The $200 Antenna That Built Better Software Than Any SaaS Company
A guy in Amsterdam was frustrated. Commercial ferry tracking data cost hundreds of euros per month, and the apps were slow and generic. So he bought a $200 antenna, set up a Raspberry Pi, and built a ferry tracker that worked perfectly for his exact route.
No monthly fees. No features he didn't need. No waiting for a SaaS company to add the one thing he actually cared about.
Around the same time, Josh Pigford (founder of Baremetrics) built a house management app. Not a startup. Not a product. Just software that knows his appliances, his plants, his yard — his exact mess.
Welcome to the era of personal software.
What Is Personal Software?
Personal software is built for one user, one household, or one company's exact workflow. It's the opposite of SaaS:
| SaaS | Personal Software |
|---|---|
| Built for thousands of users | Built for ONE business |
| Generic features | Your exact process |
| Monthly fees forever | One-time build cost |
| You adapt to the tool | Tool adapts to you |
| Support tickets | You own it |
For small businesses, this is huge. You've been forcing your unique workflow into tools designed for everyone — which means they fit no one perfectly.
Why This Matters for SMBs
Think about your business. What makes it different from competitors?
- Your specific customer onboarding process
- The way you track jobs or appointments
- Your pricing quirks or package structures
- How you handle follow-ups
- Your specific reporting needs
Generic SaaS makes you compromise. Personal software encodes your way of doing things.
Real Example: A Plumber's Dilemma
Imagine you run a plumbing business. You try ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber — all the big names. But:
- None track your specific pricing tiers right
- Your dispatch process doesn't match their workflow
- You need custom fields they don't support
- You're paying $300/month for features you don't use
With personal software + AI, you could build (or have built) a system that:
- Tracks jobs YOUR way
- Sends texts using YOUR templates
- Generates invoices with YOUR structure
- Costs less than one month of SaaS fees
AI Makes Personal Software Possible
Here's why this is happening NOW:
Before AI: Building custom software required developers, months of work, and $50K+. Only enterprises could afford it.
With AI: You can describe your workflow in plain English and have AI generate the scaffolding. You iterate. You tweak. You end up with software that fits like a glove.
The barrier isn't technical anymore. It's mental.
The Mental Shift: From "What SaaS Should I Buy?" to "What Should My Software Do?"
Most SMBs start with: "What tool should I use for [problem]?"
Personal software flips it: "What does my business actually need to do?"
Then you build (or have built) exactly that.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
- What process do I do daily that feels clunky in my current tools?
- What features am I paying for that I never use?
- What workaround have I created because the software doesn't support my workflow?
- If I could wave a magic wand, what would my ideal tool do?
The answers are your personal software spec.
Guardrails: When Personal Software Makes Sense
Not everything should be custom-built. Here's a framework:
Build Personal Software When:
- The process is core to your competitive advantage
- Your workflow is genuinely unique (not just "we're used to doing it this way")
- You're paying for multiple tools that could be one
- You have specific compliance or data requirements
Buy SaaS When:
- The problem is commoditized (payroll, basic CRM, accounting)
- Compliance/security is critical and you can't maintain it
- You need integrations with tools your customers/partners use
- The build cost exceeds 12 months of SaaS fees
Getting Started: Your First Personal Software Project
Don't try to rebuild your entire business overnight. Start small:
Week 1: Pick One Pain Point
Choose the most annoying daily task. Maybe it's:
- Customer follow-ups
- Job status tracking
- Inventory management
- Appointment reminders
Week 2: Describe It in Detail
Write down every step. Every field. Every decision point. Every edge case. This is your spec.
Week 3: Build the MVP
Use AI tools (Claude, Cursor, or no-code platforms) to build a bare-bones version. It doesn't need to be pretty. It needs to work.
Week 4: Iterate
Use it. Note what breaks. Tweak it. Repeat.
The Real Cost Comparison
Let's talk money:
SaaS Route:
- $150-500/month per tool
- 3-5 tools = $450-2,500/month
- $5,400-30,000/year
- Forever
Personal Software Route:
- $2,000-10,000 one-time build (or your time with AI)
- $100-300/month hosting/maintenance
- $1,200-3,600/year ongoing
- You own it
Over 3 years:
- SaaS: $16,200-90,000
- Personal: $3,200-13,600 (including build)
And your software actually fits your business.
The Amsterdam Ferry Guy Didn't Ask Permission
He didn't wait for a SaaS company to add his route. He didn't file a feature request. He didn't complain on Twitter.
He built what he needed.
Your business is unique. Your workflow is unique. Your customers are unique.
Stop forcing yourself into software built for everyone.
Start building software built for you.
Want help figuring out what personal software your business needs? I've put together a framework for identifying high-impact automation opportunities specific to your industry. Check it out here.
What's the one process in your business that no SaaS tool quite gets right? Drop it in the comments — I read every one and often write about specific workflows.
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