Everyone is building in SaaS. But it's the hardest to start. Here's why.
Everyone is building in SaaS. But it's the hardest to start. Here's why.
Aron Meystedt
June 03, 2026
Hello! Aron here.
I was curious to see what idea categories are most popular in each country. So, I ran a query to our database asking for this info, across 10 random countries.
SaaS ideas dominate, everywhere.
From the United States to Brazil to India, the appeal of recurring revenue is one that we all can’t ignore. Our data below shows that we’re all circling similar ideas. But, there’s a problem here. The SaaS category has one of the highest rates of hesitation. We’ll briefly unpack why, below.
The most wanted startup category in the world is also one of the hardest to start because the first step isn’t obvious.
Let’s quickly explore some insights
Why SaaS is so attractive
Scalable, location independent, recurring revenue, low physical overhead. AI tools now make it easier to build than ever.But it hesitates at a 10.3 score
The broad scope, loosely defined customers, and complex execution paths make the first step unclear. Most SaaS ideas have unclear differentiation, and most are building in crowded markets. Also, most founders aren’t utilizing their own personal advantages when exploring ideas to build.Distribution is the number one problem
67% of ideas in our dataset have unclear distribution. For SaaS specifically, who are you selling to and how do you reach them often aren’t clearly answered.The customer definition gap
Only 13% of founders clearly define their target customer. SaaS founders are the most likely to describe their customer as "businesses" or "anyone who needs this." Vague customer definition creates uncertainty at every step that follows.The better alternative
Instead of starting with the category, start where you are closest to the customer and the problem. Find an idea where you can repeatedly reach customers and deeply explore the problems they are having.
Germany as the counterpoint
The one country that moved away from SaaS toward AI/Tech and Platforms. Worth noting without over-interpreting: different founder culture, more technical orientation.
SaaS will always be attractive.
The recurring revenue model isn't going anywhere, and AI makes building easier every month. But attractive and executable are two different things. The founders who move SaaS ideas forward do this:
they start with a specific customer they already know, in a market they already understand, with a distribution path they can already see.
The proximity to the customer and problem are first, the idea comes second.
→ Start with what you know — try our Idea Generator
Get Moving: Mock-up Your Landing Page at Base44
Drop this into Base44 to mockup your idea:
“I’m building [describe your idea] for [specific customer] who struggle with [specific problem]. Please build me a modern landing page. My goal is to validate demand by collecting emails and pre-orders.”
Remember, you are valuable - your personality, skills and the way you see things are uniquely yours. It’s pretty epic.
Reply and tell me where you’re stuck. I’m happy to give some feedback!
Aron Meystedt
Chief Data Nerd at ValidatorAI
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