🎁 Launch Offer: 20% OFF until November 23rd with code LAUNCH20

Back to Blog
How to Ship a SaaS in 7 Days (No, Really)

How to Ship a SaaS in 7 Days (No, Really)

A day-by-day breakdown of how to go from idea to paying customers in one week. No fluff, no theory—just the exact process that works.

Matt•

Everyone talks about "move fast and break things."

Nobody tells you HOW.

I've shipped 10+ SaaS products. Some succeeded, most failed. But I've learned exactly how long each part ACTUALLY takes when you cut the nonsense.

Here's how to go from idea to first paying customer in 7 days.

Day 1: Validate (Not Build)

Time: 4 hours

Before writing a single line of code:

  1. Find 5 people with the problem (2 hours)
    • Twitter search, Reddit, LinkedIn
    • "I hate [problem you're solving]"
    • Send DMs: "Building something for this, can I ask you 3 questions?"
  2. Ask the magic questions (2 hours)
    • "How are you solving this now?"
    • "How much does that cost/take?"
    • "Would $X/month be worth it?"

If you can't find 5 people interested in 4 hours, your idea needs work.

Day 2: Set Up Your Foundation

Time: 6 hours

This is where most people waste weeks. Don't.

Using a boilerplate: 30 minutes

  • Clone repo
  • Set environment variables
  • Deploy to Vercel
  • Your app is live

Without a boilerplate: 6 hours

  • Next.js setup
  • Authentication configuration
  • Database migrations
  • Stripe integration
  • Email setup

Your choice. I know which one I pick.

Spend the rest of the day making it YOURS:

  • Change colors
  • Update copy
  • Add your logo
  • Deploy landing page

By end of day 2, you have a live URL you can share.

Day 3-4: Build the Core Feature

Time: 16 hours (2 days)

Not your entire roadmap. Just the ONE thing that solves the problem.

For a SaaS, this usually means:

  • A form to input data
  • Processing that data
  • Showing results

That's it. No dashboard. No analytics. No 47 settings pages.

Pro move: Use AI coding assistants (Claude Code, Cursor)

  • Describe what you need
  • Review the code
  • Ship it

You're not being lazy—you're being smart. I can build in 2 days what used to take 2 weeks.

Day 5: Add Payments

Time: 4 hours

This is where ideas become businesses.

If you used our boilerplate:

  • Stripe is already integrated
  • Just add your product pricing
  • Test with card 4242 4242 4242 4242
  • Deploy

If not:

  • Follow Stripe docs
  • Set up webhooks
  • Handle subscriptions
  • Test everything
  • Debug webhook issues
  • Deploy

Again: your choice.

Day 6: Manual Everything

Time: 8 hours

Here's the secret: automate NOTHING yet.

Customer signs up? You get an email. Manually create their account. Customer has a question? You answer personally. Something breaks? You fix it live.

Spend today:

  • Writing your launch post
  • Preparing your Product Hunt submission
  • Setting up social media
  • Creating demo screenshots/videos
  • Building your first customer email

Day 7: Launch

Time: 12 hours

Morning:

  • Post on Twitter/X
  • Post on LinkedIn
  • Submit to Product Hunt (00:01 PST)
  • Post in relevant Reddit communities
  • Email your 5 validation people

Throughout the day:

  • Respond to EVERY comment
  • Fix bugs in real-time
  • Talk to every user
  • Learn what they actually need

Evening:

  • Thank everyone
  • Plan week 2 based on feedback

Week 2 Reality Check

Here's what you'll learn:

  1. Your idea will pivot - Users want something slightly different. That's fine.
  2. Your pricing is wrong - Adjust based on feedback.
  3. Your core feature needs tweaking - But you can do it in days, not months.
  4. You'll get your first paying customer - Or you'll know exactly why you didn't.

The Tools That Make This Possible

This sprint only works because:

  • Modern frameworks (Next.js) handle complexity
  • AI coding assistants write boilerplate code
  • Managed services (Supabase, Vercel) eliminate DevOps
  • Boilerplates eliminate setup time

Ten years ago, this timeline was impossible. Today? It's standard.

Why This Works

The traditional approach:

  • 6 weeks of "perfect" development
  • Launch to crickets
  • Realize you built the wrong thing
  • Start over

The 7-day approach:

  • 1 week to MVP
  • Launch to interested people
  • Learn what to fix
  • Iterate daily

You'll learn more in 7 days of shipping than 7 weeks of planning.

Ready to Sprint?

Our boilerplate cuts days 2-5 down to hours. That's 2+ days saved on setup and integration.

Join the waitlist and get $50 off when we launch. Because every day you're not shipping is a day you're not learning.

The clock starts when you decide to build. Make it count.