How to start a SaaS company: market first, then go-to-market, then product

Executive overview

Most founders build first and sell later — and waste months on products nobody wants. The right sequence is market, then go-to-market, then product.

Define an urgent, important problem for a specific market. Build a small audience around that problem, collect a mailing list, and have real conversations before writing a line of code. Only then build — and start selling immediately, even before the product is ready.

The core insight: distribution and market understanding must come before product, not after.

Principle 1: start with market

• Identify a specific market segment, not a broad category
• Define the urgent and important problem you're solving for that segment
• Map existing competitors to understand where you can differentiate
• SaaS is crowded — "nice to have" products don't survive; solve a real, pressing problem

Principle 2: build a v0 go-to-market before building product

• Create content and build an audience targeted at your specific market
• Offer a lead magnet tied to the problem — drives sign-ups and tests if people care
• Build a mailing list of potential buyers before writing code
• Have real conversations: what have they tried, what do they hate, what would they pay for
• This validates your thesis and shapes exactly what to build

Principle 3: build product — and sell it immediately

• By the time you build, you have a validated thesis and a list of people to sell to
• Start selling as early as possible — even with a rough, incomplete product
• Early buyers confirm you're solving an urgent problem
• Polite non-buyers give you the real signal: what's missing and what to prioritise
• Iterate on messaging and features based on what actual sales conversations reveal

Bonus: front-load demo and pricing thinking

• Think early about how you'll demo the product — even wireframes can be demoed
• Decide on a pricing range before you're comfortable doing so
• Pricing shapes product decisions, market positioning, and go-to-market strategy
• Front-loading both saves significant time and sharpens the overall build