How to find a SaaS idea that already makes money
Skip the search for something new. A two-week, one-spreadsheet method for finding a software idea people already pay for, and an angle you can win on.
In this note
Most people looking for a software idea look for something new. That's the hardest way to start. A new idea means teaching a market that it has a problem, and one person with a day job doesn't have time for that.
The easier route is to copy what already sells, and do it better for someone. This guide walks through the method we use in our community: one spreadsheet, two weeks, and a short list of filters that rule out the ideas a solo founder shouldn't touch. It's step one of our 90-day plan for a one-person business.
Why "already makes money" beats "original"
If several companies have sold the same kind of software for years, three things are already proven: people have the problem, they know software solves it, and they pay monthly for it. Your job shrinks from "convince the world" to "be the better choice for some of the people already buying".
That's also why competitors are good news. A category with no competitors usually means no buyers. A category with five companies that have been around for eight years, charging $99 a month, with reviews full of complaints, is a market waiting for a simpler, cheaper or friendlier option.
Set up your Idea Board
Make one spreadsheet called Idea Board. Every idea goes in it, and every decision is made from it. These are the columns:
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Category | The kind of software (e.g. "social media scheduling") |
| Incumbents | The three to five main products |
| Founded | The year each was started |
| Team size | Rough headcount from LinkedIn |
| Pricing | Their cheapest paid plan |
| Top complaints | What their 1–3 star reviews keep saying |
| "Alternative" searches | Monthly searches for "[product] alternative" |
| Angle | How you'd be different |
| Verdict | Keep, maybe, or crossed out |
The sheet does two jobs. It stops you falling in love with one idea before you've compared it, and it gives you something to show when you build in public.
Fill it from what people already pay for
Start with categories you know have paying customers:
- Your own receipts. List every piece of software you or your last workplace paid for. Each one is a category.
- Other people's stacks. Read "what tools do you use" threads on r/SaaS, tool-stack posts on Indie Hackers, and the category index on G2.
- The tools around a tool. When you find one category, look at what its customers also need. One product often leads to the next: a tool that collects testimonials leads to one that collects feedback, which leads to one that onboards new users.
Aim for twenty or thirty categories before you judge any of them.
Score each category
For every category, fill the remaining columns. This is where most ideas fall out.
Is the market real? Look for incumbents with years behind them and a real team. If every product in the category is under two years old or run by fewer than three people, the market may not hold up. For consumer apps, team size says less; use the free download and revenue estimates from Appfigures or Sensor Tower instead.
Is there a price gap? Screenshot every pricing page. Flag anything charging $100 or more a month for software that's cheap to run. That gap is room for a simpler product at a lower price.
Are customers unhappy? Read the 1, 2 and 3-star reviews: G2 and Capterra for business software; the App Store, Google Play, Trustpilot and AlternativeTo for consumer apps. "Hard to use", "ugly", "too expensive" and "support is slow" are the complaints you can win on. Comments under a competitor's most-viewed YouTube or TikTok video are often more honest than the review sites.
Are people looking to switch? Search Reddit and Google for "[product] alternative" and "[product] pricing", and check the search volume for "[product] alternative" and "[product] vs" in Google Keyword Planner (free with a Google Ads account). If nobody is searching for alternatives, customers may be happier than the reviews suggest.
Cross out what one person shouldn't build
Some ideas are real businesses but bad first products for a solo founder. Cross out anything that:
If a platform can change its rules or prices and break your product overnight, you don't control your business.
AI credits, video hosting and unlimited storage turn growth into a bill. Look for products that are cheap to run per customer.
No competitors means no proof anyone pays. Save the brand-new idea for your second product.
Can you walk down a street and point at people who'd buy it? A small slice of a big market pays; all of a tiny one doesn't.
Business (B2B) or consumer (B2C) are both fine. Business software lets you charge more per customer; consumer apps need a much bigger market at a lower price, so check market size harder.
Pick one and write "why we win"
Rank what's left and pick one. Then write a single page that answers three questions:
- Who is it for? Be specific: "solo hairdressers who take bookings by Instagram DM", not "small businesses".
- Who are you taking customers from? Name the product their customers are leaving, or would leave.
- What's your angle? Simpler, cheaper, or built for a group the big product ignores. Usually two of those three.
Then decide who does the four jobs every software business needs: the front end, the back end, the design, and everything else (marketing, support, money). With AI coding tools, one person can cover the first two. Design is the one most worth paying a freelancer a fixed fee for.
Set a kill date 14 days out. If you haven't started building by then, the idea isn't pulling you. Go back to the sheet and pick the next one. That's not failure; it's what the sheet is for.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a SaaS idea with no technical background?
Start from software you've paid for or used at work. You already understand those customers and their complaints. AI coding tools now handle much of the building, so the idea and the customer matter more than your coding skills.
Is it OK to copy an existing product?
Building in a proven category isn't copying; it's how most software businesses start. Don't copy their code, design or brand. Build your own product with a clear angle: simpler, cheaper, or for a group they serve badly.
How do I know if there's demand for my idea?
Look for three signs: established competitors that have survived for years, customers complaining in reviews, and people searching for "[competitor] alternative". If all three are there, demand is proven.
What makes a bad first idea for a solo founder?
Ideas that depend on another company's API, have costs that grow with every user, or are completely new with no competitors. They can work later, but they're risky when you're one person with limited time.
How long should picking an idea take?
About two weeks. Fill the sheet, score the categories, cross out the risky ones and pick. If you haven't started building within 14 days, choose again.
Find your idea with other people
Members of Heyron's Solo Software Studio community work through this method together and can share their Idea Boards for feedback. Membership also includes your own AI agent to do the research. See what's included, or read the full 90-day plan.