Where do the best SaaS ideas actually come from?

In this episode, Rob reads a chapter from his new book, Idea to Traction: Stop Building SaaS Nobody Wants in the Age of AI. He walks through the five places problems tend to show up, eight strategic approaches for finding and shaping a product idea (with real examples), and when it makes sense to replicate an existing idea.

Pre-order the hardback before November 10th to get bonus PDFs, a seat in a live Q&A to ask your early stage questions, and a free copy of the ebook or audiobook ideatotractionbook.com.

• (1:41) – Why Rob wrote Idea to Traction
• (3:29) – What the new book covers
• (6:03) – Pre-order bonuses and live Q&A
• (7:32) – Chapter three: how to find startup ideas
• (9:09) – Solve a problem, not a moonshot
• (10:34) – Five places problems come from
• (12:52) – Approach 1: Translate an idea to a new niche
• (13:50) – Approach 2: Find a hated competitor
• (14:57) – Approach 3: Build on your audience
• (16:04) – Approach 4: Build on your network
• (16:50) – Approach 5: Undercut a clunky enterprise competitor
• (17:49) – Approach 6: Enter a fast-growing ecosystem
• (19:15) – Approach 7: Build on an existing product
• (20:13) – Approach 8: Audit your day job spending
• (21:20) – Can you replicate an existing idea?

• Idea to Traction: Stop Building SaaS Nobody Wants in the Age of AI
• Start Small, Stay Small
• The SaaS Playbook
• MicroConf
• State of Independent SaaS Report
• TinySeed
• The Stair Step Method of Bootstrapping
• Derek Sivers
• Jason Cohen
• Basecamp
• WP Engine
• Builder Prime
• Bidsketch
• SignWell
• SparkToro
• ScrapingBee
• ScatterSpoke
• Clarity.fm
• DealForma
• ScoutDNS
• Baremetrics
• StaticKit
• SavvyCal
• Seriously Simple Podcasting / Castos
• CartHook

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you'd like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We'd love to hear from you!

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How do you pivot your SaaS when things aren’t working?

This week Rob talks with Nathan Tyler, founder of BlinkMetrics, about the messy, uncertain process of finding product market fit in real time. Nathan walks through why his original EOS scorecard idea didn't work, how hundreds of coffee chats led to a done for you reporting business, and why he just launched a second product, BlinkPages, right in the middle of it all.

• (2:43) – The Staging Pilot exit to Pantheon
• (4:44) – BlinkMetrics origin story
• (5:59) – 104 coffee chats, real revenue
• (8:09) – Why not launch 12 products in 12 weeks
• (9:39) – Launching a second product: BlinkPages
• (13:09) – Squarespace to BlinkPages migration
• (17:03) – Why static sites beat WordPress now
• (21:02) – Knowing when to pivot
• (25:26) – Market pull vs. shiny object
• (32:10) – Pricing migrations, hosting, and AI costs

• Get your Ticket for MicroConf US - Austin, Texas on April 18 - 20, 2027 | Use promo code ROB50
• BlinkMetrics
• BlinkPages
• The SaaS Playbook
• Exit Strategy Book
• Nathan Tyler | LinkedIn

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you'd like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We'd love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

Should you be worried that another founder will steal your idea if you ask them for advice?

In this episode, Rob is joined by Ruben Gamez to answer four listener questions: whether reaching out to more advanced founders puts your idea at risk, how to convince big name customers to agree to a case study, what to do when a platform ecosystem (like Shopify's app store) turns hostile, and how to sell a B2G SaaS product when your sales cycle only runs during the hours you're already at a day job.

Want to get your question answered? Submit your question for an upcoming episode.

• (1:59) – Fear that outreach could get an idea stolen
• (3:50) – Why no one actually steals ideas
• (9:12) – Getting copied is inevitable once you're public
• (13:45) – How to land big brand case studies
• (15:39) – Using discounts to secure case studies
• (18:11) – Shopify's fake review extortion
• (20:21) – Should you move to a standalone SaaS
• (25:06) – B2G SaaS around a day job
• (28:29) – Why GovTech rarely attracts angel investment

• Tiny Summit | December 5–7, 2026 · Cancun, Mexico
• TinySeed SaaS Institute
• MicroConf
• SignWell
• Ruben Gamez (@earthlingworks) | X

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you'd like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We'd love to hear from you!

Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify