The Micro-SaaS Idea Starter Kit: Templates, Prompts & Worksheets to Find Your Next Product

Finding a profitable micro-SaaS idea doesn't require luck or genius. It requires a systematic approach with the right tools.

Most founders waste weeks spinning their wheels, jumping between random ideas without a framework. They browse Reddit, scan Twitter, and hope inspiration strikes. This scattered approach rarely works.

This starter kit gives you battle-tested templates, AI prompts, and worksheets that successful founders actually use to discover and validate SaaS opportunities. Each resource is designed to eliminate guesswork and move you from vague concepts to validated ideas worth building.

Why You Need a Structured Approach to Finding SaaS Ideas

The difference between founders who launch successful products and those who never ship isn't talent. It's process.

Without structured resources, you'll face three critical problems:

Analysis paralysis: Every idea seems equally viable or equally risky. You can't decide which deserves your time.

Blind spots: You miss obvious validation signals because you're not systematically collecting the right data.

Wasted effort: You build features nobody wants because you skipped crucial validation steps.

Templates and worksheets force you to ask the right questions at the right time. They create consistency across multiple ideas so you can compare opportunities objectively.

Our 30-minute SaaS idea scoring system shows how frameworks dramatically improve decision quality. The same principle applies to idea discovery.

Template #1: The Pain Point Collection Worksheet

This worksheet helps you systematically capture and categorize problems people actually pay to solve.

What it includes:

• Problem description field (one sentence maximum)
• Source of pain point (Reddit, LinkedIn, support forum, etc.)
• Frequency indicator (how often this problem appears)
• Severity rating (how much it costs people in time or money)
• Current workaround (what people do today)
• Willingness to pay signals (quotes indicating budget)

How to use it:

Spend 30 minutes daily mining one source for problems. Don't filter or judge yet. Just capture every complaint, frustration, or request you see.

After one week, you'll have 20-30 potential pain points. Sort by frequency and severity. The top five become your validation candidates.

This approach works because it separates collection from evaluation. You won't miss opportunities because you prematurely dismissed them.

For specific sources to mine, check out our guides on finding SaaS ideas from support forums and LinkedIn posts.

Template #2: The Competitor Analysis Matrix

Once you've identified a pain point, you need to understand the existing solution landscape.

This spreadsheet template helps you map competitors systematically:

Column structure:

• Competitor name and URL
• Pricing tiers (all levels)
• Core features (list of 10-15)
• Missing features (gaps you've identified)
• Review complaints (common themes from G2, Capterra)
• Target customer (who they serve best)
• Positioning (how they describe themselves)
• Estimated size (employee count, funding, traffic)

Analysis framework:

Fill in 5-8 competitors. Don't cherry-pick weak players. Include the market leaders.

Then identify patterns:

• Which features appear in every product? (Table stakes)
• Which features appear in none? (Potential opportunities)
• Which customer segments are underserved? (Niche angles)
• Which price points have no options? (Positioning gaps)

The goal isn't to find markets with zero competition. It's to find specific angles that existing players ignore.

Our guide on reverse-engineering successful SaaS ideas explains how to spot these patterns.

Template #3: AI Prompts for Idea Generation

Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI tools excel at pattern recognition and brainstorming when given structured prompts.

Prompt #1: Pain Point Expansion

I've identified this problem: [insert problem description]

It affects: [target audience]

Current solutions: [list existing tools]

Generate 10 specific angles or sub-niches within this problem space that existing solutions don't address well. For each angle, explain:
1. Who specifically faces this variation
2. Why current solutions fail them
3. What a focused solution would do differently

Prompt #2: Market Research Synthesis

I'm researching [industry/niche] for SaaS opportunities.

Here are 10 complaints I've collected:
[paste complaints]

Analyze these complaints and:
1. Group them into common themes
2. Identify which themes appear most frequently
3. Suggest what type of software could address each theme
4. Estimate the technical complexity of building each solution
5. Highlight which opportunities suit a solo developer

Prompt #3: Feature Prioritization

I'm building a SaaS product that [core value proposition].

Target users: [description]
Main competitor: [name and features]

Here are 15 potential features:
[list features]

Rank these features by:
1. Impact on solving the core problem
2. Differentiation from competitors
3. Technical effort required
4. Time to implement

Recommend which 3-5 features to build for an MVP.

These prompts work because they give AI specific context and clear output requirements. Generic prompts like "give me SaaS ideas" produce generic results.

Template #4: The Validation Interview Script

Before you build anything, talk to potential customers. This script ensures you ask the right questions.

Opening (2 minutes):

"Thanks for your time. I'm researching [problem area] and would love to understand your experience. This isn't a sales call—I'm genuinely trying to learn. I have about 15 minutes of questions."

Current situation (5 minutes):

• Walk me through how you currently handle [problem].
• How often does this come up?
• What tools or processes do you use today?
• What's frustrating about your current approach?
• How much time does this take you per week?

Pain severity (3 minutes):

• What happens if you don't solve this problem?
• Have you looked for solutions before?
• What stopped you from implementing them?
• If this problem disappeared, what would that be worth to you?

Solution feedback (5 minutes):

"I'm considering building something that [brief description]. Initial thoughts?"

• Would this solve your problem?
• What's missing from this approach?
• How would you want to use this?
• What would make you switch from your current solution?

Closing:

• If I built this, would you be interested in trying it?
• Do you know others who face this problem?
• Can I follow up as I make progress?

Critical rules:

Don't pitch. Listen. When they describe problems, ask "why" three times to get to root causes.

Don't ask if they would buy. Ask about past behavior: "Have you paid for tools to solve this before?"

Take notes verbatim. Their exact words reveal how they think about the problem.

For more validation techniques, see our SaaS idea validation checklist.

