The SaaS That Never Took Off (and Why That’s Okay)

A few days ago, I finished building my first SaaS demo project. It didn’t take off - but I walked away with more lessons than I expected.

There are countless ways people come up with startup ideas:

• digging through Reddit or Twitter to uncover real problems,

• doing extensive market research,

• improving an existing business they admire,

• competing in a crowded market with a new angle,

• or simply experimenting.

My path was different. I wasn’t chasing a big opportunity or running surveys. I just wanted to solve a small scheduling problem for a family member. It felt useful, so I assumed others - like cleaning companies or restaurants - might also need it. That’s how my “demo scheduler” was born.

The Demo Scheduler: My First SaaS Idea

The idea was simple: an employee scheduler. I wanted to give clients an easy way to add employees, edit their details, track hourly rates and working hours, and view everything in a visual calendar. On top of that, I planned to include exporting features - so managers could generate PDF or Excel reports whenever needed.

I didn’t have much experience with building products, but since I already knew React, picking up Next.js wasn’t too difficult. Supabase also fit perfectly - it integrates smoothly with Next.js using the template npx create-next-app -e with-supabase (docs here).

For the calendar view, there were plenty of options available, and I went with fullcalendar to speed things up.

Now, you might be wondering: why did I think this would work? Truthfully, I didn’t think it through. I assumed it would be a B2C product - something individuals or small teams could use - but in reality, scheduling tools are very much B2B. And that realization brought me to…

When No One Showed Up

This was the turning point. My launch wasn’t met with excitement - or really, much of anything. It quickly became clear that I had skipped the most important step: validating demand.

I began to realize the importance of marketing. Some founders talk directly to clients; others leverage social platforms like Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, or Instagram. Since my product was B2B, I decided to try something more old-fashioned: cold calling.

I picked up the phone and started dialing businesses in the niche. No script, no formal preparation - just learning as I went. ( as an introvert, it was quite a stressfull experience :D )

Here’s what I heard most often:

• “We don’t need it.” Many companies already had accountants who handled scheduling manually.

• “We’d prefer GPS tracking.” Some businesses with mobile employees wanted location - based tracking instead. Interesting idea, but building a React Native app wasn’t in my skillset at the time.

• “We already have a solution.” Established competitors had strong products, and companies didn’t feel the need to switch.

• “It’s not a big enough problem.” Scheduling just wasn’t painful enough for most of them to justify adopting a new tool.

That last point was the nail in the coffin. If the pain point isn’t big enough, even the cleanest product won’t get traction. And that’s when I realized: building the tool further wouldn’t be worth the effort.

The Business Side: What I Should’ve Done First

One of the biggest lessons I learned is about validation.

Founders often take one of two approaches:

1. Build a small MVP first. The best validation is a paying user. Interest is nice, but unless people are willing to pay, it doesn’t mean much.

2. Start with a landing page. This can help test demand quickly, but the downside is that someone else could see your idea and build it faster.

For me, I now believe the key is speed. If an MVP doesn’t take too long to build, it’s better to ship something small and real rather than rely only on a landing page with no chance of monetizing early adopters.

Looking forward, I’ll be asking myself a few key questions before I dive into any project:

• What’s my priority? Am I doing this to learn, or to seriously build?

• How long will the MVP take? If it’s quick, build it. If it’s long, reconsider.

• Is it B2B or B2C? The marketing strategy (and effort required) differs a lot depending on which path you choose.

Losing a SaaS, Gaining Perspective

This project turned out to be more of an experiment than a business. But even though it didn’t succeed, it gave me valuable insights into both coding and the business side of building SaaS.

I learned how different types of businesses operate, how people think about marketing, and how validation plays a role in every decision. Everyone’s journey is different, but one thing is universal: you either learn, or you earn. And sometimes, if you’re not careful, it can be wasted effort.

In my case, I definitely learned. The knowledge I gained - both technical and strategic - will compound over time. Each project, each attempt, each bit of feedback helps in the long run.

• If it doesn’t take long to build, ship the MVP. Speed matters more than polishing.

• Add a “pay” button early. The best validation is someone willing to pay.

• For B2C, pick one channel and test it. Don’t spread yourself too thin - experiment until one works.

• For B2B, don’t wait - start cold calling. Talking directly to clients reveals what they really want (and if your idea is even a pain point).

• Competition matters less than the pain. If the problem is big enough, people will switch. If it’s not, even the best product won’t move the needle.

• Think about B2B vs. B2C early. Your marketing strategy depends entirely on this decision.

Fail Fast, Learn Faster

I hope this was an interesting read for anyone following along - because for me, it definitely was an interesting journey 😀.

Going forward, I still want to build things I find exciting, experiment with new ideas, and see where they take me. I’m curious to dabble with TikTok as a social channel, and explore how AI can play a role in future projects.

Cheers!