What is SaaS?

In the previous courses you built something great: a real, working tool. One that you use to solve a problem of your own. It ran on your computer, for you alone.

In this course we take the big step. You turn that tool — or a new idea — into a real online product that other people can use too. And that you can make money with.

That kind of product has a name: SaaS. Before you build anything, it's important that you understand what that word means.

SaaS = Software as a Service

SaaS is pronounced 'sass'. It literally means: software that you offer as a service. You don't sell a program that people download and install, but a service that's online and that people simply use through their browser.

You use SaaS yourself every day, even if you never called it that:

• Spotify — you don't install music, you use the service and pay per month.
• Netflix — nothing on your own computer, everything runs online.
• Online accounting like Moneybird — your records are in the cloud, not on your laptop.
• Gmail — your email lives on the internet, not in a program that you manage.

The difference from your tool so far

Your tool from the previous courses had three properties: it was on your computer, it was for you alone, and it didn't make any money. With a SaaS it's all about turning precisely those three points around.

• It's live on the internet, so always reachable — not only when your laptop is on.
• Multiple people use it at the same time, each with their own account and their own data.
• It makes money, usually with a fixed amount per month.

What you're going to do this course

In this course you walk the whole way from idea to paying product. You'll soon choose one small product idea and that stays the common thread. Everything you learn, you apply to it right away.

Step by step you put that product live on the internet, give it accounts and login for real users, connect payments, and choose a revenue model so it actually earns something.

Don't worry if that still sounds big now. Just like in the previous courses, you do it together with Claude, in small steps. You don't have to memorise anything — you only have to take the next step each time.