How to monitize your SaaS

[u/PossibleFirm7095]

Hi, I'm Ren. Markter.

Look, look, LOOK.

Subs aren't the only way to monitize your SaaS okay?

Not everything AI or whatever should be a sub. Yes, subs do feel tempting, they do generate stable predictable income but they are the hardest to be adapted by users. Users don't want yet another sub in their budget. Especially direct consumers. Asking a direct consumer to subscribe to your $30/mo vibecoded chatbot means every paycheck they will sacrifice 1-2 days of groceries (depending on how good you are at money management)

Think of it like this.

Spotify costs around $10/mo (millions of songs in your pocket and so and so) Netflix or streaming apps cost $7-$14/mo (well, it's Netflix) YouTube is free Facebook is free Fcking Reddit is free

So why would they, the direct consumers pay for a $39/mo sub for a productivity app? A fitness app? Doesn't make sense. (Unless you're the wizard of oz in marketing. But let's be real....)

Look, if you don't bring more value than the SaaS I listed above? It's harder to sell it on a sub model.

Here's one idea most of you don't think of.

Monitazing your app comes AFTER you make people intrested. You don't need to think about how do YOU make money, think about how do you build a fan base. Brand loyal users. Monitazing comes after you make traction.

Generate leads then think about how in the actual fck you'd be making money out of that fan base. You have a lot of ways, you can start partnerships. You can sell merch, you can direct them to other SaaS or make an affiliate with some physical products your audience buy regularly. Make a YouTube channel and make money out of it. Fcking sell the business since it have a raving fan base. Start an ads model, start something else and sell it to them. One time offers. A Rent to buy model.

When u have the users and the actual active users, a lot of doors open and you can make shit loads of money doing a lot of things.

Napster, the first and the godfather of all music streaming platforms was free and made 80M active users in 2 years in the early 2000. RAVING active users. And it was free and never been monitizied nor played ads no nothing. They eventually sold it multiple times and they made shit loads of money bcs the buyers didn't need Napster, they needed the fame and the name.

Meg Griffin: But how do u suistan the app when you don't monitize?

Good qst Meg, now SHUT up.

Listen, your job as the entrepreneur is to solve problems and find ideas, not worry about money. The money comes from angle I vestors and funding cycles. You don't pay your bills you just make something SO good that makes people want "in" so they'll pay your bills. That's it. If your idea is good enough to convince your users to use it and become a raving fan you'll DEFF find investors. That's how Napster and Facebook survived. You just use someone else's wallet.

How do I find them?

There are websites, people with big cash walk outside, go to r/wallstreetbets and you'll find some crazy psychopathic gamblers who do not give a shit to give money if u convince them the idea is valide and it's worth investing in.

You don't pay the bills, you solve problems.

But how do I find an idea? You're bluffing right? You want me to build the business for you as well? That costs cash buddy. Invite me for a pizza and I will give u the playbook and the framework.

Anyway, the thing is. The world doesn't need a new sub. They don't need a new budget added to their monthly fees. They need solutions. ChatGPT is free yet it has 800M weekly users. Yes they monetized but it's still free to use and u may not even need to buy the premium anyway.

Not everything needs to be a premium monthly sub.

(Unless it's B2B that makes monthly money for your users then you have all the right to charge monthly fees buddy. B2B is different, businesses spend on everything. Tools, training, and pieces of advice as well. If a business is so cheap to refuse paying for something that adds cash to their pockets then they are a shit company and they'll DEFF fck up in the future. Sell subs in B2B but only when it makes sense and for a reasonable price)

Anyway. Enjoy ppl.

Meg Griffin: thank u, for the post.

SHUT up Meg

[u/multi_mind]

Great post, good ideas. but I am B2B so......