Watch Me Build a Startup [12 Month Progress Thread]

[Kirk84]

Yesterday's top learnings:

Tech:

• Structure React Native Project using folders for
  • assets (images...)
  • components (reusable throughout the app)
  • screens (basically the views for the user)
  • config (reusable styles like colors.js)
• Structuring project is important especially when working in a team (wich is something I might want to do later) and to be able to reuse components / screens (which is something I definitely will do later, as I'm planning to stay in the SaaS game for longer)
• For handling swipes import Gesture Handler components like "Swipeable"
• IMPORTANT: DO NOT REINVENT THE WHEEL!!!!!
• Use resources like React Native UI Toolkits:
  • React Native Elements (looks cool, suggested to use by Mosh)
  • React Native Paper (looks shit)
  • Native Base (looks cool)
  • Native Base Startup (100+ screens React & React Native, but Paid! check out free screens in the future)

SaaS:

• Outsource development to Indian Dev using Upwork
  • Fire fast, if it's not working out
  • If something goes wrong during communication, IT'S MY FAULT for not explaining in a way the dev guy can understand this
  • Asynchronous working hours (place task in the evening, get results in the morning)
  • superior work ethics compared to EU / US Dev
  • 15-25 US$ range per hours
  • Have extensive interview with indian dev, ask questions, look for Github repo and ask what they built there exactly (What exactly is Github?)
  • 2.000 $ - 5.000 $ per project
  • Find guys that already work for a US corporation (Amazon)
• For now, I will continue my learning progress, as I still don't have a good understanding of coding. In the future outsource more to teams in India but be able to understand what they do and to do quick bug fixes, changes, and more advanced (IP) stuff on my own.
• DO NOT REINVENT THE WHEEL FOR SaaS!!!
• Rip off code from Github whenever possible
• Use the following resources instead:
  • Pegasus Django Boilerplate for SaaS (What the F*ck is Django? What does it do? Research later)
  • Forest Kit for Webflow (for beautiful Frontend)
    The frontend has to look awesome or I won't be able to charge a higher price. Build trust with beautiful frontend
  • Artboard Dashboard Webpage Template for Webflow (looks great, use for dashboards)
  • Bulkit SaaS Landing Pages
• Find products that already are working but look likes shit, make them beautiful
• Find products that are being used sold a Excel Template or whenever a whole industry uses Google Sheets or Excel to solve a problem => This is a business opportunity for SaaS
• B2C: HELL NO! Very high number of customers needed for 10 $ / mo product!
• B2B: BAD! This takes forever to close as decisions in Corporations / Companies take forever
• B2H! Business 2 Hustler: AWESOME! Think: Freelancers, Consultants, Investors, e-com guys, Agency Owners,... Huslers. Whenever someone is looking to improve the way they make money and grow their income. THIS is a great niche to be in. Why? Willing to invest! High ticket price. Look at 200-500 $ / mo range!
• Tools to use while building SaaS:
  • Use Logging and log every user action. Helps see what people are doing and helps understand users
  • Serenity (track broken code)
  • AWS Cloudwatch (no clue what this does, really, something about open S3 buckets... wtf?)
  • Intercom (let users give you feedback, expensive)
  • A feedback button is needed everywhere

Today's goals:

• 2-3 hours of solid programming along with the Mosh course on React Native.
• Stay focused and do not answer phone calls during work sessions.

This week's goal:

• Finish React Native Course
• Build and release my first App
• Finish SaaS Masterclass

Will upload my session later. Wifi is bad.

Watch Me Build an App (S01-E14)​

 

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[Kirk84]

Today I did not do any dev stuff. I invested >7 hours intensely investigating the Fitness influencers market. Reached out to a friend of mine who’s an influencer to understand the market better and to step into personal contact with fitness influencers. Hope to start conversations with potential partners (influencers) soon and understand their problems and how I can help them.

 

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[Kirk84]

Today's top Dev learnings:

• Today was maybe the worst day since I started. I'm stuck at a problem I couldn't solve today. Will start again tomorrow. Feel free to watch the shitshow of React Native (link below)

Today's top Biz learnings:

• I identified my top 50 potential customers in the German-speaking market. Initially I wanted to find 200 potential customers but took way longer than expected, so I stopped the list at 50. Will continue tomorrow
• Found a massive competitor with an incredible solution for my market and actually something that I wanted to build. So this is a very good sign. I appreciate the healthy competition. The competition is pretty strong and of my top 50 customers, 14 are already using their solution. Good to see this. The market is huge though.
• Found a software that helps me identify customers systematically. Happy about this.
• Got in touch with a friend of mine who's well connected to potential customers. Hope she can help me with getting the first discussions.

Today's session (Dev part):

Watch Me Build an App (S01-E16)​

 

[Kirk84]

The shit show continues. However, I was finally able to continue my progress so am now back on track.

Watch Me Build an App (S01-E17)​

UPDATE:​

• I will start with my product development soon. Therefore, I'm switching my reporting from a daily to a weekly basis and will no longer include live streams/screen recordings to protect my intellectual property.
• My commitment (see the first post) still remains stronger than ever.
• All future updates will be posted in the INSIDERS section

 

[sailorssoot]

The shit show continues. However, I was finally able to continue my progress so am now back on track.

Watch Me Build an App (S01-E17)​

UPDATE:​

• I will start with my product development soon. Therefore, I'm switching my reporting from a daily to a weekly basis and will no longer include live streams/screen recordings to protect my intellectual property.
• My commitment (see the first post) still remains stronger than ever.
• All future updates will be posted in the INSIDERS section

Sad to see this thread being moved to the INSIDERS area as I think a few people were enjoying keeping up with the progress, but I can see why you've made the decision.

If you're wanting to protect your idea for the time being, have you considered anything for after release? You could continue to record the progress you're making and then look at condensing it into short form video, i.e. timelapse for Instagram Reels, TikTok, Youtube etc and voice overlay it? Then you can potentially create another audience which might be interested in following the project, or have some interest in using it. If you're using a Mac/Macbook then Quicktime is included and enables screen recording capability.

Good luck!

 

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[Sega Saph]

Hello.
Where do you get money for living? Do you work?I think it is really important to show for others. Maybe firstly your fail was connected with such fact.
Thank you so much for sharing of your story. So helpful.
With regards.

 

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[BellaPippin]

Nicely done! The accountability group will prove useful.

Can you elaborate a bit on what you agree on with the editor? I need to make short form videos and I’m very stuck coming up with things. And on top of that, you have to edit them. What do you ask from the editors and what kind of footage do you provide them with?! F Creative block!