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Starting a SaaS: The Rollercoaster Journey

· 4 min read
Godwin Incrisz
Godwin Incrisz
Founder & CEO, Cyfamod Technologies

Building Cyfamod has been one of the most exhilarating and challenging experiences of my life. If you're thinking about starting a SaaS company, buckle up—it's going to be a wild ride.

The Beginning: A Problem Worth Solving​

It all started with a simple observation: schools in our region were drowning in paperwork. Student records scattered across Excel sheets, fee tracking done manually, and communication between teachers and parents happening through endless WhatsApp messages.

We knew there had to be a better way.

The MVP Phase: Learning to Build Fast​

Our first version was... let's just say "functional." We built it quickly, focusing on the core features schools absolutely needed:

  • Student enrollment
  • Basic fee tracking
  • Simple grade management

The reality check: Schools wanted everything. Attendance tracking, timetable management, parent portals, SMS notifications—the list was endless.

We had to learn to say "not yet" while keeping our vision clear.

The Pivot Moments​

Multi-Tenancy: Our Game Changer​

Initially, we thought each school would need its own deployment. Wrong. The infrastructure costs would have killed us, and schools wanted to start immediately—not wait for complex setups.

Switching to a multi-tenant architecture was scary. We had to rebuild significant portions of the system, but it was the best decision we made. Now schools can sign up and start using the system within minutes.

Going Open Source​

This was controversial within our team. "Why would we give away our code for free?"

But here's what we learned: transparency builds trust. Schools are entrusting us with their most valuable data—student information. Being open source shows we have nothing to hide and invites the community to make the product better.

The Lows: When Everything Feels Impossible​

There were days when nothing worked:

  • A critical bug that wiped test data (thank God for backups)
  • A school threatening to leave because a feature wasn't ready
  • Sleepless nights wondering if we'd make payroll

The truth nobody tells you: Building a SaaS is lonely. You're solving problems nobody else understands, making decisions with incomplete information, and constantly questioning if you're on the right path.

The Highs: Why We Keep Going​

But then there are moments that make it all worth it:

  • The first school that paid for an annual subscription
  • A teacher telling us we saved her 10 hours a week
  • Seeing students check their results online instead of traveling to school
  • Our first 5-star review

These moments remind us why we started.

What We've Learned​

1. Start Small, Think Big​

We launched with 3 core features. Now we have 20+. But we only added them when schools actually needed them, not when we thought they might.

2. Listen to Users, But Don't Build Everything They Ask For​

Every school has unique needs. If we built every requested feature, we'd have an unusable mess. We learned to identify patterns—features multiple schools need—and prioritize those.

3. Technical Debt is Real​

That "quick fix" you implement at 2 AM? It will haunt you. We've spent entire sprints refactoring code we rushed in the early days.

4. Community Matters​

Going open source brought us contributors, bug reports, and feature ideas we never would have thought of. The community has made Cyfamod better than we could alone.

The Road Ahead​

We're not done. Not even close. There's still so much to build:

  • Computer-Based Testing (CBT) - just launched!
  • Advanced analytics for school administrators
  • Mobile apps for parents and students
  • Integration with payment providers

But we're no longer scared of the journey. We've learned to embrace the rollercoaster—the ups, the downs, and the unexpected loops.

Advice for Aspiring SaaS Founders​

If you're thinking about starting a SaaS:

  1. Solve a real problem - Not one you imagine, but one you've witnessed
  2. Talk to users constantly - Build with them, not for them
  3. Ship fast, iterate faster - Perfect is the enemy of done
  4. Find your tribe - Surround yourself with people who believe in the vision
  5. Take care of yourself - Burnout is real, and it helps no one

Final Thoughts​

Starting Cyfamod has been the hardest thing I've ever done. It's also been the most rewarding.

Every school we onboard, every student whose life we make a little easier, every teacher who gets their evenings back—that's why we do this.

The rollercoaster isn't slowing down. And honestly? We wouldn't have it any other way.

Are you building a SaaS or thinking about starting one? I'd love to hear your story. Connect with us on Discord or check out our GitHub.