9 Tips I Learned from an AI Micro SaaS Founder Who Sold it for Six Figures
Here are some of the key lessons he shared — things you can’t just learn from a book 📕
A few weeks ago, I had a chat with Sacha Dumay, co-founder of ChatNode, a micro SaaS that went from idea to six-figure exit in under twelve months!
“… it is impossible to learn how to sell a business until you actually do it …you cannot find this information anywhere…”
Sacha shared his learnings on what it takes to create, launch, grow and exit with a successful SaaS product.
1. Get your product out there fast and Iterate
The ChatNode team built their MVP in just two months and launched it on Product Hunt. ( link to their PH launch )
“Speed is important, so let’s do it quick…Don’t waste time on finding the perfect Idea…just build it.”
“You should do whatever work-around or shortcut you can take to ship it …”
Focus on the essential features, launch quickly, and start gathering user feedback.
The sooner your product is live, the sooner you can learn and improve.
2. Don’t Over-Engineer while building your MVP
ChatNode’s initial version was rough around the edges but functional.
“Avoid over-engineering…it’s wasting your time…if there is a bug…they will give us feedback… we fix it”
“… dirty code … it was not like 100% reliable … it works! it works and it was good enough …”
Don’t waste time trying to make your code perfect.
Instead, focus on launching a functional product.
Users will provide feedback that eventually helps in improving the product, so prioritise in getting your MVP in front of them.
3. Pricing Matters
ChatNode launched with a pricing plan, even if it was basic.
“…we’re here to make money, right? You need to have a pricing…”
“Never launch…just a free version. It’s a losing game.”
Always have a pricing strategy from the start.
Even a basic pricing plan is better than offering only a free version.
Free users won’t pay the bills.
Pricing should reflect the value your product provides.
4. Leverage Launching platforms
ChatNode’s initial launch on Product Hunt brought significant traffic and early users.
“Choose your launch day wisely …Weekdays, especially Tuesday, tend to have higher traffic. Plan your launch accordingly.”
Next was AppSumo, which brought in massive inbounds.
“To give you an idea, we made more than six figures net profit in less than two months in AppSumo.”
Plan your launch carefully!Use platforms like Product Hunt and AppSumo to gain exposure and attract users.
Choose strategic days to maximize traffic and engagement.
5. Summer Slump is Real
After the initial buzz, ChatNode experienced a plateau during summer.
“ … In summer you’re going to waste money and time…prepare like plan for September.”
“Summer is really bad for B2B…if summer is flat…just keep building, take some vacation, and plan for September.”
It’s OK to take it slow during the summer!
This time is for planing and preparing for a strong push in September.
Understand business cycles and make strategic decisions about marketing and development.
6. Listen, Learn, and Iterate.
Learning from early users is crucial, but getting feedback can be challenging.
How to solve this?
“…the best way…live chat on your website…it’s very hard…to get feedback…people don’t give…time on it.”
“You get real users…they’re going to motivate you…going to say oh I want that…this is bug here.”
Users appreciate being heard.
Their insights are a goldmine for improvements.
Implement live chat on your landing page to make it easy for users to share feedbacks.
Listen, learn, and iterate.
7. Prepare for Scaling
For ChatNode, the AppSumo launch brought an unexpected surge in users.
“Our infrastructure was pushed…we went from … a thousand users…but we adapted quickly.”
Be ready to scale your infrastructure when opportunities arise.
User spikes can happen unexpectedly, so ensure your system can handle rapid growth.
Adapting quickly to meet demand and maintain the user base is key.
8. The Value of Outsourcing
Sacha learned the hard way that managing customer support and development simultaneously is tough.
Outsourcing became one of his top learnings.
“… as a Founder I never thought customer support would take my time … it’s better to hire someone and train this person and so then … she can or he can take care of that and you can focus on the product …”
Delegate tasks like customer support early on.
This free up the time for product development and strategic growth.
Outsourcing allows you to focus on what matters most!
9. Understanding the AI Market and Choosing the Right Tech Stacks
Selecting the right technology and understanding the latest AI stacks was crucial for ChatNode.
ChatNode used Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). To build RAG, they experimented with different large language model (LLM) providers to find the right fit.
“Everyone worries about the cost of AI…it’s expensive…no, it’s not true…it decreased by 20 or 50 times…don’t worry too much about the cost…”
Stay informed about AI trends and choose technology that aligns with your product goals.
Don’t let cost deter you; AI costs have decreased significantly, making advanced tech more accessible.
More about SaaS building and my personal experience below —
Watch the full conversation with Sacha here —
Let me know what you all think.
I would love to share more stories on SaaS building and the journey from idea to success.
If you’re interested in hearing about more experiences like Sacha’s, leave a comment or get in touch!
