Build a Micro-SaaS in 30 Days: A Practical, Actionable Tutorial

Micro-SaaS is the art of shipping a tiny, focused SaaS product that solves a narrow, painful problem for a specific group of users. The point is speed: validate product-market fit fast, get paying customers quickly, and iterate. This tutorial walks through a complete, day-by-day 30-day plan plus the technical, marketing, and operational details needed to actually launch and start earning. Each section is practical — copy-paste ready checklists, templates, and tiny code patterns to use right away.

Why 30 days, and what a Micro-SaaS should be

30 days is an aggressive but realistic window for an MVP if the scope is tight. A Micro-SaaS should:

Solve one clear problem for one defined audience (no broad marketplaces).
Be easy to explain in a single sentence.
Require minimal integrations to start (one or two APIs).
Be monetizable from day one (trial + paid tier).

Example one-sentence ideas: “Automated invoice reminder emails for freelance translators” or “Tiny Uptime alerts via WhatsApp for hobbyist devs.” Pick the smallest real pain you can measure.

Day 0 — Prep: choose the idea and state the hypothesis

Write a one-line hypothesis and an acceptance metric.

Hypothesis format: “If [target user] can [use feature], then [benefit], measured by [metric].”

Example: “If freelance translators can send automated invoice reminders, then they will get paid faster; success measured by 10 paying users in 30 days and a 20% decrease in average invoice time.”

Acceptance metrics (pick 1 primary): 1) Number of paying customers; 2) Conversion rate from trial to paid; 3) Time to first revenue.

Technology choices (keep them tiny)

Pick tools that minimize friction and cost. Example stack:

Frontend: static site (HTML + Tailwind CSS or simple Bootstrap). Use an SPA only if necessary.
Backend: serverless functions (Vercel/Netlify) or a small Node/Express app on a single VPS.
Database: SQLite or Postgres (managed) — SQLite is fine for single-tenant MVPs.
Auth & payments: Auth0 or Clerk for auth; Stripe for billing (Checkout + Subscriptions).
Email: Postmark or SendGrid.
Hosting: Vercel / Netlify (front + serverless) or DigitalOcean droplet for cheap simplicity.
Monitoring: Sentry (errors), Posthog or Plausible for analytics (privacy friendly).

Goal: avoid building infrastructure. Use managed services for auth, billing, email.

Day-by-day 30-day plan (detailed)

Days 1–3 — Validation & landing page

Day 1: Create a one-page landing page that explains the problem, the solution, and a clear CTA (email signup or “Get early access”).
Day 2: Run a small validation campaign — post in 3 relevant communities (Reddit, forums, Slack groups); run 3 personalized outreach messages to high-value prospects. Capture emails.
Day 3: Add a short explainer video (60–90 seconds) or GIF showing the workflow; update the page with pricing hint (“$9–$29/mo”).

Landing page must include: headline, subheadline, 3 benefits, pricing hint, testimonial placeholder, and email capture.

Landing page hero copy (paste-ready)
Headline: “Automated invoice reminders for freelance translators”
Subheadline: “Reduce late payments and recover hours of admin — set it up in 10 minutes.”
CTA: “Get early access” (email capture)

Days 4–7 — Build the lean backend and auth

Day 4: Scaffold the backend and basic API routes (signup, login, webhook for Stripe).
Day 5: Implement authentication and a “first action” flow (connect email or payment method).
Day 6: Implement the core feature with test data and a simple UI.
Day 7: Add DB persistence and a basic dashboard showing usage.

Minimal Express example (Node) — signup route

const express = require('express');

const bodyParser = require('body-parser');

const sqlite3 = require('sqlite3').verbose();

const db = new sqlite3.Database('./data.db');

const app = express();
app.use(bodyParser.json());

db.run(`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users (
id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
email TEXT UNIQUE,
created_at DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
)`);

app.post(‘/signup’, (req, res) => {
const { email } = req.body;
db.run(‘INSERT OR IGNORE INTO users(email) VALUES(?)’, [email], function(err) {
if (err) return res.status(500).json({ error: ‘db error’ });
res.json({ userId: this.lastID });
});
});

app.listen(3000);

Days 8–11 — Payments & trials

Day 8: Integrate Stripe for subscriptions. Create a free trial plan and a paid plan.
Day 9: Add webhooks to handle subscription events (invoice.paid, subscription.canceled).
Day 10: Implement gating of premium features: trial users see a banner to upgrade.
Day 11: Test the complete subscription lifecycle and edge cases (card declines, proration).

Stripe quick tip: Use Stripe Checkout for the fastest launch path — avoids building a complex billing UI.

Days 12–15 — UX polish & onboarding

Day 12: Streamline onboarding: checklist, first success milestone, and welcome email.
Day 13: Add simple product analytics: track events like “signup”, “connect email”, “create reminder.”
Day 14: Build a small settings page (profile, billing, notifications).
Day 15: Write the first help article and an FAQ addressing common objections.

Days 16–19 — Security, reliability, and legal

Day 16: Add HTTPS (if using Vercel/Netlify this is automatic). Harden headers and rate limits.
Day 17: Add basic logging and Sentry for error capture.
Day 18: Draft Terms, Privacy Policy, and Refund policy. (Keep them short but clear.)
Day 19: Backups — export DB backups to object storage daily.

Days 20–23 — Beta outreach & content marketing

Day 20: Email early signups with an invite code and onboarding instructions; offer a founder discount.
Day 21: Publish one long-form blog post that targets a niche keyword and explains the problem you solve.
Day 22: Run 20 personalized outreach messages (LinkedIn/Email) to high-value prospects with a clear incentive.
Day 23: Record 2 short tutorials (screen capture) showing the product in action.

