For the first time, I didn't over-engineer

Backstory: Lessons from My First Micro-SaaS Launch

Three years ago, I launched my very first micro-SaaS product, EmbedTables.com. I poured about three months into building it but looking back now, I realize I made some poor choices, particularly with the tech stack. I overcomplicated a simple SaaS app that only needed to handle:

• Sign in/sign up
• Payments with Stripe
• A visual table configurator

Instead of choosing something straightforward, I opted for:

• Vue.js with Nuxt and SCSS for the frontend
• Frontend was hosted on netlify.com
• Google Cloud Functions for the backend
• FaunaDB for the database (I didn't even know how to use it)

In hindsight, this was complete overkill for an idea that hadn't even been validated yet and might never go anywhere. The tech stack was complex, unfamiliar, and ultimately unnecessary for what was supposed to be a simple product.

A New Approach with diffduck.com

Fast forward to today, and I’m building something new: diffduck.com – an AI tool that helps you quickly understand codebase changes. This time, I took inspiration from Kent Beck’s thinkie: “Make it run, then make it right.” The key takeaway for me was that in the early stages of building a startup, the most important thing is to move fast so I should make the code as dead simple as possible even if it means less clean or performative.

So, instead of three months, I spent just three weeks coding diffduck. I kept things simple, focusing on getting a functional product out the door. Here’s what I used:

• FastAPI to render plain HTML, with some embedded Vue.js for the interactive parts
• The entire project, including business logic, sign in/up, and payments, is contained in just two files
• Everything is hosted on render.com

And you know what? I love it. This streamlined approach has not only made the development process faster but also more enjoyable. By simplifying my tech stack and focusing on the essentials, I’ve been able to move quickly and efficiently.

The difference between my first and second micro-SaaS products is night and day. With EmbedTables, I got bogged down in unnecessary complexity. With diffduck, I’m staying lean and nimble, and I already see the benefits.

My advice is if you’re working on your own startup, remember Kent Beck’s advice: make it run, then make it right. Don’t overcomplicate things. Focus on getting something out there, validating your idea, and iterating from there.