Stop Chasing Vanity Metrics. Start Building a Business.
Launching a SaaS can feel like shouting into the void. You're told to grind on social media, chase upvotes, and celebrate follower counts. But likes don't pay server bills. Real, paying customers do.
We built LaunchBoost on a simple premise: real customers over clout. This blog is an extension of that philosophy. We won't give you empty "growth hacks." We'll share actionable, honest playbooks for building a sustainable business. This is your home for practical advice, not vanity-metric hype.
The 3-Step Indie Launch Framework
Getting your first 100 customers is the hardest part. It’s a game of grit, not growth hacks. Here’s a simple framework that works.
Step 1: Find Your "First 10" in Niche Communities
Your first users won't find you on Google. You have to find them. Go where they already are and become a valuable member of the community before you ever pitch your product.
- Engage honestly: Participate in discussions on platforms like Indie Hackers, specific subreddits (e.g., r/saas), or private Slack/Discord groups. Answer questions, offer help, and build relationships.
- Listen for pain points: Identify problems people are struggling with that your tool can solve. This is your entry point.
- Offer exclusive access: Once you've built trust, privately offer a free account or a heavy discount to a few members in exchange for honest feedback.
Step 2: Build a "Feedback Flywheel"
Your first 10 users are not just customers; they are your most critical product development partners. Their feedback is gold. Create a tight loop to capture and act on it.
- Create a dedicated channel: Use a private Discord channel, a Slack group, or even a simple email list to make it incredibly easy for them to report bugs and suggest features.
- Act on feedback visibly: When you ship a fix or a feature they asked for, announce it to the group. This shows you're listening and builds incredible loyalty.
- Ask "why": Don't just take feature requests at face value. Dig deeper to understand the underlying problem they are trying to solve.
Step 3: Use a Value-First Launch to Get to 100
Once your product is polished and validated by your first 10 users, it's time to scale up. Instead of a broad, generic launch, use a value-first platform to attract your next 90 users. Offering a compelling, limited-time deal is the single best way to get early adopters to take a chance on a new product.
This is why we built LaunchBoost. It’s a curated space where you can offer a genuine discount directly to a community of users actively looking for new tools. It cuts through the noise and focuses on the only thing that matters: a value exchange between you and a real customer.
What to Expect From This Blog
This post is just the start. Moving forward, you can expect:
- Actionable Launch Playbooks: Deep dives into topics like pricing, positioning, and customer onboarding.
- Honest Growth Stories: Interviews with successful indie founders on how they survived the early days.
- Community-Driven Insights: Analysis of trends and opportunities we see from the deals submitted to our platform.
Welcome to the LaunchBoost blog. Let's build real businesses, together.