MVP for SaaS: What Makes It Different

SaaS products have unique characteristics that change MVP strategy: recurring revenue, ongoing relationships, multi-tenancy, and specific metrics.

The SaaS MVP Core Components

1. Authentication & User Management

Start with email/password plus Google OAuth. Use Auth0 or Clerk rather than building from scratch.

2. Subscription & Billing

Use Stripe Billing. Don't build billing infrastructure yourself—it's complex and distracts from your core value.

3. Onboarding Flow

Design onboarding before building features. Map the shortest path from signup to "aha moment."

4. Multi-Tenancy

Start simple: single database with tenant_id on all tables. This scales further than most MVPs need.

5. Admin & Settings

Basic profile and billing pages. Stripe's customer portal handles most billing self-service.

What NOT to Build

• Advanced analytics dashboards
• Complex permissions
• Integrations (Zapier, Slack, API)
• White-labeling
• Usage-based pricing

SaaS MVP Metrics

• Activation Rate: % who complete onboarding
• Trial-to-Paid: 15-25% is healthy for B2B
• MRR: Monthly Recurring Revenue
• Churn Rate: Under 5% monthly is acceptable
• Time to Value: Measure in minutes, not days

Pricing Your SaaS MVP

Three tiers usually work: Starter, Professional, Enterprise. Free trials (7-14 days) work better than freemium for validation. Price higher than you think.

SaaS MVP Timeline

Weeks 1-2: Foundation (auth, database, Stripe)

Weeks 3-5: Core features, onboarding

Weeks 6-7: Polish, email, landing page

Week 8: Launch

Common SaaS MVP Mistakes

• Building billing from scratch
• Ignoring onboarding
• No trial or free access
• Complex pricing
• Forgetting cancellation flow