I've made $4982 on this new productized service.
But, a month ago I had 0 customer, 0 team, 0 idea how to do this.
Here's how I kickstarted the service from scratch in 40 days.
I launched my AI SaaS in October as an AI that finds PR/backlink opportunities on HARO for you and grew its MRR to $700.
When my second-ever user churned he told me he didn't have time to pursue those opportunities.
He'd pay 10x if we could just solve the problem for him.
So I experimented with a productized link-building service for DR50+ backlinks on top media outlets.
However, the challenges are:
Step 1: Sourcing Talent
The journey began with a dive into Upwork. I sought freelancers willing to work on a results-based compensation model in exchange for a long-term work opportunity.
This removed the risk from me and my customers. This is also a great way to understand the market and how to position my service.
Step 2: Acquiring Customers
The next hurdle was acquiring customers to justify and finance hiring a team. By offering the service at cost (probably at a loss actually), I sold five spots in four hours to 300 people who have tried my AI previously.
A cherry on top is when a customer paid with a link in the email a week later at an increased price, which brings me to 7 customers total.
Step 3: Quality Control and Delivery
Distributing the initial orders among 7 different freelancers on Upwork, I aimed to gauge the quality of work and reliability of each. The freelance world is filled with variability in quality, this ended up being the most time-consuming but also most crucial step.
After lots of trial and error, including navigating scams and underperformers, I identified 3 writers capable of delivering the high-quality work my clients expected. Then I onboarded them with my AI to provide a unique advantage in our offering, and they ended up delivering all the work.
Step 4: Scaling Up
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. By demonstrating the value of our service with these initial deliveries, 2 of the 6 clients signed on for a $1.2k package, and an additional client from Twitter brought our total for this service to $4982.
This early success provided the momentum and capital needed to expand.
Step 5: Official Launch
With a more refined offering, real results to show, and a team ready to go. I can now officially launch this service to the world. Wish me luck!
But, a month ago I had 0 customer, 0 team, 0 idea how to do this.
Here's how I kickstarted the service from scratch in 40 days.
The Genesis of an Idea
I launched my AI SaaS in October as an AI that finds PR/backlink opportunities on HARO for you and grew its MRR to $700.
When my second-ever user churned he told me he didn't have time to pursue those opportunities.
He'd pay 10x if we could just solve the problem for him.
So I experimented with a productized link-building service for DR50+ backlinks on top media outlets.
However, the challenges are:
- I need to hire a team to help deliver this service
- I need to have customers so I can afford a team
Overcoming the Chicken-and-Egg Dilemma
Step 1: Sourcing Talent
The journey began with a dive into Upwork. I sought freelancers willing to work on a results-based compensation model in exchange for a long-term work opportunity.
This removed the risk from me and my customers. This is also a great way to understand the market and how to position my service.
Step 2: Acquiring Customers
The next hurdle was acquiring customers to justify and finance hiring a team. By offering the service at cost (probably at a loss actually), I sold five spots in four hours to 300 people who have tried my AI previously.
A cherry on top is when a customer paid with a link in the email a week later at an increased price, which brings me to 7 customers total.
Step 3: Quality Control and Delivery
Distributing the initial orders among 7 different freelancers on Upwork, I aimed to gauge the quality of work and reliability of each. The freelance world is filled with variability in quality, this ended up being the most time-consuming but also most crucial step.
After lots of trial and error, including navigating scams and underperformers, I identified 3 writers capable of delivering the high-quality work my clients expected. Then I onboarded them with my AI to provide a unique advantage in our offering, and they ended up delivering all the work.
Step 4: Scaling Up
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. By demonstrating the value of our service with these initial deliveries, 2 of the 6 clients signed on for a $1.2k package, and an additional client from Twitter brought our total for this service to $4982.
This early success provided the momentum and capital needed to expand.
Step 5: Official Launch
With a more refined offering, real results to show, and a team ready to go. I can now officially launch this service to the world. Wish me luck!