How Two Friends Built a Fast-Growing SaaS Business To $275K/month
How Two Friends Built a Fast-Growing SaaS Business To $275K/month
Dec 3, 2024
Osman Koc
Osman Koc
⏳ 4.8 min
⏳ 4.8 min
Revenue/month
Revenue/month
$275,000
$275,000
$275,000
No. of founders
No. of founders
4
4
4
Startup costs
Startup costs
$200K
$200K
$200K
Company type
Company type
Company type
SaaS
SaaS
SaaS
Contents
The Spark of an Idea
The Spark of an Idea
Osman and Muhammet didn’t start with a groundbreaking idea. After running a startup studio, YNOT Partners, in Istanbul, they saved enough to chase their dream in San Francisco, the land of startups. But when they arrived, they had one glaring issue: no business idea.
For weeks, they scoured platforms like Crunchbase and G2 Crowd, attended networking events, and met 100+ people. Still, nothing clicked. Lesson #1? Execution trumps ideas. Ideas are cheap; making them work is the hard part.
Osman and Muhammet didn’t start with a groundbreaking idea. After running a startup studio, YNOT Partners, in Istanbul, they saved enough to chase their dream in San Francisco, the land of startups. But when they arrived, they had one glaring issue: no business idea.
For weeks, they scoured platforms like Crunchbase and G2 Crowd, attended networking events, and met 100+ people. Still, nothing clicked. Lesson #1? Execution trumps ideas. Ideas are cheap; making them work is the hard part.
A Problem in Plain Sight
A Problem in Plain Sight
Amidst this frustration, a stroke of inspiration came when a friend invited them to analyze a startup’s product. It had great potential but was painfully difficult to use. This problem resonated—they had faced similar challenges while building web apps for startups at YNOT.
Here was their lightbulb moment: a no-code tool to create user onboarding experiences. They envisioned interactive product tours that anyone could build without technical skills, simplifying the onboarding process for SaaS platforms and beyond.
Amidst this frustration, a stroke of inspiration came when a friend invited them to analyze a startup’s product. It had great potential but was painfully difficult to use. This problem resonated—they had faced similar challenges while building web apps for startups at YNOT.
Here was their lightbulb moment: a no-code tool to create user onboarding experiences. They envisioned interactive product tours that anyone could build without technical skills, simplifying the onboarding process for SaaS platforms and beyond.
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➤ Every week, we dig up stories of how regular people started and grew their businesses—
➤ Plus the marketing hacks that won them customers.
➤ Then, we share those insights with you.
➤ Every week, we dig up stories of how regular people started and grew their businesses—
➤ Plus the marketing hacks that won them customers.
➤ Then, we share those insights with you.
Building the MVP
Building the MVP
The duo met with Aykut, a successful entrepreneur, who loved their idea and gave them a challenge: “Build an MVP in two weeks, and I’ll be your first customer.”
Fueled by this opportunity, they worked around the clock. Osman focused on design, Muhammet on development, and their friend Alican created the visuals. In 14 days, they built a working prototype and onboarded Aykut’s startup as their first paying customer.
Takeaway? A single believer in your vision can propel you to action.
Photo credit: starter story - The founders of UserGuiding showing Aykut their progress
The duo met with Aykut, a successful entrepreneur, who loved their idea and gave them a challenge: “Build an MVP in two weeks, and I’ll be your first customer.”
Fueled by this opportunity, they worked around the clock. Osman focused on design, Muhammet on development, and their friend Alican created the visuals. In 14 days, they built a working prototype and onboarded Aykut’s startup as their first paying customer.
Takeaway? A single believer in your vision can propel you to action.
Photo credit: starter story - The founders of UserGuiding showing Aykut their progress
Turning Feedback into Gold
Turning Feedback into Gold
After securing Aykut as a customer and advisor, they launched on Product Hunt in January 2018. The response was electric: 300+ sign-ups and paying customers flooded in. But not everything was rosy. Customers bombarded them with questions and criticisms.
Instead of being defensive, they leaned in. This feedback shaped UserGuiding into a product users truly wanted. Lesson #2? Early feedback is invaluable. Treat it as a treasure map, not an attack.
After securing Aykut as a customer and advisor, they launched on Product Hunt in January 2018. The response was electric: 300+ sign-ups and paying customers flooded in. But not everything was rosy. Customers bombarded them with questions and criticisms.
Instead of being defensive, they leaned in. This feedback shaped UserGuiding into a product users truly wanted. Lesson #2? Early feedback is invaluable. Treat it as a treasure map, not an attack.
The Growth Playbook
The Growth Playbook
By their 5th month, they hit a turning point with a lifetime deal campaign on AppSumo. It brought thousands of new customers from various countries, validated their product, and provided cash flow equivalent to a pre-seed investment. Here’s how they grew from there:
Content Marketing Powerhouse
Published 3 blog posts weekly.
