Seven SaaS ideas from real user requests, evaluated

Executive overview

Finding a SaaS idea is easy; finding one worth building is not. Rob Walling shares seven ideas sourced from real user requests and stress-tests each against the same core questions: does the problem already have a solution, is the price point viable, and can you reach enough customers?

No idea here comes pre-validated. Each one is a starting point for research and conversations, not a build order.

The real filter is not whether the problem exists — it is whether people will pay enough and in enough volume to sustain a business.

The seven ideas

1. Delivery route management — A courier needs an iOS app to manage ~450 stops with GPS tracking and voice memos. Red flag: the requester can only pay ~$5. Validate whether a larger audience exists and whether they'd pay a subscription.

2. Help desk ticket follow-up automation — Tickets get forgotten by both agents and customers. The risk: this is likely a missing feature in existing tools (Jira, etc.), not a gap in the market. Research whether top help desk platforms already do this before building a standalone product.

3. Shift management for food vending teams — Schedule employees by position (grill, sandwich, etc.), copy weeks forward, and track labour vs. projected sales. Existing apps exist but are reportedly poor. Requires a genuine insight or connection to the industry to compete.

4. Self-serve scheduling for cleaning businesses — Customers book online; the system matches availability. The challenge: cleaning businesses are price-sensitive, non-technical, and have high churn. Viable only at scale with a low-cost acquisition channel.

5. Estimating and invoicing software for bakeries — Custom cake orders need labour and material cost estimates, not just invoicing. Vertical-specific estimation tools have real demand. Validate with 10-20 bakery conversations before building.

6. Aircraft maintenance logging platform — Paper logs in aviation are fraud-prone and inefficient. The opportunity is real, but the industry is heavily regulated and resistant to change. Requires deep conversations with small airfield operators to gauge appetite.

7. M&A data room software — Existing deal management tools are expensive and missing features (redaction, e-signing, white-labelling). There is money in this market. Key question: are buyers actually willing to switch, or just complaining about price?

How to evaluate each idea

• Run through a structured framework before building (e.g. the 5pm idea evaluation)
• Find where the target users congregate and talk to them directly
• Check whether the problem is already solved by an existing product or feature
• Confirm willingness to pay a recurring subscription, not just a one-time fee
• For regulated or conservative industries, weight switching resistance heavily