I've grown two SaaS products to decent MRR. But I've had many that failed, and it took a long time to get to the ones that actually worked.
If I were starting over in 2025, clean slate, zero dollars in the bank, no existing audience, this is exactly how I'd push to $10K MRR.
Just the practical steps I wish I'd followed earlier, based on what actually works for bootstrapped founders.
Nail your ICP before you build anything
Your ideal customer profile (ICP) isn't some vague "small businesses." Get specific: Who are they? What's their daily grind? What problem keeps them up at night that they're already paying to solve?
I'd spend the first 1-2 weeks interviewing 20-30 people in a niche I know, like indie devs or small agency owners. Use free tools: LinkedIn searches, Reddit threads, or even cold DMs. Ask: "What's the one tool you hate but can't live without? Why?"
Look for patterns in their frustrations. If multiple people complain about inefficient email marketing or fragmented analytics dashboards, that's your entry point. Don't chase shiny trends like AI wrappers unless they fix a real, boring pain.
This step saves months of building the wrong thing. Without it, you're just guessing, and guesses rarely hit $10K.
Build a minimum lovable product, not just viable
Forget the bare-bones MVP that barely works. Aim for something simple but delightful, enough to get early users hooked and paying.
Since AI has made it easy for a lot of folks to build code apps quickly, it's important that you spend more time on the MVP and build the minimum lovable product instead of just viable, because everyone can do that right now.
Pick a tech stack you can ship fast with: TanStack Start or Remix for the frontend, Postgres for the backend, maybe Stripe for payments. No overkill like Kubernetes. Focus on core functionality: Solve that one pain point exceptionally well.
Test it on those interview folks. If they don't say "This is better than what I have," iterate until they do.
Your goal: Launch with 3-5 features that make users think, "Finally, someone gets it."
Charge early and price for value
"Free beta" sounds safe, but it attracts tire-kickers who vanish when you ask for money. Start charging from day one, even $29/month, to filter for serious users.
Price based on the value you deliver, not your costs. If your tool saves a small team 10 hours a month at $50/hour, $99/month is a steal. Test tiers: Basic for solos, pro for teams.
Use free calculators like the Pricing Sensitivity Simulator to model this. I'd aim for an average revenue per user (ARPU) around $50-100 to hit $10K with 100-200 customers. Track payback period: recover CAC in under 6 months, or tweak.
Charging weeds out the noise and validates you're building something worth paying for.
Talk to users constantly, make it a habit
Users aren't just revenue; they're your roadmap. Set up a feedback loop from launch: Embed a simple widget in your app for quick submissions.
I'd use something like UserJot (the tool I built) for a public board where users post ideas, upvote, and see what's coming. It turns passive users into engaged ones; they feel ownership. The key is to make it dead simple for users to share thoughts: public boards encourage more input because people see others contributing and feel part of a community. This way, you're not guessing what to build next; your users tell you directly and help prioritize what matters most.
Schedule weekly calls with 5-10 users. Ask: "What's working? What's frustrating? What one change would make you stay forever?" Don't ignore the complaints; they're your growth fuel.
This keeps churn low (aim for under 5% monthly) and retention high, which compounds to $10K faster than constant acquisition.
Market relentlessly, but smart, not scattershot
Marketing isn't a side gig; it's 60% of your time. But don't spray and pray.
Build in public: Share your journey on X, Indie Hackers, and Reddit's r/SaaS. Post threads like "Week 1: Interviewed 20 users, here's what I learned." It builds trust and attracts early adopters.
Focus on 2-3 channels: SEO for long-tail keywords (e.g., "best feedback tool for indie devs"), cold outreach to your ICP via LinkedIn, and content like blog posts on pains you solve.
No paid ads yet, too expensive for bootstrappers. Instead, leverage communities: Offer beta access for honest reviews. Track what brings signups (use your Revenue Run Rate Calculator) and double down.
Consistency here turns $0 into your first $1K MRR.
Do the unscalable stuff yourself
At this stage, you're the sales team, support, and marketer. Hand-hold every user: Personally onboard them, fix bugs overnight, send thank-you notes.
Cold email 50 prospects a week: "Saw your post about [pain point]. Built something that might help, want a quick demo?" Keep it personal, not spammy.
Partner with complementary tools: If you're in feedback, collab with CRM folks for cross-promos. This gets you users without ad spend.
It's grunt work, but founders who do it hit $10K faster. Outsource only when you're at $5K and drowning.
Track key metrics, no vanity BS
Don't obsess over page views. Focus on what moves the needle: MRR growth, churn, CAC, LTV, and quick ratio (new revenue vs. lost).
Use free tools like your CLTV Calculator or Quick Ratio Calculator to monitor. Aim for: 20-30% monthly growth early on, CAC under $200, LTV 3x CAC.
Review weekly: If churn spikes, dig into feedback. If growth stalls, tweak pricing or marketing. Data keeps you honest; without it, you're flying blind.
Iterate fast and say no to distractions
You'll get feature requests galore. Prioritize ruthlessly: Use upvotes from your feedback board to decide what's next.
Ship small updates weekly, post about them to keep momentum. If something doesn't boost retention or acquisition, cut it.
Avoid shiny objects: No pivots unless data screams for it. Stay focused on your ICP's core pain.
This compounding, better product + happier users, gets you to $10K sustainably.
Build retention into everything
$10K isn't about 10,000 signups; it's 100 loyal customers paying $100/month.
Delight them: Send drip emails on wins (e.g., "Your feedback just shipped!"), share roadmaps publicly, and fix issues before they complain.
Track stickiness (DAU/MAU) and net promoter score. High retention means less acquisition grind; your users become advocates.
Final thought: It's about persistence, not perfection
Hitting $10K MRR in 2025 won't be easy. You'll face crickets, churn, and self-doubt. But focus on solving real problems, listening to users, and showing up daily; it compounds.
This is the playbook I'm using to grow UserJot right now. If it helps, steal it. :)
Top comments (5)
I've been stuck under 1k mrr for a while. I will try out a few of your suggestions here. thank you.
Glad to hear!
Wowww keep going 💪🏻 shayan
Thank you :)
Isn't that too black and white of a view? I'm not an entrepreneur, but I think you need a bit of both.
I think the main portion of the money will come from the repeat customers. But the new customers can become repeat customers.