Hey everyone! I run a personal blog using a static site generator with Angular, and since I wanted to add commenting functionality, I decided to create my own embedded comments tool tailored for static sites. It's designed to be simple to set up with just a script, and I've been using a proof of concept on my own site so far.
I'm looking at the possibility of turning this into a SaaS product but I'm unsure about when to make it public for other developers. I have a few questions: 1) When is the right time to launch a public beta? 2) What are the essential features I need before going live? 3) How can I share it effectively with other developers? 4) Even if I expect things to go smoothly, what should I be cautious about in the early stages?
Right now, I have some core features in place, like script-based embedding, IP-based rate limiting, OAuth for multi-tenant authentication, comment moderation, and a single-threaded comment system. My backend setup includes hosting on Render and a PostgreSQL database on the Neon free tier. Any advice or insights, especially from those who've launched developer tools, would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
1 Answer
You're in a great position to launch a public beta. Your core features seem solid, and getting real user feedback will definitely help refine your tool. Just make sure onboarding is simple and your documentation is clear. Share it in developer communities, and keep an eye out for spam and any edge cases as you gather feedback.
Thanks for the input! I’m planning to launch the public beta this Friday to get real feedback. Do you think I should upgrade from the free tier to a minimal paid plan to reduce cold starts?