Days 24–27 — Launch & paid acquisition test

Day 24: Do a soft launch to existing communities and partners.
Day 25: Turn on a small paid campaign ($100–$300 across Google or Meta) targeting high-intent keywords or lookalikes.
Day 26: Monitor conversions hourly for the first 48 hours; iterate on landing page copy and CTA.
Day 27: Add a simple referral program: $10 credit for both referrer and referee.

Days 28–30 — Measure, iterate, and plan next sprint

Day 28: Evaluate key metrics: MRR, CAC, trial→paid conversion, churn risk signals.
Day 29: Fix top two usability problems discovered during launch.
Day 30: Host a live Q&A or webinar for early users; announce feature roadmap and pricing updates.

Pricing strategy and packaging

Start with one simple paid tier and one trial. Common approaches:

Single plan: $9–$29 per month — choose based on target ability to pay and value delivered.
Usage tiering: $9 for up to X actions, $19 for up to 3× X, $49 for unlimited.
Annual discount: 2 months free for annual prepay.

Example pricing decision: if the product saves users 2 hours per month and target users value their hour at $30, then $19/month is defensible. Show simple ROI on pricing page: “Save 2 hours/month → $60 value → $19 subscription.”

(If doing a numeric example, do the math explicitly: 2 hours × $30/hour = $60. Price $19 is 31.67% of the value. Calculation: 60 × 0.3167 ≈ 19.)

Launch channels that work for Micro-SaaS

Focus on one or two high-intent channels:

Niche communities and forums (Reddit, IndieHackers, specialized Slack/Discord).
Cold outreach to target users with personalized messages.
Content marketing: one in-depth how-to that targets a precise long tail keyword.
Partnerships: find one complementary product and propose an integration or cross-promotion.
Paid ads (small budget) targeted at intent keywords.

Personal outreach + content + viral referrals often beats broad paid campaigns for micro niches.

Metrics to track (daily/weekly cadence)

Track these religiously:

MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) — primary financial KPI.
New signups per day and conversion rate to trial.
Trial → Paid conversion (percent).
CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) — ad spend and outreach time divided by new customers.
LTV (estimated lifetime value) = average revenue per user / churn rate.
Churn rate (monthly) and reasons for cancellations.
Activation time to “first success” (time from signup to first value moment).

Small teams should check MRR and conversion daily at launch, then shift to weekly.

Support, retention & upsell

Automate onboarding emails at 0h, 24h, 72h, 7 days, focusing on next action.
Use in-app tooltips or checklist to get users to first success quickly.
Offer one-click live chat during launch (Intercom / Crisp / Tawk) but keep hours limited.
Ask for feedback inside the product and make it easy to give a testimonial.

Retention is the best growth: a 5% improvement in churn dramatically increases LTV.

Operational checklist for running the product

Have these in place before taking payments:

Backup strategy (daily DB dump to S3 or equivalent).
Error monitoring and alerting (Sentry + Slack alerts).
Billing reconciliation (Stripe dashboard + weekly check).
Simple SLA text for paid users (email response time).
Refund policy and refund workflow.

Security & compliance basics

Always use HTTPS and up-to-date libraries.
Store passwords only via managed auth or hashed (bcrypt/argon2).
Never store raw card data — use Stripe or another PCI-compliant processor.
If handling personal data of EU users, prepare for data access and deletion requests.

Templates you can reuse

Landing page CTA: “Start your 14-day free trial — no credit card required. Be up and sending reminders in 10 minutes.”

Welcome email (first 24h):
Subject: Welcome — Start sending reminders in 10 minutes
Body: “Welcome! Here’s a 3-step setup guide: 1) Connect your email, 2) Create your first reminder, 3) Send a test. If help needed, reply to this email.”

Cold outreach short template:
Subject: Quick question about [prospect company/role]
Body: “Hi [Name], noticed [specific observation]. A tiny tool was built to help with [pain]. Would a 15-minute demo to see if it helps be useful? Early users get a discount.”

Churn survey (email on cancellation):
“Sorry to see you go. Would you share why? (1) Too expensive (2) Missing feature (3) Not useful (4) Other — please add a quick note.”

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake: Overbuilding. Fix: Ship the smallest possible workflow that proves value.
Mistake: Targeting everyone. Fix: Pick one user profile and speak to them directly.
Mistake: Ignoring onboarding. Fix: Make first success obvious and fast.
Mistake: Hiding pricing. Fix: Show clear pricing; customers prefer transparency.

After 30 days: what next?

If metrics meet the acceptance thresholds, plan the next 90 days:

Automate manual steps and scale infrastructure.
Add one major feature requested by early customers.
Expand marketing channels: SEO, partnerships, integrations.
Improve retention: in-app education, power features, and enterprise options if demand exists.

If metrics fall short, run a short discovery sprint: interview ten users, adjust positioning, or pivot the core habit.

Final checklist

Create landing page with email capture.
Get 50–100 targeted early signups via outreach.
Build core product and integrate Stripe.
Ship onboarding flow and measure time to first success.
Run a small paid test, referral program, and a soft launch.
Track MRR, conversion, churn and iterate fast.

Building a Micro-SaaS in 30 days is ambitious but achievable. The secret is constraint: pick a tiny, painful problem, automate one valuable workflow, charge for it, and obsess over the first 100 users. Ship small, learn fast, and keep cashflow positive.

RomoTech