On the viability of consumer SaaS
I have read many people strongly advice against working on consumer SaaS e.g. patio11. The main argument seems to be that companies are way more likely to open up their wallets than consumers. The other argument is that it is easier to get companies to pay up big amounts of money, so that you can get more profit from each customer. That makes marketing easier, because you need less people going through your funnel to get a reasonable amount of income. Finally, companies are less prone to churn. In spite of all of these issues, I am working away very hard at a consumer SaaS app.
Why I am working on a consumer SaaS app?
- I am building a product I want/need for myself, which turns out to be for consumers.
- I am very passionate about my product idea/industry. I could see myself dedicating the next decade or longer on working on this field/idea.
- I think know my market very well.
- I believe I have some good ideas to overcome the marketing hurdle.
What is my project/idea?
I am developing Koipun Reader (koipun.com). Koipun Reader guides you through consuming native materials in steps so that you can reach advanced Japanese.
My goal is to make a 100k a year salary for myself and work on an idea I love.
I dedicate around 50% of my time to Koipun, the rest of the time going to a project that actually pays the bills. Am I stupid to invest a massive time amount of time and energy on a consumer SaaS product? Should I instead work on some B2B idea? Is consumer SaaS viable? Any advice for me?
I am 29 years old and I am dedicating my heart and soul to this project. Above all, I want to be independent while working on something I love. I can not bear the thought of not being my own boss and getting the freedom that comes with being an entrepreneur.
For more backstory checkout: https://www.koipun.com/blog/category/follow-the-koipun-story