I applied to 300 jobs, didn’t get a single call back, so I’m building my own SaaS company... Because why not?

[godiscomingmyway]

Hey fellow entrepreneurs,

After hitting the magical number of 300 job applications and collecting exactly zero callbacks (yes, my popularity is indeed overwhelming), I’ve decided to switch gears. Instead of continuing my quest to become the most rejected developer in history, I’ve embarked on a slightly more traditional journey: building my own SaaS company.

Why, you ask? Well, between trying to decode the beauty of “entry-level positions” requiring 5+ years of experience and figuring out how many JavaScript frameworks are too many, I thought, “Why not create something where I can make all the rules?” (And yes, the first rule is that there are no rules. Except when it comes to writing clean code. Maybe.)

It is an open-source configurations and secrets management tool that’s as secretive as my love life (read: “very secretive”) and as reliable as my determination to ignore rejection emails (also very high). Features include Post-quantum safe encryption, IAM controls, and a special function to whisper your secrets into the void.

This journey from developer to entrepreneur is uncharted territory for me, and I’m here to ask for your collective wisdom:

What are the key things I should keep in mind as I navigate this entrepreneurial journey? For those of you who’ve built or are building your own companies, what lessons did you learn the hard way, and how did you overcome the challenges that came with it?

I’m all ears for any advice, insights, or even cautionary tales you might have. Building something from the ground up is daunting, but I believe in learning from those who’ve tread these paths before.

P.S. If by some miracle this thing takes off, I promise not to require 5+ years of experience for our entry-level positions. Scouts honour.

Cheers to making our own paths (or at least some really cool software).

Bye

 

[ross022015]

@godiscomingmyway Congrats! When I started mine, I focused on investors and applied for small business grants. I got an investor from SeedBlink. I used Modeliks for the business plan and pitch, and finally, I got a marketing team to promote it.

 

[richardjuarez1234]

@ross022015 Will check out Seedblink in the AM. Whatcha building or what is your space if you can share?

 

[markfill]

@ross022015 quick question, were you able to afford the marketing team because of being able to gain funding to pay them or you are offering equity. I ask because I need a marketing team

 

[ross022015]

@markfill From the funding! I have one employee that works branding with me and the others are from a vendor marketing agency

 

[lourdes_anita]

@ross022015 How does one get a business grant?

 

[am29]

@godiscomingmyway Only develop the MVP. If you try to build it all then you'll build the wrong thing without real customer feedback.

Get really good at sales, because that's your job above all else for the next few months. You're not a developer until you make the first sale(s). Until then you're a salesperson who can code.

As soon as you make a few sales, get an accountant for tax filings. They'll make back what they cost you and then some. Do payroll yourself until you hire a few people.

A/B test everything. You don't know the market, so experiment.

Try not to build a SaaS products for other developers. The market is very crowded and we're a bunch of dicks when it comes to services not being 100% reliable and complete.

You may want to rethink the product a bit because chamber (free software) + AWS does that for free, as do others (Hashicorp Vault as a paid service). And if by post quantum safe you mean it uses AES, then so does everything.

Now you will probably end up going through 300 ideas and revisions rather than 300 more job applications.

Edit: realised I'm probably a bit of a dick for tearing your idea apart, but it did prove my earlier point.

 

[613jono]

@am29 This is so true. Also: find your niche. I build my own saas based on changing business processes as a result of changing legislation. This guarantees demand (in your niche). Compliance is a good selling argument and law is close to code logic-wise. Like, i dunno, secure software communications for local politicians.

 

[613jono]

@am29 This is good advice

Also, this type of endeavor will help you get a job

 

[jancs]

@godiscomingmyway Oprah should start giving away SAAS. You get a SAAS, you get a SAAS, etc.

 

[richardjuarez1234]

@jancs Everyone… Look under you chair! You get a Saas, you get a Saas and you get a Saas!!

Everyone gets a Saas aaagagahahagahhaga

 

[mrmustardseed]

@godiscomingmyway With 300 applications and no call backs I'd say you probably need to rework your resume.

 

[cevaughnjr]

@mrmustardseed You clearly haven’t been applying to jobs since Q2 2023

 

[sensesfailed]

@cevaughnjr Q4 of 2022 here

 

[camper78brisbane]

@cevaughnjr I applied for 1 job and got the offer, my CV is a UX masterpiece though.

 

[godiscomingmyway]

@camper78brisbane Show us the path senpai

 

[mrmustardseed]

@godiscomingmyway hire a resume writer, thats what I did and its gotten me interviews every time

 

[liveoak]

@mrmustardseed Surely this the same as paying premium for chatgpt to do it

 

[seldonsmith]

@liveoak You say that, but the difference between a already great resume and 1 edited by a professional resume writer is wide. They are worth the money. If you think the resume you write is decent, it's actually pretty bad since every other applicant will think their resume is decent, too. You will be average at best and your resume will be put into the trash.

 

[mrmustardseed]

@liveoak Nope not even close... You can tell when chat gpt writes something and it's terrible in comparison