How to Build a SaaS to $10k MRR

How to Build a SaaS to $10k MRR: A No-BS Guide

Want to build a SaaS business that makes $10,000 in monthly recurring revenue? I'll show you exactly how, step by step. No fluff, just what works.

1. Find a Problem Worth Solving

Start by looking for problems in your own work or industry. The best SaaS ideas come from scratching your own itch. Ask yourself:

• What tasks do you hate doing at work?
• What do people keep complaining about in your industry?
• What manual processes could be automated?

For example, if you're a designer, you might notice that collecting feedback on designs is a mess. That's a real problem worth solving.

2. Validate Before Building

Before writing a single line of code:

• Talk to 20 potential customers about their problems
• Ask them if they'd pay for a solution (and how much)
• Get 5 people to pre-pay for your product

If you can't find 5 people willing to pre-pay, your idea probably isn't good enough. Keep searching.

3. Build Fast, Launch Faster

Don't waste 6 months building features nobody wants. Instead:

1. Pick a tech stack you know well
2. Use a boilerplate to save time (check out boilerplatehub.com for options)
3. Build only the core features that solve the main problem
4. Launch within 6-8 weeks

Remember: Your first version should make you feel embarrassed. If it doesn't, you waited too long to launch.

4. Price Higher Than You Think

Most founders price too low. Here's what to do instead:

• Start at $49/month minimum
• Have 3 pricing tiers (e.g., $49, $99, $199)
• Add an annual plan with 2 months free
• Raise prices every 100 customers

The math is simple: At $49/month, you need 204 customers to hit $10k MRR. At $199/month, you only need 50.

5. Focus on Direct Sales

In the early days, forget about:

• SEO
• Content marketing
• Social media
• Paid ads

Instead, do these things:

• Cold email 50 potential customers every day
• Join communities where your customers hang out
• Demo your product 3-5 times per week
• Follow up with every lead manually

Your first 100 customers will come from hustle, not marketing.

6. Obsess Over Customer Success

Happy customers are your best salespeople. To keep them happy:

• Reply to support emails within 1 hour
• Jump on calls with struggling customers
• Fix bugs immediately
• Add requested features quickly
• Check in with customers monthly

One happy customer who tells others about your product is worth 10 marketing campaigns.

7. Track These Numbers Weekly

Focus on these metrics:

• New trials started
• Trial conversion rate
• Average revenue per user (ARPU)
• Churn rate
• Net revenue churn

If trial conversions are below 40% or monthly churn is above 5%, stop everything and fix these first.

8. Stay Focused Until $10k MRR

The path to $10k MRR is simple but not easy:

1. Get to $1k MRR through direct sales
2. Scale what's working to $5k MRR
3. Keep doing more of the same until $10k MRR

Don't get distracted by new features, marketing channels, or partnership opportunities. Just do more of what's already working.

The Reality Check

Getting to $10k MRR usually takes:

• 12-18 months of consistent work
• 500+ customer conversations
• 2-3 pivots or major changes
• Many sleepless nights
• Constant doubt and uncertainty

But it's totally doable if you stay focused and keep pushing forward.

Next Steps

1. Start talking to potential customers today
2. Validate your idea this week
3. Pick a tech stack and boilerplate
4. Set a launch date 6 weeks from now
5. Start building

Remember: Your goal is $10k MRR, not a perfect product. Every decision should be measured against "Will this help me get to $10k MRR faster?"

Now stop reading and start building. Your future customers are waiting.