I spent 1 year building my SaaS and only then realized I built the wrong thing
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This is such a common trap for many, building a solution looking for a problem.
I’ve experienced it myself many times. Learned by experience that validating early is better, but even when knowing the fact there’s a gravitational pull for builders to just wanting to build things, without knowing if it’s a solid opportunity or not. It’s an opportunity loss for us builders.
I’m now building the tool I always wished I had. An idea research and validation tool that streamlines idea validation for busy founders and product developers. Type your idea, get it properly researched and instantly get validation optimised landing pages to distribute with your target audience for quick and early validation.
Soon launching our beta for early adopters, signup and try it out when we launch! https://validatefirst.ai
I’ve experienced it myself many times. Learned by experience that validating early is better, but even when knowing the fact there’s a gravitational pull for builders to just wanting to build things, without knowing if it’s a solid opportunity or not. It’s an opportunity loss for us builders.
I’m now building the tool I always wished I had. An idea research and validation tool that streamlines idea validation for busy founders and product developers. Type your idea, get it properly researched and instantly get validation optimised landing pages to distribute with your target audience for quick and early validation.
Soon launching our beta for early adopters, signup and try it out when we launch! https://validatefirst.ai
Not “failed”. Not “crushed it”. Just… shipped it.
And here’s the brutal summary I wish someone had slapped me with on day one:
Build the MVP — and for the love of god, stop there. Then immediately switch your brain to distribution.
I spent almost a full year polishing features, refactoring code, improving edge cases that no user ever asked for. I told myself I was being “serious” and “professional”.
Reality check: I was procrastinating on marketing.
Only now do I realize how backwards my thinking was. You don’t earn the right to market after building something perfect. Marketing is part of building the product.
Some other things I learned the hard way:
• Almost every idea is good if it solves a real pain. Execution and distribution matter more than originality. • “Find your audience” is good advice — but it’s much easier when you’re early or niche. If you’re not first, you need a sharper angle, not a bigger product. • Silence is the worst feedback. No hate, no love, no usage = no positioning. • If users don’t complain, they don’t care yet.
Now I’m in the fun phase: mild panic The product exists, the code works, and I’m suddenly realizing that none of that automatically creates users.
So I’m doing the uncomfortable part late:
talking to strangers
posting in public
admitting I don’t have traction yet
If you’re building right now and still “adding just one more feature” — this is your sign.
Ship earlier. Market sooner. Be wrong faster.
If this post helps even one person stop overbuilding, my year wasn’t completely wasted.