The Complete SaaS Development Checklist

192 items · 7 stages

Founder's Guide

The Complete SaaS Development Checklist

A stage-by-stage guide to building, launching, and scaling your SaaS product—from initial validation to exit-ready. Built from 50+ real-world checklists and Reddit war stories.

192 items • 7 stages

Stage 1 / 23 items

Idea Validation

Pressure-test your idea before writing code. Most SaaS products fail because founders validated interest, not willingness to pay.

Write the problem in one sentence without buzzwords

Identify the trigger moment when pain occurs

Document the current workaround people use

Define target user narrowly (not 'everyone')

Verify this is a need-to-have, not nice-to-have

Collect 10-20 real complaints with screenshots

Rewrite complaints in user's exact words

Assess pain frequency (daily/weekly/monthly)

Identify existing spend on alternatives

Document solutions they've already tried and abandoned

Validate willingness to PAY, not just interest

Get at least one paying customer before building more

Manually deliver the outcome once

Charge before you feel ready

Ask 'What would break this for you?' after manual delivery

Define the smallest useful outcome (not features)

Create explicit 'will NOT do' list

Choose single success metric

Identify your distribution channel BEFORE building

Consider friction over free (paid trials, waitlists)

Track paying customers, not signups

Launch to customers, not other founders

Only take feature feedback from paying users