Shared onboarding tips, customer success stories, and user experience advice.
Their Quora answers became a goldmine, viewed over 10K times, positioning them as thought leaders.
Cold Emailing Done Right
Personalized emails targeting SaaS founders brought in leads. Muhammet even built a bot to auto-generate draft guides for potential clients, making their outreach hyper-relevant.Leveraging Advisors
Aykut and other mentors gave strategic advice on product development and marketing. As Osman puts it, “Advisors are like cheat codes for tricky levels in a video game.”
UserGuiding now has over 200,000 monthly visitors to its site
By their 5th month, they hit a turning point with a lifetime deal campaign on AppSumo. It brought thousands of new customers from various countries, validated their product, and provided cash flow equivalent to a pre-seed investment. Here’s how they grew from there:
Content Marketing Powerhouse
Published 3 blog posts weekly.
Shared onboarding tips, customer success stories, and user experience advice.
Their Quora answers became a goldmine, viewed over 10K times, positioning them as thought leaders.
Cold Emailing Done Right
Personalized emails targeting SaaS founders brought in leads. Muhammet even built a bot to auto-generate draft guides for potential clients, making their outreach hyper-relevant.Leveraging Advisors
Aykut and other mentors gave strategic advice on product development and marketing. As Osman puts it, “Advisors are like cheat codes for tricky levels in a video game.”
UserGuiding now has over 200,000 monthly visitors to its site
Competing in a Crowded Market
Competing in a Crowded Market
UserGuiding wasn’t the first player in the onboarding space. Competitors existed, but most had grown complex and required coding. Osman and Muhammet aimed to be the Canva of user onboarding—simple, intuitive, and affordable.
They focused on what they called the 3A framework:
Applicable: Easy to use with no coding required.
Accessible: Proactive customer support.
Affordable: Lower pricing compared to competitors.
UserGuiding wasn’t the first player in the onboarding space. Competitors existed, but most had grown complex and required coding. Osman and Muhammet aimed to be the Canva of user onboarding—simple, intuitive, and affordable.
They focused on what they called the 3A framework:
Applicable: Easy to use with no coding required.
Accessible: Proactive customer support.
Affordable: Lower pricing compared to competitors.
Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Start with Your Network
Osman’s early conversations with SaaS founders shaped their product. Your first 10 customers can often come from your phonebook.Speed Beats Perfection
Their MVP wasn’t flawless, but it worked. They didn’t wait for perfection before launching.Customer-Centric Development
Every feature was built based on customer feedback, ensuring they solved real problems.Think Big, Start Small
They dream of being the Canva of their niche but started by solving one specific problem for SaaS businesses.
Start with Your Network
Osman’s early conversations with SaaS founders shaped their product. Your first 10 customers can often come from your phonebook.Speed Beats Perfection
Their MVP wasn’t flawless, but it worked. They didn’t wait for perfection before launching.Customer-Centric Development
Every feature was built based on customer feedback, ensuring they solved real problems.Think Big, Start Small
They dream of being the Canva of their niche but started by solving one specific problem for SaaS businesses.
Final Advice
Final Advice
Osman sums up his advice beautifully:
Talk to your customers early and often. Even without a product, reach out and ask questions.
Find advisors who’ve been there. They can shortcut your learning curve.
Focus on execution, not perfection. Build, launch, and iterate.
The UserGuiding story isn’t just about building a product; it’s a masterclass in resilience, resourcefulness, and relentless focus on the customer.
P.S. I’ve got a weekly newsletter where I share Stories of how regular people started and grew their businesses— Plus the marketing hacks that won them customers. Then, I share those insights with you. I would love for you to join us here
Shoot me a DM if you want to share your story or visit this page to submit your information 💌
- h/t UserGuiding, Meduim, Galata Business Angels, Starter Story, ⇢ Great resources
Osman sums up his advice beautifully:
Talk to your customers early and often. Even without a product, reach out and ask questions.
Find advisors who’ve been there. They can shortcut your learning curve.
Focus on execution, not perfection. Build, launch, and iterate.
The UserGuiding story isn’t just about building a product; it’s a masterclass in resilience, resourcefulness, and relentless focus on the customer.
P.S. I’ve got a weekly newsletter where I share Stories of how regular people started and grew their businesses— Plus the marketing hacks that won them customers. Then, I share those insights with you. I would love for you to join us here
Shoot me a DM if you want to share your story or visit this page to submit your information 💌
- h/t UserGuiding, Meduim, Galata Business Angels, Starter Story, ⇢ Great resources
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One month stretch ⇢ $100
Three-month stretch ⇢ $250
