Build With Ryan

Well. Here goes. I am taking the plunge and documenting my SaaS build journey in public. The wins. The losses. The real numbers. Here's why 🧵

@nikitabier X is becoming a one stop shop. Users aren't going to want to leave!

Ladies and gentlemen, we're launching a brand new Photo Editor in our post composer. It has long-overdue features like drawing & text. But we also included special add-ons that are unique to X: • Edit with words, powered by Grok • Add a blur to redact parts of the photo Available now on iOS (and Android soon). Give it a spin and post some photos.

@myfirstmilpod Beautiful piece of kit - checked it out the second I head it discussed on the pod! Less is certainly more with this.

If you love how your iPhone or vintage iPod looks, thank a 1953 Braun radio. Steve Jobs based the design on the Braun T3, created by legendary designer Dieter Rams. Post-WWI Germany was in ruins: economy destroyed, young people angry, and identity shattered. Architect Walter Gropius said "enough" and founded a radical movement that stripped away status symbols and designed only for the user: "less is more." Dieter Rams took that philosophy and built the ultra-minimal T3: clean lines, few buttons, zero bullshit. Steve Jobs became obsessed. He studied every detail. The original iPod? Basically the T3 with a screen. Every sleek Apple product you own traces its DNA back to angry Germans rebuilding after losing a war. Minimalism wasn't born in Silicon Valley. It came from people who had nothing left to lose. @thesamparr

@jackbutcher I saw my partner using it - and really thought it was a waste of time. What use cases are you using it for?

Late to this but iPhone mirroring on mac is a massive unlock if you are switching between phone/computer constantly

@sweatystartup Great piece Nick - felt like you were holding a mirror up to myself with a few of those points. Will use it as my bible in what not to do moving forward.

@TrungTPhan I'm just gonna say it guys - I think we should turn this whole sh*t off. Just pull the plug! 🤣🤣

@mhp_guy The simplest ideas are often the best. People often get caught up wanting to build the next big digital start up - when businesses like this will give you the best lifestyle.

With this business, you're literally solving the biggest complaint that people have about traditional wallpaper while charging art gallery prices. Next time you're out and about in the world and you see a genius idea and you say in your head "well, that's a good idea" Insert the word "business" Because any good idea could be a good business idea. No one's doing this. No one's framing wallpaper and selling it as an alternative to permanent wallpaper. People want the look of expensive wallpaper without the commitment, the mess, or the expense of installation. Plus, renters can finally have wallpaper without losing their security deposit. This is amazing. I love business.

@jackfriks That's one of my biggest motivations to be successful.

peak of making money on the internet is actually not the money itself but sharing what it brings with those you love

@SahilBloom Kids are the biggest piece of motivation any man can have. You aren't just building a life for yourself any more. There is nothing that makes me work harder.

I spent most of my 20s thinking I didn’t want kids. Thought it was a distraction from achieving “success” (whatever that meant). Well, last night, I was tucking my son into bed and he looked at me and said, “Dada, you’re my hero.” It was the best moment of my life. I can’t imagine not experiencing this. I’m not sure how anything will ever measure up to the feeling I had in that moment. Purest joy I’ve ever felt. I’m glad my definition of success changed, because this version is much better.

@dayonefoundry $99-$149 seems like a lot to people who are building B2C businesses. Turn your focus to B2B and $99 becomes and impulse purchase.

My favorite SaaS price point is $99–$149/mo. 65–100 customers = $10k MRR 650–1000 customers = $100k MRR 6k–10k customers = $1M MRR Ambitious, but all very obtainable

@Coachbenjamin_ Effort compounds like money in the stock market. If you continuously put in the effort at £0 MRR. The rewards are often just round the corner.

• First month, I made $0 • Second month, I made $0 • Third month, I made $0 • Fourth month, I made $0 • Fifth month, I made $0 • Sixth month, I made $0 • Seventh month, I made $5 • Eighth month, I made $400 • Ninth month, I made $3k The lesson is clear.

@Codie_Sanchez School's appear to be putting all of their efforts into keeping it out of the classroom. Instead of embracing it and setting their kids up for life. I do understand it - School is a time for building your skills where over use of Ai can make you lazy.

Harsh truth: If you are in school right now and they aren't teaching you AI and or robotics... leave.

@juliadziesinska I thought Thailand was supposed to be cheap?

this is what $80 of groceries look like in thailand btw + 7L water

Does anyone have a reddit strategy to get your product in front of users? I'm not looking to be spammy, but MOD's block anything and everything under the guise of "self promotion"

@Layton_Gott All depends where your user base hang out. For me it’s X. I used build in public as a form of community rather than a way to drive users to my business.

Which is the most overrated platform for getting users?

@rxhit05 100 free users. Widespread feedback for you to spot key patterns for improvement. 1 paid user, any iterations to your product would be aligned to that users specific workflow, instead of appealing to a wider audience.

What's more valuable early? 1. One paying user 2. 100 free users

@Anoyroyc It’s easy to get caught up in the Ai whirlwind that is X. The general population are either not using Ai or are using it to redecorate their living room. We’re early.

been thinking about this a lot lately every industry you can imagine is still wide open for AI-native solutions we're literally in the best era to build something from scratch keep shipping 🚀

@itscoachgoodman This is so key. And a major factor in why I want a business that elevates my lifestyle and gives freedom rather than a multi-million dollar corporation. Family over everything

Please don't get to the end of your career and realize you built a successful business and a four-person family of strangers. Your children don't need your highlight reel. They need your eyes. Your presence. Your undivided, phone-down, actually-here attention. Close the laptop. Eat dinner together. Coach Little League. Be the boring, reliable, always-there parent. Building the business is fine. Winning in your career is fine. So long as it doesn’t come at the cost of building a family. Be intentional.

@mhp_guy We forget we can just do things. We are waiting for some imaginary signal or someone to give us permission to start. You don’t need it. Just do the damn thing!

I have 2 types of entrepreneurial friends: 1. Calls to tell me all about a new business idea. "Should I do it?" "Yes!" I tell them. I give them actionable advice and tips. They don't launch. 2. Calls to tell me about a biz they just started. Usually going great, too.

@Jayyanginspires This is a great mindset to have. Lots of people (me included) are scared of failure. This repositions it to allow yourself to try more without being held down by fear.

If you don’t know what to do (but you’re ambitious), I encourage you to view yourself as a mad scientist. Simply put… try things. Lots of them. Don’t view things as successes or failures, just experiments. You have a hypothesis, you test it, you cut what doesn’t work and double down on what does. Best of luck! You can just do things :)

@Kishan_Devani_ Disagree. For me, building in public is about building a community, leveraging experience of others and keeping yourself accountable.

Building in public is the fastest way to grow a business in 2026. Agree or disagree?