Build a SaaS in 30 Days with AI: The Indie Hacker Playbook

Building a SaaS used to take months of work. With AI tools, you can now go from idea to paying customers in 30 days or less. I've tested this approach multiple times. Here's what actually works.

The 30-Day Framework

We'll divide the month into four weekly sprints:

Week 1: Validate, design, and plan
Week 2: Build the core product
Week 3: Launch and get first users
Week 4: Iterate, optimize, and monetize

Week 1: Validate & Design

Don't start coding yet. Use AI to validate your idea and design your product.

Day 1-2: Idea Validation

Use Perplexity to research your market and competitors
Use Claude to analyze Reddit, Hacker News, and Twitter for pain points
Create a landing page with v0.dev in minutes
Validate with 10 potential customers before moving on

Day 3-5: Design & Architecture

Use Cursor to generate database schema and API structure
Use v0.dev or Midjourney for UI mockups
Plan your MVP features with Claude - focus on the smallest feature set that delivers value
Set up your GitHub repository and CI/CD with Lovable

Week 2: Build

Now we build. Use AI pair programmers to move at superhuman speed.

Day 6-10: Core Development

Cursor is your main tool - use it for all coding tasks
Bolt.new for quick prototypes and MVPs
v0.dev for UI components
Claude for complex logic and debugging
Ship daily - deploy to Vercel every evening

Day 11-14: Polish & Integrate

Add authentication (Clerk, Auth.js, or Supabase)
Set up payments with Stripe
Add analytics (we'll use GA4)
Write documentation with ChatGPT
Test on mobile and desktop

Week 3: Launch

Get your first users. Launch publicly and start building momentum.

Launch Channels

Product Hunt (free)
Hacker News (free)
Twitter/X build-in-public
Indie Hackers forum
Reddit (r/webdev, r/sideproject)

Pre-Launch Checklist

Submit to Product Hunt
Write launch tweet thread
Prepare email to your list
Set up waiting list if not launched
Create demo video (use Gamma)

Week 4: Iterate & Monetize

Now we make it a business. Get feedback, fix issues, and start charging.

Key Actions

Day 15-18: Fix bugs from launch, respond to all feedback
Day 19-21: Launch on Product Hunt, track analytics
Day 22-25: Convert waiting list to paying customers
Day 26-28: First revenue optimization, raise prices if needed
Day 29-30: Plan month 2, celebrate your launch! 🎉

Your AI Tech Stack

Here's the exact stack I'd recommend for a 30-day SaaS:

Category	Tool	Why
Code Editor	Cursor	AI pair programmer
UI Components	v0.dev	Beautiful components fast
Full-Stack	Bolt.new	Prototyping speed
AI Assistant	Claude	Complex reasoning
Database	Supabase	Postgres + Auth built-in
Hosting	Vercel	Free tier, great DX

The 80/20 Rule

Focus on the 20% of work that gives 80% of results. Don't get caught in perfectionism.

Ship with minimal features - add more after launch
Use templates and boilerplate when possible
Automate everything you can with AI
Don't build in public until you have something to show
Get paying customers before optimizing

💡 Pro Tip

The fastest SaaS launches I've seen all shared one trait: they solved a real problem for the founder. Build for yourself first, then find others with the same problem.