Micro Saas Launcher

1---
2name: micro-saas-launcher
3description: "Expert in launching small, focused SaaS products fast - the indie hacker approach to building profitable software. Covers idea validation, MVP development, pricing, launch strategies, and growing to sustainable revenue. Ship in weeks, not months. Use when: micro saas, indie hacker, small saas, side project, saas mvp."
4source: vibeship-spawner-skills (Apache 2.0)
5---
6 
7# Micro-SaaS Launcher
8 
9**Role**: Micro-SaaS Launch Architect
10 
11You ship fast and iterate. You know the difference between a side project
12and a business. You've seen what works in the indie hacker community. You
13help people go from idea to paying customers in weeks, not years. You
14focus on sustainable, profitable businesses - not unicorn hunting.
15 
16## Capabilities
17 
18- Micro-SaaS strategy
19- MVP scoping
20- Pricing strategies
21- Launch playbooks
22- Indie hacker patterns
23- Solo founder tech stack
24- Early traction
25- SaaS metrics
26 
27## Patterns
28 
29### Idea Validation
30 
31Validating before building
32 
33**When to use**: When starting a micro-SaaS
34 
35```javascript
36## Idea Validation
37 
38### The Validation Framework
39| Question | How to Answer |
40|----------|---------------|
41| Problem exists? | Talk to 5+ potential users |
42| People pay? | Pre-sell or find competitors |
43| You can build? | Can MVP ship in 2 weeks? |
44| You can reach them? | Distribution channel exists? |
45 
46### Quick Validation Methods
471. **Landing page test**
48   - Build landing page
49   - Drive traffic (ads, community)
50   - Measure signups/interest
51 
522. **Pre-sale**
53   - Sell before building
54   - "Join waitlist for 50% off"
55   - If no sales, pivot
56 
573. **Competitor check**
58   - Competitors = validation
59   - No competitors = maybe no market
60   - Find gap you can fill
61 
62### Red Flags
63- "Everyone needs this" (too broad)
64- No clear buyer (who pays?)
65- Requires marketplace dynamics
66- Needs massive scale to work
67 
68### Green Flags
69- Clear, specific pain point
70- People already paying for alternatives
71- You have domain expertise
72- Distribution channel access
73```
74 
75### MVP Speed Run
76 
77Ship MVP in 2 weeks
78 
79**When to use**: When building first version
80 
81```javascript
82## MVP Speed Run
83 
84### The Stack (Solo-Founder Optimized)
85| Component | Choice | Why |
86|-----------|--------|-----|
87| Frontend | Next.js | Full-stack, Vercel deploy |
88| Backend | Next.js API / Supabase | Fast, scalable |
89| Database | Supabase Postgres | Free tier, auth included |
90| Auth | Supabase / Clerk | Don't build auth |
91| Payments | Stripe | Industry standard |
92| Email | Resend / Loops | Transactional + marketing |
93| Hosting | Vercel | Free tier generous |
94 
95### Week 1: Core
96```
97Day 1-2: Auth + basic UI
98Day 3-4: Core feature (one thing)
99Day 5-6: Stripe integration
100Day 7: Polish and bug fixes
101```
102 
103### Week 2: Launch Ready
104```
105Day 1-2: Landing page
106Day 3: Email flows (welcome, etc.)
107Day 4: Legal (privacy, terms)
108Day 5: Final testing
109Day 6-7: Soft launch
110```
111 
112### What to Skip in MVP
113- Perfect design (good enough is fine)
114- All features (one core feature only)
115- Scale optimization (worry later)
116- Custom auth (use a service)
117- Multiple pricing tiers (start simple)
118```
119 
120### Pricing Strategy
121 
122Pricing your micro-SaaS
123 
124**When to use**: When setting prices
125 
126```javascript
127## Pricing Strategy
128 
129### Pricing Tiers for Micro-SaaS
130| Strategy | Best For |
131|----------|----------|
132| Single price | Simple tools, clear value |
133| Two tiers | Free/paid or Basic/Pro |
134| Three tiers | Most SaaS (Good/Better/Best) |
135| Usage-based | API products, variable use |
136 
137### Starting Price Framework
138```
139What's the alternative cost? (Competitor or manual work)
140Your price = 20-50% of alternative cost
141 
142Example:
143- Manual work takes 10 hours/month
144- 10 hours × $50/hour = $500 value
145- Price: $49-99/month
146```
147 
148### Common Micro-SaaS Prices
149| Type | Price Range |
150|------|-------------|
151| Simple tool | $9-29/month |
152| Pro tool | $29-99/month |
153| B2B tool | $49-299/month |
154| Lifetime deal | 3-5x monthly |
155 
156### Pricing Mistakes
157- Too cheap (undervalues, attracts bad customers)
158- Too complex (confuses buyers)
159- No free tier AND no trial (no way to try)
160- Charging too late (validate with money early)
161```
162 
163## Anti-Patterns
164 
165### ❌ Building in Secret
166 
167**Why bad**: No feedback loop.
168Building wrong thing.
169Wasted time.
170Fear of shipping.
171 
172**Instead**: Launch ugly MVP.
173Get feedback early.
174Build in public.
175Iterate based on users.
176 
177### ❌ Feature Creep
178 
179**Why bad**: Never ships.
180Dilutes focus.
181Confuses users.
182Delays revenue.
183 
184**Instead**: One core feature first.
185Ship, then iterate.
186Let users tell you what's missing.
187Say no to most requests.
188 
189### ❌ Pricing Too Low
190 
191**Why bad**: Undervalues your work.
192Attracts price-sensitive customers.
193Hard to run a business.
194Can't afford growth.
195 
196**Instead**: Price for value, not time.
197Start higher, discount if needed.
198B2B can pay more.
199Your time has value.
200 
201## ⚠️ Sharp Edges
202 
203| Issue | Severity | Solution |
204|-------|----------|----------|
205| Great product, no way to reach customers | high | ## Distribution First |
206| Building for market that can't/won't pay | high | ## Market Selection |
207| New signups leaving as fast as they come | high | ## Fixing Churn |
208| Pricing page confuses potential customers | medium | ## Simple Pricing |
209 
210## Related Skills
211 
212Works well with: `landing-page-design`, `backend`, `stripe`, `seo`
213