5 painful mistakes before my first paid user

When I was building my first SaaS, I thought:

Now I’ll make an MVP, upload it to X/Reddit - and there will be feedback + users.

It was deafening.

Here are 5 things I did wrong:

1. Too broad a product. I wanted to please everyone - but I didn't suit anyone.

2. Stealth launch. “Not ready yet” is an excuse. No one sees your progress if you don’t show it.

3. Lack of pre-landing. Even a simple email collection form could give me an audience before launch.

4. Phobia of DMs. I avoided direct contacts. But they provide insights and first subscriptions.

5. Lack of real validation. I hoped more than I checked. And I wasted time.

The first payer came not from traffic, but from trust.

Now I do the opposite:

- looking for a niche.
- showing raw versions.
- I'm not afraid to talk to people.

I hope my experience will save you from the same pitfalls.

👉 Don't be afraid of mistakes. Be afraid of repeating them silently.