I Copied a $100M SaaS, Undercut Their Prices, and Made $10K (Beginner Strategy)

🧐 Why You Should Even Care

Look, building a SaaS from scratch with zero clue where to start is like wandering a desert looking for water. The market’s crowded, ideas feel stale, and the “next big thing” sounds more like a lottery ticket than a plan. But what if you didn’t have to reinvent the wheel? What if you could find an existing, proven SaaS, spot the cracks in its armor, and build a lean, scrappy version that users actually want?

That’s exactly what Abhishek did with YouForm, an alternative to Typeform, pulling in $11,000 MRR without flashy marketing or a groundbreaking new idea. This post breaks down his “finding the gap” strategy, giving you a straightforward blueprint to test and launch your own micro SaaS with AI-powered launch system for creators in mind.

🛠️ The Setup: Tools and Mindset

Abhishek’s story starts in a familiar place: a no-code chatbot builder called Boatflow. It had around 200 users, mostly using it as a conversational form—essentially, a workaround for Typeform. When Typeform raised prices, that caught Abhishek’s eye. But pricing alone wasn’t enough to build a business on. So he dug deeper, scouring Twitter, Reddit, and Typeform’s own forums to find what users were really grumbling about.

What did he find? Features Typeform was missing. Pain points with the user experience. Gaps that a lean, no-frills product could fill.

His tech stack was simple and familiar: Laravel for the backend (he’s been working with it for 10 years), hosted on AWS, with Cloudflare for security, Stripe for payments, and OpenAI for fraud detection—because freemium attracts its share of freeloaders. The total monthly expenses? Under $1,200.

🔍 The Magic: Step-by-Step “Finding the Gap” Strategy

Here’s the blueprint you can use tonight to start hunting for your own micro SaaS idea:

1. Pick a popular SaaS to analyze. Search social platforms like Twitter and Reddit with keywords like “X alternative,” where X is a tool with a big user base. Abhishek picked Typeform.
2. Identify pain points or gaps. Look beyond just pricing. Are there features users want but aren’t getting? Is the UX clunky? Is the product trying to serve everyone and failing at some basics?
3. Create a simple landing page pitching your solution. This is your MVP. No fancy branding, no logo, just clear messaging that resonates with the problem you’re solving.
4. (Bonus) Build a one-click migration tool. Abhishek’s YouForm lets users paste their Typeform URL and instantly recreate their form on YouForm. This removes friction and makes switching painless.

The goal isn’t to clone every feature but to build a stripped-down, better-priced, or easier-to-use alternative that people can’t ignore.

💡 Opportunities You Can Jump On Now

Not sure where to start? Here are two big companies ripe for disruption, according to Abhishek:

• Canny alternative: Canny is moving upmarket and getting complex. Small startups need something simple and no-nonsense, so there’s space to build a leaner feedback tool.
• Digital habit-building app: There’s an app where you grow a digital forest by building habits, but recent reviews are mostly one-star. That signals frustration and opportunity.

One piece of advice: steer clear of building big social networks or marketplaces. Those are money and time sinks for indie hackers. Instead, focus on tools people already use and find ways to make them better or cheaper.

🚀 How Abhishek Built YouForm From Scratch

The first version of YouForm was barebones. No fancy landing page, no logo, just the core features:

• Basic fields like name, email, star rating
• Ability to download data as CSV
• No integrations with Google Sheets, no API, no bells or whistles

Abhishek built this MVP in two weeks and launched it with a simple landing page inviting users to try the beta. Once they hit 200 users, his wife stepped in to create a nicer homepage.

From there, the user base grew to 35,000 registered users, with about 500 paying customers on a freemium model where 90% of features remain free. That’s a conversion rate of around 1.5–2%, which is solid for SaaS.

📊 The Numbers Behind YouForm

Here’s what the business looks like now:

• Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR): $11,000
• Registered Users: ~35,000
• Paying Customers: ~500
• Monthly Unique Visitors: ~35,000
• Form Submissions Processed: 4 million+
• Monthly Expenses: Under $1,200

It’s lean, profitable, and growing steadily.

🎯 The Real Talk: Lessons Learned

Here’s what Abhishek wishes every founder knew before building their SaaS:

• Messaging is everything. Your product’s value proposition has to resonate with your ideal customer. If they don’t get what you do in 5 seconds, you’re sunk.
• Product quality and customer support matter. Keep your existing customers happy, and they’ll bring in more through referrals.
• Don’t build just because you can. Build because people want it — search for demand first, then supply.
• Take risks early. If you’re young and have fewer responsibilities, go all in. The payoff is worth it.
• Marketing isn’t optional. Even the best product won’t sell itself.

🤖 Build Your Own Micro SaaS with AI-Powered Launch System

Look, AI has leveled the playing field. You don’t need to be a coding genius or have a bankroll to start building. But figuring out what to build and how to start is the real challenge. That’s why programs like Starter Story Build exist — to help you go from idea to production-ready app in just a few days with expert guidance and AI tools at your fingertips.

If you want to test the “finding the gap” strategy for your own micro SaaS, start by:

• Picking a popular SaaS to analyze
• Mining social media and forums for complaints and feature requests
• Building a no-frills MVP that solves those pain points
• Launching a simple landing page to validate demand

With AI funnel builder tools and no-code startup tools, you can have a prototype up in hours, not weeks.

❓ FAQ

How do I find a SaaS worth copying?

Start with popular tools that have a large user base and active communities. Search for “[tool name] alternative” on Twitter, Reddit, and forums to see what users complain about or wish was better.

Is it okay to compete on price alone?

Price can be a factor if the current solution is too expensive, but it shouldn’t be the only one. Look for usability gaps, missing features, or pain points that you can solve better or simpler.

Do I need to build all features of the original SaaS?

No. Build a minimum viable product (MVP) that addresses the core pain points. You can always add more features later based on user feedback.

How do I get my first customers without building a full product?

Create a simple landing page explaining your solution and use targeted messaging to reach users frustrated with existing options. Bonus points if you can offer a one-click migration from the competitor’s platform.

What tech stack should I use?

Use what you’re comfortable with. Abhishek used Laravel and AWS because he knew those tools well. For payment, Stripe is reliable. For security, Cloudflare. For email, Mailgun. And leverage AI tools for tasks like fraud detection.

⚡ Final Word

The “finding the gap” strategy is simple but powerful: don’t try to be Uber or Facebook. Find a validated market with users already willing to pay, spot what’s broken or missing, and build a lean alternative that solves those problems better or cheaper.

It’s not easy. It requires listening, patience, and execution. But with AI-powered launch system for creators and no-code startup tools, it’s more doable than ever. So pick a tool, find your gap, and start building tonight.

This article was inspired by this amazing video I copied a $100M SaaS, undercut their prices, and made $10K (beginner strategy). Check out more from their awesome channel.