90-Day Death Clock: 3 Months for Your SAAS to Thrive or Dive
Read the full article: 90-Day Death Clock: 3 Months for Your SAAS to Thrive or Dive
If you’re building a SaaS product solo, you don’t fail when you run out of money—you failed 3 months ago when you didn’t validate the idea. Here’s how to avoid that fate.
Why the First 90 Days Matter
42% of startups fail because there’s no market need (CB Insights). If you don’t prove demand within 3 months, your business already died.
Day 1-30: Vision First
- Find a painful problem (not just a minor inconvenience).
- Narrow down your target audience—solve a niche issue first.
- Pre-sell before you build. If no one will pay for it early, they won’t pay later.
Day 31-60: Validate or Kill It
- Launch a quick MVP (even a landing page or demo video works).
- Use free traffic: Twitter, Reddit, and LinkedIn communities.
- Do cold outreach—real conversations validate better than surveys.
- Run $100 Google/Facebook ad tests. If no one bites, rethink the offer.
Day 61-90: Still No Traction? Pivot or Quit
- Gather real user feedback.
- Rethink pricing—good products fail with bad pricing.
- Explore adjacent problems if your core idea isn’t sticking.
- If nothing works, move on. Don’t waste time on a dead product.
Biggest Pitfalls to Avoid
- Perfectionism: Done > Perfect. Launch fast, improve later.
- Ignoring marketing: Even the best product fails without users.
- Burnout: Automate where possible, focus on what matters, and pace yourself.
Who Survives?
The ones who validate early, move fast, and aren’t afraid to pivot (or walk away).
Are you building something right now? Where are you in the 90-day cycle?