SaaS Field Manual Framework. Shane Freeman

      Use the following space to group your features or components into modules.

      OFFERINGS

      Now that you have organized your features into Components and Modules it’s time to start packaging those discreet items into offerings. This process of combining the most optimal features and services into a sellable package is called “productization.” If you’re building a B2B solution, it’s likely there are consulting or installation services that may become part of your offering. There are countless ways to productize an offering, but the three most common in the SaaS world are by Tier, Module, and Usage. Regardless of which you choose, in the beginning try and keep it as simple as possible. Your users will thank you for it.

      Use the following space to define your offerings and which modules will be included in each.

      Tiers

      Tiers are most often described by names representing some form of Small, Medium, and Large with each upgraded tier containing the features in the previous tier plus some new ones that provide extra functionality. Start with two or three tiers and add components and modules into each. Try not to add features directly to a tier. Doing that will make the lists overly complex for consumers and difficult for developers to maintain. Pricing in a tiered model is most often done per user or by some usage quotient.

      Modules

      Another common way to package and sell software is through modules. This is often seen in enterprise platforms that contain tens, if not hundreds, of discreet pieces of functionality that may not be required by each of your customers. An example of this might be an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with modules for financials, revenue management, accounting, project management, procurement, and risk management. Pricing can be based on a per-module basis and discounts given for quantity purchases. Many times, in a modular approach, a base module and payment is required then additional modules can be added as necessary.

      Usage

      Some platforms grant access to all their features in a single tier and then charge you for usage. Using an email marketing platform as an example, you may have access to all the features in their platform for a single monthly fee and then an additional charge is applied based on the numbers of contacts you store in your database or the number of emails you send per month.

      Combination

      As you’re doing research with your personas ask them how they’d like to be billed for a product like the one you’re building. Many times, there are products already on the market that have customers locked into a billing methodology that doesn’t align well with their way of doing business. In those cases, flipping the billing and pricing model on its head is a way to steal customers from your competition. Using a new and innovative (do not mistake for complex and confusing) pricing methodology may be just the unique value proposition you need.

      Self-Care

      A core concept of the SaaS Field Manual is that self-care should be included in every aspect of your business. Relating back to our journey, this could be akin to stopping at a rest stop every few hours to stretch, go for a walk, check your email, etc. The entire SFM Project is designed around the Pareto Principle (commonly known as the 80/20 rule) and we recommend that for every eight hours you spend working, you should spend two hours in self-care. It’s very easy for a founder to spend ten hours a day or more toiling away at their new startup. That’s totally fine, but I would challenge you to spend two of those hours in self-care. The four ways we’ll begin taking care of ourselves is through the Physical Body, Mental Body, Emotional Body, and Spiritual Body.

      Use the following space to journal your thoughts and expectations about how you will take care of yourself while building your product.

      PHYSICAL

      Taking care of yourself physically may be the most important out of all the self-care methods. If you cannot function physically then you will be of no use to your cofounders, employees, or future customers. Taking good care of yourself physically should involve, at a minimum, trying to eat healthy and getting some amount of physical activity or exercise. If you’re working a ten-hour day, then spending thirty minutes eating a healthy lunch and thirty minutes doing some cardio at the gym is a great way to spend one of your two hours of self-care. If possible, wake up a little early and do an hour of yoga. Don’t know how? There are plenty of videos online that will get you started.

      Use the following space to document your regimen of physical self-care.

      MENTAL

      Next up on Maslow’s Hierarchy would be your mental body. Effectively your mental body is made up of your thoughts. Taking a little time each day to journal, read a book, or continue your education will help you maintain good mental health. Another great way to continue your mental health is to find a coach or a mentor you can meet with regularly to challenge and guide you. A study by the Jenkins Group shows that one-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. In the ever-changing world of technology and SaaS this is not a sustainable model for founders, so plan time in the evenings or weekends for reading, studying, or listening to podcasts.

      Use the following space to document your regimen of mental self-care.

      EMOTIONAL

      Being a founder (especially if you’re a solopreneur) is really, really, really hard. You will lose count of the times that you lie in bed at night worried about next week’s payroll. You will have to deal with conflict with your partners. You will second guess many of your decisions. And you will often times feel very lonely and maybe just break down and have a good cry. All of these things are completely natural. The problem is we’re not trained to handle these types of emotions after the age of eight or nine. As entrepreneurs, especially those of us who are male, were told to be tough, keep a stiff upper lip, and don’t let anyone see you suffer. This is the fastest way to unhappiness and eventually a breakdown. So find yourself a good therapist and make regular (every two weeks is great) appointments during this stage of your life. Therapy is no different than going to the gym for your brain. If you can work out five days a week then you can definitely spend one hour every two weeks working on your emotional body.

      Use the following space to document your regimen of emotional self-care.