Template #5: The Weekly Research Routine Tracker

Consistency matters more than intensity. This tracker helps you maintain momentum.

Monday (1 hour): Source mining

• Choose one source (Reddit, LinkedIn, support forums)
• Collect 10 pain points using the collection worksheet
• Add to master list

Tuesday (45 minutes): Competitive research

• Pick one pain point from your list
• Find 3-5 existing solutions
• Fill in competitor analysis matrix

Wednesday (1 hour): Deep dive

• Read reviews of top competitor
• Extract common complaints
• Identify gaps and opportunities

Thursday (45 minutes): Validation prep

• Draft outreach messages to potential users
• Schedule 2-3 interviews for next week
• Prepare interview questions

Friday (30 minutes): Synthesis

• Review week's findings
• Update opportunity scores
• Identify top 3 ideas worth pursuing

This routine takes 4 hours weekly. After four weeks, you'll have 40 pain points researched and 12 conversations with potential customers.

That's more validation than most founders do before launching.

Our weekly SaaS idea discovery routine provides a complementary framework you can adapt.

Template #6: The Opportunity Scoring Spreadsheet

You need objective criteria to compare different SaaS ideas. This spreadsheet creates a scoring system.

Scoring categories (1-10 scale):

Market factors:

• Problem frequency (how often target users face this)
• Problem severity (impact on their business/life)
• Market size (number of potential customers)
• Willingness to pay (budget signals you've seen)

Competition factors:

• Competition intensity (how crowded is this space)
• Incumbent weaknesses (how dissatisfied are current users)
• Differentiation potential (can you be meaningfully different)

Execution factors:

• Technical feasibility (can you build this)
• Time to MVP (weeks to launch)
• Your expertise (relevant experience)
• Distribution access (can you reach customers)

Calculate scores:

Multiply market factors by 2 (they matter most). Add all scores. Maximum possible: 110 points.

Anything above 70 deserves serious consideration. Above 80 is exceptional.

This framework prevents emotional attachment to ideas that don't make business sense. Numbers don't lie.

For deeper analysis of what makes ideas profitable, read what makes a SaaS idea actually profitable in 2025.

Template #7: The MVP Feature Definition Worksheet

Once you've chosen an idea, this worksheet prevents scope creep.

Core problem statement:

Write one sentence: "[Target user] struggles to [specific problem] because [root cause]."

Minimum viable solution:

What's the simplest thing that solves this problem? Describe in 2-3 sentences.

Must-have features (3-5 maximum):

List only features required for the core solution. If removing a feature means the product doesn't solve the problem, it's must-have.

Nice-to-have features:

List features that improve the experience but aren't essential. You'll build these after launch based on user feedback.

Explicitly excluded:

List features you're tempted to build but won't. This prevents feature creep.

Success metrics:

How will you know the MVP works? Define 2-3 measurable outcomes:

• Users complete [action] within first session
• Users return within 7 days
• Users achieve [result] within 30 days

This worksheet forces clarity. If you can't define the MVP in one page, you don't understand the problem well enough.

Many founders skip this step and build for months without clear direction. Don't make that mistake.

Template #8: Customer Research Database

As you research, you'll encounter potential customers, competitors, and useful resources. This database keeps everything organized.

Structure:

Potential customers table:

• Name and contact
• Source (where you found them)
• Problem they mentioned
• Current solution they use
• Interest level (cold/warm/hot)
• Last contact date
• Notes

Competitors table:

• Company name
• Website
• Pricing
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Target customer
• Last updated

Resources table:

• Resource type (article, tool, community)
• URL
• Key insights
• Relevance to your idea
• Date saved

Use Airtable, Notion, or a simple Google Sheet. The tool doesn't matter. Consistent structure does.

After three months of research, you'll have hundreds of data points. Without organization, you'll forget crucial insights.

Template #9: AI Prompts for Market Research

Use AI to analyze data you've collected and spot patterns you might miss.

Prompt #1: Review Analysis

I've collected these reviews from [competitor product]:

[paste 10-15 reviews]

Analyze these reviews and tell me:
1. What are the top 5 complaints?
2. What features do users wish existed?
3. What use cases is this product struggling to serve?
4. What would make users switch to an alternative?
5. Are there specific industries or user types particularly dissatisfied?

Prompt #2: Positioning Strategy

I'm building a SaaS product for [target audience] that [core value proposition].

Main competitors:
1. [Competitor A] - [their positioning]
2. [Competitor B] - [their positioning]
3. [Competitor C] - [their positioning]

Suggest 5 different positioning angles that would differentiate my product. For each:
1. The positioning statement
2. Which customer segment this appeals to
3. Why competitors can't easily copy this angle
4. Potential weaknesses of this positioning

Prompt #3: Pricing Research

Here's pricing data from competitors in [market]:

[paste pricing tiers and features]

Analyze this pricing landscape:
1. What patterns do you see in pricing structure?
2. Are there gaps in pricing tiers?
3. What features justify premium pricing?
4. What would be a competitive entry-level price point?
5. How should I structure my pricing to stand out?

These prompts help you process research faster and identify opportunities you might overlook.

Template #10: The Launch Readiness Checklist

Before you start building, verify you've done enough validation.

Market understanding:

• [ ] Talked to at least 10 potential customers
• [ ] Identified specific pain point costing them time/money
• [ ] Confirmed current solutions are inadequate
• [ ] Found evidence of willingness to pay

Competition analysis:

• [ ] Researched at least 5 competitors
• [ ] Identified their strengths and weaknesses
• [ ] Found differentiation angle
• [ ] Confirmed you can compete on features or price

Solution clarity:

• [ ] Defined MVP in one page or less
• [ ] Listed must-have features (5 or fewer)
• [ ] