How I Built a Small SaaS in a Weekend (Stack and Lessons)

🎯 The Goal

I wanted to build a small SaaS—something useful that I could ship in a weekend. Not a unicorn, just a working product.

🛠️ The Stack

Frontend

• Framework: Next.js (React)
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• Hosting: Vercel (free tier)

Backend

• API: Next.js API routes (serverless functions)
• Database: PostgreSQL on Railway ($5/month)
• Auth: NextAuth.js (simple, works)

Payments

• Stripe: For subscriptions
• Stripe Checkout: Pre-built, no custom UI needed

✅ What Worked

• Next.js: Full-stack in one framework. No context switching.
• Railway: Database deployed in minutes. No config hell.
• Vercel: Deploy is a git push. Zero ops.
• Stripe: Payment handling done. Focus on product.

⚠️ What I'd Change

• Start simpler: I over-engineered the first version. Ship faster.
• Skip features: I added things I didn't need. MVP first.
• Test payments earlier: Stripe test mode is your friend.

📊 The Timeline

• Friday evening: Set up project, basic structure
• Saturday: Core features, database, auth
• Sunday: Payments, polish, deploy

Total: ~16 hours of focused work.

💡 Lessons

1. Use boring tech: Next.js, PostgreSQL, Stripe. They work.
2. Deploy early: Get it live on day one. See it work.
3. Skip perfection: Good enough is good enough. Ship it.
4. One feature: Do one thing well. Add more later.

💭 My Take

Building a SaaS doesn't need to be complicated. Modern tools make it fast. The hard part isn't the tech—it's finding something people want.

Start small. Ship fast. Iterate based on real users.