Ask HN: How did you grow your SaaS app to $1m ARR? - Jquiry
======
krm01
I’ve been running a UX/UI design service for B2B SaaS companies for many years
([http://fairpixels.pro](http://fairpixels.pro)), which has given me valuable
insights into what makes SaaS companies fail & succeed. Many of them are well
over that $1M ARR mark. Here are some of the elements I’ve seen the successful
companies have in common that got them where they are today.

\- _Sell to businesses_ : Even some of the B2C SaaS apps I’ve worked with,
switched to selling to companies because it’s relatively easier to build a
highly profitable business in less time. I’ve seen companies price their
product ‘too low’. Which lead potential customers think their product was
crap. Your price creates a perceived value in the eyes of your customers. And
the best customers are businesses

\- _Don’t worry about competitors_ : None of the successful SaaS apps were
unique one-of-a-kind ideas. They entered existing markets with existing, large
players.

\- _Target businesses in an industry you know_ : Usually translated as ‘follow
your passion’, but really it’s about diving into industries you know something
about. You know the potential customers, their painpoints, etc. If you’re
going to build a SaaS app that’s in an industry outside of your comfort zone,
it’ll be a slow uphill climb.

\- _Keep it simple_ : Many engineers feel uncomfortable launching something
simple. They keep adding features in order to make themselves feel good about
the level of complexity their product has. Really 100% of the successful
companies did 1 thing really really well.

\- _Solve a problem_ : Don’t start thinking of solutions based on a tech stack
you know. Find a problem some of the companies you know have. Spend 80% of
your time understanding that problem really really well. This means
understanding the amount of money it is costing these companies. How much time
they are wasting because of it. The words they use to describe that problem,
etc. Engineers are usually very good at building the solution. The hardest
part is understanding the business problem inside out.

