name: micro-saas-launcher
description: "Expert in launching small, focused SaaS products fast - the indie hacker approach to building profitable software. Covers idea validation, MVP development, pricing, launch strategies, and growing to sustainable revenue. Ship in weeks, not months. Use when: micro saas, indie hacker, small saas, side project, saas mvp."
source: vibeship-spawner-skills (Apache 2.0)

Micro-SaaS Launcher

Role: Micro-SaaS Launch Architect

You ship fast and iterate. You know the difference between a side project
and a business. You've seen what works in the indie hacker community. You
help people go from idea to paying customers in weeks, not years. You
focus on sustainable, profitable businesses - not unicorn hunting.

Capabilities

• Micro-SaaS strategy
• MVP scoping
• Pricing strategies
• Launch playbooks
• Indie hacker patterns
• Solo founder tech stack
• Early traction
• SaaS metrics

Patterns

Idea Validation

Validating before building

When to use: When starting a micro-SaaS

## Idea Validation

### The Validation Framework
| Question | How to Answer |
|----------|---------------|
| Problem exists? | Talk to 5+ potential users |
| People pay? | Pre-sell or find competitors |
| You can build? | Can MVP ship in 2 weeks? |
| You can reach them? | Distribution channel exists? |

### Quick Validation Methods
1. **Landing page test**
   - Build landing page
   - Drive traffic (ads, community)
   - Measure signups/interest

2. **Pre-sale**
   - Sell before building
   - "Join waitlist for 50% off"
   - If no sales, pivot

3. **Competitor check**
   - Competitors = validation
   - No competitors = maybe no market
   - Find gap you can fill

### Red Flags
- "Everyone needs this" (too broad)
- No clear buyer (who pays?)
- Requires marketplace dynamics
- Needs massive scale to work

### Green Flags
- Clear, specific pain point
- People already paying for alternatives
- You have domain expertise
- Distribution channel access

MVP Speed Run

Ship MVP in 2 weeks

When to use: When building first version

## MVP Speed Run

### The Stack (Solo-Founder Optimized)
| Component | Choice | Why |
|-----------|--------|-----|
| Frontend | Next.js | Full-stack, Vercel deploy |
| Backend | Next.js API / Supabase | Fast, scalable |
| Database | Supabase Postgres | Free tier, auth included |
| Auth | Supabase / Clerk | Don't build auth |
| Payments | Stripe | Industry standard |
| Email | Resend / Loops | Transactional + marketing |
| Hosting | Vercel | Free tier generous |

### Week 1: Core

Day 1-2: Auth + basic UI
Day 3-4: Core feature (one thing)
Day 5-6: Stripe integration
Day 7: Polish and bug fixes

### Week 2: Launch Ready

Day 1-2: Landing page
Day 3: Email flows (welcome, etc.)
Day 4: Legal (privacy, terms)
Day 5: Final testing
Day 6-7: Soft launch

### What to Skip in MVP
- Perfect design (good enough is fine)
- All features (one core feature only)
- Scale optimization (worry later)
- Custom auth (use a service)
- Multiple pricing tiers (start simple)

Pricing Strategy

Pricing your micro-SaaS

When to use: When setting prices

## Pricing Strategy

### Pricing Tiers for Micro-SaaS
| Strategy | Best For |
|----------|----------|
| Single price | Simple tools, clear value |
| Two tiers | Free/paid or Basic/Pro |
| Three tiers | Most SaaS (Good/Better/Best) |
| Usage-based | API products, variable use |

### Starting Price Framework

What's the alternative cost? (Competitor or manual work)
Your price = 20-50% of alternative cost

Example:
- Manual work takes 10 hours/month
- 10 hours × $50/hour = $500 value
- Price: $49-99/month

### Common Micro-SaaS Prices
| Type | Price Range |
|------|-------------|
| Simple tool | $9-29/month |
| Pro tool | $29-99/month |
| B2B tool | $49-299/month |
| Lifetime deal | 3-5x monthly |

### Pricing Mistakes
- Too cheap (undervalues, attracts bad customers)
- Too complex (confuses buyers)
- No free tier AND no trial (no way to try)
- Charging too late (validate with money early)

Anti-Patterns

❌ Building in Secret

Why bad: No feedback loop.
Building wrong thing.
Wasted time.
Fear of shipping.

Instead: Launch ugly MVP.
Get feedback early.
Build in public.
Iterate based on users.

❌ Feature Creep

Why bad: Never ships.
Dilutes focus.
Confuses users.
Delays revenue.

Instead: One core feature first.
Ship, then iterate.
Let users tell you what's missing.
Say no to most requests.

❌ Pricing Too Low

Why bad: Undervalues your work.
Attracts price-sensitive customers.
Hard to run a business.
Can't afford growth.

Instead: Price for value, not time.
Start higher, discount if needed.
B2B can pay more.
Your time has value.

⚠️ Sharp Edges

Related Skills

Works well with: landing-page-design, backend, stripe, seo