Jared

How did your SaaS journey begin?

Jared:
It started with frustration. I was working as a freelance developer, and I kept losing track of client requests, feedback, and version notes. I was juggling Slack, Trello, Google Docs, and email threads - it was chaos. So I built a simple tool for myself: a lightweight client portal that let clients send updates, pay invoices, and check project status — all in one place.

At first, I didn’t even think of it as a product. But I tweeted a screenshot and asked, “Would anyone else use this?” That one tweet got 50 replies, and 8 people DM’d asking to try it.

What made you decide to turn it into a real business?

Jared:
The validation was instant. I built a basic MVP over a weekend and invited 10 early users. They weren’t just signing up — they were engaged. One guy even offered to pay me $10/month to keep using it before I had a pricing page.

That’s when I knew I had something. I committed to working on it for 90 days in public — sharing updates, screenshots, and customer wins on Twitter every day. That momentum built an audience and drove early growth.

What’s the product and who is it for?

Jared:
The product is called ClientNest — a simple, no-code client portal for freelancers and consultants. It lets you create a branded space for each client, upload files, manage invoices, collect feedback, and chat.

It’s built for solo service providers who don’t want to mess with a bunch of disconnected tools. My users are mostly designers, marketers, and developers who need something clean and client-friendly.

How did you grow your user base?

Jared:
All organic. I posted consistently on Twitter about the build process, bugs, lessons learned, and tiny wins. I’d ask questions like “What’s your biggest client management pain?” and turn the replies into features.

I also did free beta access for the first 50 users in exchange for testimonials. That helped me build trust and get some great quotes for the landing page.

Today, I still rely on Twitter, but I’ve also set up SEO content targeting long-tail keywords like “freelancer client portal” and “simple client dashboard tool.”

What are your revenue numbers and pricing structure?

Jared:
I’m making around $8,000/month now, with ~300 paying users. The pricing is:

Starter - $12/month (1 client portal)

Pro - $29/month (up to 10 portals)

Agency - $59/month (unlimited portals + branding)

The most popular is Pro. I offer a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.

What tools are essential for running your solo SaaS?

Jared:
I keep it lean:

Bubble — I built the MVP with Bubble, and still use it today

Stripe — Payment processing

Plausible — Lightweight analytics

ConvertKit — Email onboarding and updates

Fathom — For customer calls

Twitter/X — Still my top growth channel

No fancy stack — just tools that ship and scale.

What’s your biggest win so far?

Jared:
Getting my first “Stripe notification” while eating ramen was wild. But the biggest win was when a user emailed me saying, “You’ve saved me 5 hours a week — I finally feel like a real business.”

That’s what keeps me going. Not MRR, but real impact.

What was your biggest mistake?

Jared:
Overbuilding early on. I lost a month coding a dashboard feature no one used. Now I force myself to ship fast, get feedback, and iterate. If three people don’t ask for it, I don’t build it.

What advice would you give to first-time founders?

Jared:
Scratch your own itch — and solve it publicly. People want to root for real builders. Don’t wait until it’s perfect. Share your rough drafts, ugly MVPs, and feature polls. Every tweet is a test.

And remember, one user who loves your product is better than 100 who are mildly interested.

Takeaways from Jared’s Strategy
✔ Build a product that solves your own pain point
✔ Launch with a simple MVP and improve in public
✔ Use Twitter to validate, grow, and gather feedback
✔ Price affordably, and optimize for recurring revenue
✔ Keep your stack minimal and sustainable