Don't think about the business model too early
In 2022, I struggled to build a SaaS. Not with development, but with "what-if" problems like what features to add, which market to target, where to find customers, how to outpace competitors, etc. The questions were overwhelming to the point I couldn't even figure out who or what I was building for. The tool became complex and my assumptions overcomplicated it.
The truth is, when you build for everyone, you build for no one.
This year, I've really been trying to dumb down my ideas. Linkpunk is a perfect example. It's now doing $155 MRR and all it does is send five awesome, unregistered domains to subscribers a day.
And that's the key. Most billion-dollar companies are simple. Stripe handles payments. Coca-Cola sells drinks. Why on Earth would my startup launch doing X, Y, and Z in A, B, and C target markets when Coca-Cola doesn't even sell snacks?
I recently saw an exchange on social media that opened my eyes about building. Someone had posted a new project to share with the community.
Right away, someone asked:
"How are you going to monetize this? Doesn't seem like a clear path to a business here."
In response, the OP posted:
"I figured I'd build something that people actually use regularly, then worry about monetizing. What's the point in having a monetized product no one uses?"
OP's right. When you overcomplicate a product by thinking too early about the business model, you're delaying your success. Just take your idea, dumb it down to the simplest denominator (and then some), and launch it free OR paid. And if you have active users, the business will grow naturally.