What founders should know before building a SaaS product

A SaaS idea needs more than a feature list. It needs a clear user, a painful workflow, a reason people will return, and a business model that matches how the customer already buys.

Before building, I like to map the core workflow, the permission model, the reporting needs, and the support burden. These decisions shape the database and the admin panel more than the landing page does.

The first version should prove the operating loop. Once users can complete the important work reliably, the product has a stronger foundation for billing, onboarding, and scale.