Niche SaaS: 450 Interviews Before Writing One Line of Code

Shruti Ghatge sent 2,500 cold emails and got zero replies. She and her co-founder spent eight months building InVision prototypes for their niche SaaS without writing a single line of code - and customers never knew it was not a real product. Zomentum validated a niche SaaS opportunity in IT managed service providers - an underserved market processing $200B in services - through 450+ customer interviews before writing code. Once launched, half of all prospects who saw the product signed up, a 50% conversion rate built on deep niche market SaaS research. In this episode, Shruti reveals why she abandoned a $50K contract in Southeast Asia, how virtual events became the growth engine for her vertical SaaS, and the playbook that took Zomentum to multiple six figures in ARR and $4M in funding. 🔑 Key Lessons 🎯 Validate your niche SaaS with prototypes, not code: Zomentum spent eight months on InVision mocks that customers could not distinguish from a real product. 📉 Zero cold email replies is a channel problem: 2,500 emails got zero responses, but one-on-one conversations through Reddit and Facebook groups generated all early traction. 🔄 Abandon non-repeatable markets even with revenue: Zomentum walked away from a $50K contract because every customer had different problems. 🤝 Ask about problems, never about solutions: Not being from the IT industry was an advantage - fresh eyes led to better niche SaaS product decisions. 🚀 Deep customer research drives high conversion: 450+ interviews gave such precise understanding that 50% of prospects sign up on first demo. Chapters Introduction Shruti's favorite quote on preparation and luck What Zomentum does: go-to-market platform for IT MSPs Shruti's background in venture capital at Accel Validating the niche SaaS idea through Reddit and Facebook Eight months of InVision prototypes without writing code Finding the low-friction entry point into the market Building the product after eight months of mocks Landing a customer in Southeast Asia at Cloud Expo Abandoning Southeast Asia despite a $50K contract Sending 2,500 cold emails with zero responses Why mass outreach fails but one-on-one works Team size: 30 people, multiple six figures ARR Virtual events as a level playing field for startups Lessons from the journey: trust your gut and act fast Lightning round Resources Full show notes: https://saasclub.io/269 Join 5,000+ SaaS founders: https://saasclub.io/email