[Workshop] What comes to your mind when you think about requirements for a successful SaaS app? It’s easy to build, it’s flexible, it’s scalable, right? But even more important is it’s lean, which means it is continually being improved according to what the audience needs. Sabrina will go over the process of planning such a startup, step by step — how to validate the idea for the market, define your target audience, make marketing personas, pick a pricing model, plan your application structure, create an SEO-friendly content strategy, and end up with a ready-to-go development plan. Plus learn how to pick the most appropriate tools to build a lean SaaS startup with WordPress Multisite.

1. ● WordPress lover since 2010
● WordPress Multisite fan
● Rocketeer at
● Loves spaghetti with tomato and basil
● Swims 4,3 km per hour freestyle
Sabrina Zeidan

2. WordCamp Europe 2019

3. Step 1: Validate your startup idea
Why SaaS (Software as a Service)
In 2018, the average company spent $343,000 on SaaS
SaaS trends report

4. Step 1: Validate your startup idea
The Lean Approach
Should we build this?

5. Step 1: Validate your startup idea
Building an MVP
Don’t build a product like this. You only discover if you have succeeded at the end
Instead start with something basic and gather feedback as you get more
complex

6. Step 1: Validate your startup idea
Build-Measure-Learn Loop
Lean Startup

7. What we gonna do today:
1. test the viability of the concept you have
2. design business model
3. plan a Minimum Viable Product

8. If you wait until the last minute, it only
takes a minute to do.
* Someone rephrased Parkinson's law

9. Step 1: Validate your startup idea
Let’s do a quick validation!
+ audience
+ problem
+ solution

10. Step 2: Make a Model
Business Model Canvas
Canvas

11. Step 2: Make a Model
Persona and their pains

12. Step 2: Make a Model
Customer journey

13. Step 2: Make a Model
Customer journey

14. Step 3: Make an MVP
In order to deliver MVP asap, SaaS app should be:
1. easy-to-build
2. customizable
3. scalable

15. Gutenberg
Step 3: Make an MVP
Tools: Landing Pages

16. Step 3: Make an MVP
Tools: Custom Post Types
Custom Post Types

17. Step 3: Make an MVP
Tools: Taxonomies
● CPT Meal Plan
● CPT Recipe
● CPT Product
+Taxonomy: Diet Stage
+Taxonomy: Diet Stage + Meal Type
+Taxonomy Diet Stage
Taxonomies

18. Step 3: Make an MVP
Tools: WordPress user system
+ User Role Editor plugin

19. Step 3: Make an MVP
Tools: Advanced Custom Fields
Advanced Custom Fields

20. Step 3: Make an MVP
Tools: WooCommerce+Add-ons

21. Step 3: Make an MVP
Tools: Bringing everything to the frontend

22. Step 3: Make an MVP
Tools: WordPress Multisite + Network
WP Multi Network

23. Step 3: Make an MVP
Tools: Turning everything into SaaS
Paid Memberships Pro plugin

24. Your turn!

25. Step 3: Make an MVP
Validation:

26. Step 3: Make an MVP
Cutting away:
Don’t build a product like this. You only discover if you have succeeded at the end
Instead start with something basic and gather feedback as you get more
complex

27. Done?

28. It’s just the beginning!
Lean Startup

29. Thank you!

30. ● https://wordpress.tv
● https://wordpress.org/showcase/
● https://sabrinazeidan.com/wpmu_use_case/
More examples of SaaS apps
built with WordPress Multisite

31. Get in touch with me:
● @sabrina_zeidan
● http://sabrinazeidan.com/
● sabrinazeidan@gmail.com
● or just say Hi right after this workshop is over :)
Questions?
WordCamp Europe 2019