The era of solo success has arrived. Particularly for creators, starting a SaaS (Software as a Service) business has become more appealing than ever. We have already witnessed global YouTubers like MrBeast launching their own SaaS, proving the vast potential in this field. In this article, we will explore the cases of successful creators and discover how they managed to earn billions on their own.
Solo Creators and SaaS: Now Anyone Can Do It
The success of creators venturing into SaaS businesses is no coincidence. They already possess a loyal follower base and a deep understanding of their field, enabling them to create products that solve real problems. MrBeast’s SaaS, Viewstats, is a powerful tool for analyzing YouTube channel performance, continuously improving through communication with his fans.
In Korea, creators like Joo Eon-gyu and Reels Hacker have successfully launched Viewtrap and Shortboost, respectively, establishing a foothold in the SaaS market. These examples demonstrate that creators can generate recurring revenue through SaaS businesses.
Successful International Examples: Link Drip and Study Buddy
Internationally, micro SaaS services like Link Drip and Study Buddy have gained significant attention. Link Drip is a simple yet powerful tool that tracks the origin of clicks on shared links. Every time a user posts a link on social media, they can accurately identify its source, maximizing marketing efficiency. This tool is particularly useful for content creators, allowing them to effectively manage the traffic generated from their channels.
Study Buddy is an AI-based homework assistant tool for college students that automatically finds answers to the homework problems entered by users. The founder, Oliver Brocato, got the idea from TikTok, quickly developed a minimum viable product (MVP), and achieved great success with a simple demo video.
Content Is the Product: Study Buddy’s Strategy
Study Buddy is an example of a product that succeeded through a proven content strategy rather than creating the product first. Founder Oliver used a viral video on TikTok as inspiration to develop the product. This approach contrasts with many startups that create the product first and then figure out how to market it. Oliver identified a proven content strategy first and created a product aligned with it, achieving success. This approach, known as Product-Led Growth (PLG), is gaining significant attention in the SaaS market.
Conclusion
Creators are no longer just content producers. They now have the opportunity to improve their products through close communication with their fans and generate continuous revenue through SaaS businesses. You, too, can start your own SaaS business right now. You can succeed alone and, in the process, strengthen your connection with your fans.