Finding Micro-SaaS Ideas: The Gap Strategy ($11K MRR)
TL;DR: Abhishek discovered the opportunity for EUform while working on his previous chatbot product (Botflow) when 200 users told him they wanted a conversational form as a Typeform alternative. He noticed Typeform had raised prices and searched Twitter, Reddit, and forums to identify specific feature gaps. His 'finding the gap' strategy involves: 1) finding a popular tool with lots of users, 2) searching social platforms for '[Tool] alternative' to find pain points, 3) reaching out with a basic landing page explaining your solution, and 4) building a one-click migration tool. He built an MVP in 2 weeks with just basic form fields and CSV export—no integrations, no fancy design. The freemium model (90%+ features free) attracted 35K users with a 1.5-2% conversion rate to 500 paying customers. Key insight: Don't try to invent new categories as an indie hacker; instead, target validated markets with existing players and fill specific gaps competitors ignore.
Key Insights
- Search '[Popular Tool] alternative' on Twitter/Reddit to find systematic gaps in market leaders
- Built MVP in 2 weeks with minimal features (basic fields + CSV export) by intentionally not matching competitor's full feature set
- One-click migration tool (paste Typeform URL → instant EUform) reduced friction and proved value immediately
- Freemium with 90%+ free features drove 35K users at 1.5% conversion, proving generous free tier works for forms
- Previous product's users revealed the opportunity—talking to existing users surfaced Typeform pain points
Actionable Takeaways
- Search 'X alternative' on Twitter and Reddit where X is a tool with millions of users—look for recurring complaints
- Build a one-click competitor data import tool to reduce switching friction
- Start with 2-week MVP scope—basic functionality only, no integrations, basic landing page
- Target markets where pricing is the trigger but feature gaps are the real opportunity
- Talk to your current product's users to discover what they're using (or want to use) your tool to replace