care about architecture purity
Feedback only comes after something exists
So I committed to a 30-day constraint:
One clear problem
One core user flow
One working product
No extras.
The Idea (Week 0)
Problem:
Posting and managing content across multiple platforms is repetitive and fragmented.
Initial scope (important):
One master post
Publish to multiple platforms
Single dashboard
No advanced analytics initially
No AI features in v1
The hardest part was deciding what not to build.
Tech Stack (Chosen for Speed, Not Trends)
I optimized for low maintenance and fast iteration.
Frontend: React + Tailwind
Backend: Supabase (Auth, DB, Storage)
Payments: Razorpay (India-friendly)
Deployment: Vercel
Auth: Email + OAuth
Server Logic: Supabase Edge Functions
Why this stack worked:
Minimal backend boilerplate
Built-in auth & security
Edge functions for payments & webhooks
No DevOps overhead
Week-by-Week Breakdown
Week 1 — Planning & Foundation
Goals:
Finalize MVP scope
Set up repo & deployment
Database schema
Authentication
What I built:
User auth (email-based)
Basic dashboard layout
Database tables (users, posts, platforms)
What I skipped:
Analytics
AI features
Fancy UI animations
Lesson:
If you don’t lock scope early, your MVP will never ship.
Week 2 — Core Feature Development
Goals:
One post → multiple platforms
Stable posting flow
What I built:
Post creation UI
Platform connection placeholders
Queue-based posting logic
Error handling (very basic)
Problems I hit:
Platform API limitations
Token expiration issues
Rate limits
Lesson:
External APIs will always be the slowest and most fragile part of your system.
Week 3 — Payments & Subscriptions
This was the hardest week.
What I built:
Pricing page
Razorpay order creation
Webhook handling via edge functions
Subscription table
Access control (free vs paid)
Mistakes:
I underestimated webhook complexity
Forgot to handle failed payments initially
Didn’t log enough data early
Lesson:
Payments are not “just a button.” They are a system.
Week 4 — Polish, Bugs, and Launch Prep
Goals:
Make it usable, not beautiful
Fix breaking bugs
Prepare for real users
What I focused on:
Loading states
Error messages
Empty states
Deployment stability
What I still didn’t add:
Advanced analytics
AI automation
Notifications
Lesson:
Users forgive missing features. They don’t forgive broken flows.
What I Intentionally Did NOT Build
This is important.
I did NOT include:
Fake analytics
Over-engineered microservices
Admin dashboards
AI “just because”
Complex role systems
Every skipped feature bought me time and clarity.
Biggest Mistakes I Made
Overthinking early architecture
Delaying payments
Not logging enough errors
Trying to impress instead of shipping
Ignoring onboarding UX initially
Each mistake cost me days.
What I’d Do Differently Next Time
Add payments in week 2
Ship with fewer settings
Launch earlier with real users
Track user actions from day one
Write docs as I build, not after
Final Results After 30 Days
Working SaaS MVP
Real payment flow
Public URL
Clear roadmap
Confidence to iterate
Not perfect. But real.
Advice for Solo Developers
If you’re building alone:
Time-box everything
Build boring but reliable tech
Launch before you’re comfortable
Let users guide the roadmap
You don’t need permission to ship.
Closing Thoughts
Building a SaaS in 30 days is not about speed—it’s about focus.
If you’re stuck planning, start building.
If you’re stuck polishing, start shipping.
That’s how momentum is created.
Question for you:
If you had 30 days to build an MVP, what feature would you cut first?
Top comments (1)
Why didn't you use vibe coding to go faster? I think it would have taken you less than a week.