Dear SaaStr: I Launched My SaaS And Have Zero Customers. What Do I Do?
I’m from a software engineering background and I’m very comfortable in that space. I thought building my own SaaS would be super easy. I write code every day, it’s just another project: build it, launch it, boom. Can’t believe how stupid I was. Turns out it isn’t enough to implement an idea and put it online after all. Customers aren’t going to magically appear out of thin air. Who knew. SaaS sales and marketing is a whole different thing to implementing code. Like day and night, really. So there’s no real point to this post other than public humiliation 🙂
Look a lot of us have been there. I was. As if “launching” on its own got you any real customers.
A few thoughts:
- First. don’t quit. Keep at it.
- Find customers any place you can. Physically go where they are.
- Get some PR and press. It’s not magic these days, but it can get you some attention for sure.
- Write some epic content posts that help in the industry. More on that here.
- Treat any users you do get like Kings and Queens. Be present wherever customers are. Don’t let any of them go. Not without being there for them 24×7 at least.
- Make a list of 200 top potential customers. And send them literally the best outbound email ever. One so good, you’d buy your own product from it. Don’t ask for coffee or write dump automated emails. Slow it down and email 200 potential customers with a value prop so high, so clear, that you’d buy yourself. More on that here.
- Learn … to sell. And market.
It’s painful when none of this seems to work. But if any of it works even a little, keep doing it. Whatever gets you 1 customer will at least get you 2.
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