How a dev.to Challenge helped me launch my first SaaS

Hi dev.to! 👋

A few months ago, I participated in a dev.to challenge. The goal was to develop a new functionality for AI Bots. I had been thinking about creating an image conversion service, and this challenge was the perfect opportunity to focus on building it. The short deadline motivated me to avoid procrastination and dive into development.

I ended up creating an API service capable of converting images, supporting various tools, and participating in the competition. While there were many incredible projects, I didn’t win. However, I kept my API running for at least a month, and the response was incredible! Over 1,000 bots used it for image conversion, processing more than 1,500 operations in just one month—all with zero advertisements or promotion beyond the dev.to page. 🤯

Inspired by this experience, a few months later, I decided to develop Image Wizard, an image processing service offering tools like compression and conversion (with more features on the way). Privacy is a core principle: we only use your image to process your requested operation, delete outputs after 24 hours (or sooner, if you choose), and operate without ads. Our mission is to keep enhancing this service with free and premium capabilities at a fair price.

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What I learned launching this SaaS

• Procrastination often stems from feeling lost: Use task tracking, app planning, or any tool that gives you a clear picture of your goals and what needs to be done.
• You don’t need to know everything upfront: Developing this service required me to learn a lot along the way. Building and learning can go hand in hand—you’ll figure things out as you go.
• Balance is essential: Take care of your health. Don’t pour everything into your SaaS while neglecting other aspects of life. A balanced life boosts productivity and creativity.
• Start with an MVP: Initially, I planned to launch with five tools. However, I focused on the essentials: Auth, Compress, Website, API, Billing Support, and one additional tool (Convert). The rest went to the backlog. Launching with a minimal viable product helped me prioritize.
• Tech is important, but marketing brings clients: Your platform might be amazing, but people need to know it exists. Don’t overlook marketing!
• Avoid overengineering: While advanced tools and structures can be tempting, keep things simple unless a complex setup is truly necessary. Don’t build a "FAANG-level" system unless your service genuinely needs it.
• Just do it: Sometimes, you just need to start. Stop overthinking and dive-in.

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Final Words

Creating a SaaS can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding! Participating in the dev.to challenge opened my eyes to the joy of building something from scratch—and it’s alive! Embrace the journey, plan ahead, and stay on track.

Image Wizard is a free, ad-free image processing service that supports over 20 image formats for compression and conversion. We value your privacy: images are processed securely, outputs are deleted within 24 hours, and there are no ads. For professionals or heavy users, our Pro plan offers perks like large image support, bulk processing of up to 30 images at once, and two API tokens—all at a fair price. You can save on storage costs by compressing images to reduce their size by up to 90%, or convert them to efficient formats like JPG. Our tools are simple to use and tailored for both casual users and professionals.

This app is launching today on Product Hunt! To learn more, click the badge below

Thank you for reading! If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to share. 🙂