SaaS MVP Launcher
Overview
This skill guides you through building a production-ready SaaS MVP in the shortest time possible. It covers everything from idea validation and tech stack selection to authentication, payments, database design, deployment, and launch — using modern, battle-tested tools.
When to Use This Skill
- Use when starting a new SaaS product from scratch
- Use when you need to choose a tech stack for a web application
- Use when setting up authentication, billing, or database for a SaaS
- Use when you want a structured launch checklist before going live
- Use when designing the architecture of a multi-tenant application
- Use when doing a technical review of an existing early-stage SaaS
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Validate Before You Build
Before writing any code, validate the idea:
Validation checklist:
- [ ] Can you describe the problem in one sentence?
- [ ] Who is the exact customer? (not "everyone")
- [ ] What do they pay for today to solve this?
- [ ] Have you talked to 5+ potential customers?
- [ ] Will they pay $X/month for your solution?
Rule: If you can't get 3 people to pre-pay or sign a letter of intent, don't build yet.
2. Choose Your Tech Stack
Recommended modern SaaS stack (2026):
| Layer | Choice | Why |
|---|
| Frontend | Next.js 15 + TypeScript | Full-stack, great DX, Vercel deploy |
| Styling | Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui | Fast, accessible, customizable |
| Backend | Next.js API Routes or tRPC | Type-safe, co-located |
| Database | PostgreSQL via Supabase | Reliable, scalable, free tier |
| ORM | Prisma or Drizzle | Type-safe queries, migrations |
| Auth | Clerk or NextAuth.js | Social login, session management |
| Payments | Stripe | Industry standard, great docs |
| Email | Resend + React Email | Modern, developer-friendly |
| Deployment | Vercel (frontend) + Railway (backend) | Zero-config, fast CI/CD |
| Monitoring | Sentry + PostHog | Error tracking + analytics |
3. Project Structure
my-saas/
├── app/ # Next.js App Router
│ ├── (auth)/ # Auth routes (login, signup)
│ ├── (dashboard)/ # Protected app routes
│ ├── (marketing)/ # Public landing pages
│ └── api/ # API routes
├── components/
│ ├── ui/ # shadcn/ui components
│ └── [feature]/ # Feature-specific components
├── lib/
│ ├── db.ts # Database client (Prisma/Drizzle)
│ ├── stripe.ts # Stripe client
│ └── email.ts # Email client (Resend)
├── prisma/
│ └── schema.prisma # Database schema
├── .env.local # Environment variables
└── middleware.ts # Auth middleware
4. Core Database Schema (Multi-tenant SaaS)
model User {
id String @id @default(cuid())
email String @unique
name String?
createdAt DateTime @default(now())
subscription Subscription?
workspaces WorkspaceMember[]
}
model Workspace {
id String @id @default(cuid())
name String
slug String @unique
plan Plan @default(FREE)
members WorkspaceMember[]
createdAt DateTime @default(now())
}
model Subscription {
id String @id @default(cuid())
userId String @unique
user User @relation(fields: [userId], references: [id])
stripeCustomerId String @unique
stripePriceId String
stripeSubId String @unique
status String # active, canceled, past_due
currentPeriodEnd DateTime
}
enum Plan {
FREE
PRO
ENTERPRISE
}
5. Authentication Setup (Clerk)
// middleware.ts
import { clerkMiddleware, createRouteMatcher } from '@clerk/nextjs/server';
const isPublicRoute = createRouteMatcher([
'/',
'/pricing',
'/blog(.*)',
'/sign-in(.*)',
'/sign-up(.*)',
'/api/webhooks(.*)',
]);
export default clerkMiddleware((auth, req) => {
if (!isPublicRoute(req)) {
auth().protect();
}
});
export const config = {
matcher: ['/((?!.*\\..*|_next).*)', '/', '/(api|trpc)(.*)'],
};
6. Stripe Integration (Subscriptions)
// lib/stripe.ts
import Stripe from 'stripe';
export const stripe = new Stripe(process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY!, {
apiVersion: '2025-01-27.acacia',
});
// Create checkout session
export async function createCheckoutSession(userId: string, priceId: string) {
return stripe.checkout.sessions.create({
mode: 'subscription',
payment_method_types: ['card'],
line_items: [{ price: priceId, quantity: 1 }],
success_url: `${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_URL}/dashboard?success=true`,
cancel_url: `${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_URL}/pricing`,
metadata: { userId },
});
}
7. Pre-Launch Checklist
Technical:
Product:
Marketing:
Best Practices
- ✅ Do: Ship a working MVP in 4-6 weeks maximum, then iterate based on feedback
- ✅ Do: Charge from day 1 — free users don't validate product-market fit
- ✅ Do: Build the "happy path" first, handle edge cases later
- ✅ Do: Use feature flags for gradual rollouts (e.g., Vercel Edge Config)
- ✅ Do: Monitor user behavior from launch day — not after problems arise
- ❌ Don't: Build every feature before talking to customers
- ❌ Don't: Optimize for scale before reaching $10k MRR
- ❌ Don't: Build a custom auth system — use Clerk, Auth.js, or Supabase Auth
- ❌ Don't: Skip the onboarding flow — it's where most SaaS lose users
Troubleshooting
Problem: Users sign up but don't activate (don't use core feature)
Solution: Reduce steps to first value. Track with PostHog where users drop off in onboarding.
Problem: High churn after trial
Solution: Add an exit survey. Most churn is due to lack of perceived value, not price.
Problem: Stripe webhook events not received locally
Solution: Use Stripe CLI: stripe listen --forward-to localhost:3000/api/webhooks/stripe
Problem: Database migrations failing in production
Solution: Always run prisma migrate deploy (not prisma migrate dev) in production environments.
Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.