Startups For the Rest of Us
by Rob Walling
Latest Business Ideas
Streamlined CRM for SMBs
Market Gap: SMBs struggle with overly complex CRM systems.
Create a streamlined CRM specifically tailored for SMBs that focuses on ease of use and essential features. This CRM should eliminate unnecessary complexity, allowing small businesses to manage customer relationships more effectively without needing extensive training or technical support. By prioritizing integration with tools that SMBs already use, such as email and project management software, this solution can provide a cohesive user experience. The target audience would be small business owners and teams looking for a practical and affordable CRM alternative.
From: Episode 799 | TinySeed Tales s5e6: $500k ARR!
Laser Tag Networking Event for B2B SaaS
Market Gap: B2B networking events often lack engagement and excitement.
Create a unique networking event for B2B SaaS professionals centered around laser tag. This event would not only provide a fun and engaging atmosphere but also encourage meaningful interactions among industry peers. By collaborating with sponsors for logistics, such as transportation and food, the event can be positioned as an exclusive, invite-only experience that appeals to a targeted audience. The concept leverages the idea that unconventional activities can lead to stronger connections, making it a refreshing alternative to standard networking practices.
From: Episode 799 | TinySeed Tales s5e6: $500k ARR!
B2B SaaS Integration for LinkedIn Outreach
Market Gap: B2B companies struggle with efficient outreach on LinkedIn.
Develop a B2B SaaS integration tool specifically designed for LinkedIn outreach. This tool would automate various aspects of the outreach process, from connection requests to follow-up messages, while providing analytics on engagement and success rates. By integrating with existing CRMs and social media platforms, the tool can offer users a seamless experience that enhances their outreach efforts. Targeting sales teams and marketing professionals, this solution would address the growing need for efficient social selling in an increasingly digital landscape.
From: Episode 799 | TinySeed Tales s5e6: $500k ARR!
Competitive Intelligence Status Monitoring
Market Gap: Businesses miss opportunities to capitalize on competitors' outages.
This business idea entails developing a monitoring tool that alerts businesses when their competitors experience outages. By aggregating real-time data and leveraging user reports, this service can notify companies when their competitors face downtime, allowing them to reach out to potential customers who may be looking for alternatives. This tool would be particularly valuable for sales and marketing teams seeking to capitalize on competitors' weaknesses. The service could offer tiered pricing based on the number of competitors monitored and the frequency of alerts, thus appealing to various business sizes and sectors.
From: Episode 798 | Lessons From 10 Years of SaaS Growth Without a Hockey Stick
Early Outage Alert Monitoring Service
Market Gap: Companies struggle to manage outages without real-time alerts.
The idea is to create a dedicated service that provides early outage alerts for various online services, allowing businesses to manage their response to outages efficiently. This service would aggregate data from multiple sources, including user reports and official status updates, to notify IT departments before service providers acknowledge outages. This model could serve IT directors and managers who need to minimize support tickets and improve internal communications during service disruptions. By creating a comprehensive dashboard and alert system, businesses can proactively manage outages and communicate effectively with their teams.
From: Episode 798 | Lessons From 10 Years of SaaS Growth Without a Hockey Stick
IT Status Page Aggregator
Market Gap: Companies lack a centralized dashboard for service status.
This business idea focuses on creating an IT status page aggregator that consolidates the status of multiple services into one user-friendly dashboard. This service would enable IT managers and executives to quickly assess the operational status of all critical applications at a glance. By offering features such as real-time updates, historical data analysis, and customizable notifications, this platform could serve companies looking to streamline their incident response processes. Target customers would include IT departments in large enterprises and organizations that rely on multiple cloud services. This tool would not only enhance operational efficiency but also improve communication within teams during service disruptions.
From: Episode 798 | Lessons From 10 Years of SaaS Growth Without a Hockey Stick
Sales Coaching Service for SaaS Founders
Market Gap: Founders struggle with sales execution and need specialized coaching.
A dedicated sales coaching service for SaaS founders can provide the specialized training and mentorship needed to enhance their sales processes. This service would focus on helping founders improve their sales strategies, refine their pitches, and better understand market competition. The coaching would involve one-on-one sessions, role-playing scenarios, and feedback on sales calls. By investing in their sales skills, founders can accelerate their company's growth trajectory and overcome common sales barriers. This service not only addresses the immediate need for improved sales execution but also empowers founders to build sustainable sales practices as their businesses scale.
From: Episode 797 | TinySeed Tales s5e5: Should I Raise More Funding?
SaaS Institute for Experienced Founders
Market Gap: Experienced founders need ongoing support without raising funds.
The SaaS Institute is a coaching program designed for founders of SaaS companies generating seven to eight figures in annual recurring revenue (ARR). This institute provides access to mentorship, mastermind groups, and one-on-one coaching, helping these experienced entrepreneurs tackle the unique challenges they face as their business matures. Founders can apply to join and receive tailored support to enhance their business strategy, improve operational efficiency, and foster growth. This nurturing environment allows entrepreneurs to share experiences, gain insights, and refine their decision-making processes, leading to long-term success.
From: Episode 797 | TinySeed Tales s5e5: Should I Raise More Funding?
SaaS App Ecosystem Integration Tool
Market Gap: New SaaS founders struggle with marketing and customer acquisition.
This business idea proposes the development of a tool that helps SaaS founders integrate their products into existing app ecosystems, such as those on Shopify, iOS, or Heroku. By facilitating this integration, the tool would allow founders to leverage established platforms to gain visibility and customer access without needing a fully developed standalone product. This could reduce the initial complexity of launching a SaaS product, enabling founders to focus on refining their offerings and understanding their market. The target audience includes new SaaS founders who are looking for effective ways to enter the market and build a customer base quickly. The tool could be offered as a SaaS solution, charging a subscription fee or taking a percentage of sales generated through the ecosystem.
From: Episode 796 | Marketing Isn't Easy?, How to Grow Your Company, and Be Careful Who You Listen To (A Rob Solo Adventure)
SaaS Product Validation Framework
Market Gap: Founders often waste time building products without validating demand.
This business idea revolves around creating a SaaS product validation framework that assists founders in identifying and validating their product-market fit before they start building. The framework could include tools for conducting market research, customer interviews, and competitive analysis to help founders assess the viability of their ideas. By integrating these elements, founders can make informed decisions about which products to pursue based on real market needs, reducing the risk of launching products that lack demand. This framework could be offered as an online course, a SaaS platform, or even as a consulting service, targeting new founders in the SaaS space who may not have marketing or validation experience.
From: Episode 796 | Marketing Isn't Easy?, How to Grow Your Company, and Be Careful Who You Listen To (A Rob Solo Adventure)
Recent Episodes
Episode 798 | Lessons From 10 Years of SaaS Growth Without a Hockey Stick
Host: Rob Walling
Episode 797 | TinySeed Tales s5e5: Should I Raise More Funding?
Host: Rob Walling
Episode 796 | Marketing Isn't Easy?, How to Grow Your Company, and Be Careful Who You Listen To (A Rob Solo Adventure)
Host: Rob Walling
Episode 795 | TinySeed Tales s5e4: The $20K Milestone
Host: Rob Walling
3 ideas found
Episode 794 | From Struggling Side Project to Life-Changing SaaS Exit
Host: Rob Walling
Episode 792 | Hot Take Tuesday: GPT-5 Struggles, the A.I. Bubble, and the Windsurf Debacle
Host: Rob Walling
Episode 790 | From Scrappy to Scalable: Evolving Your Role as a Founder
Host: Rob Walling
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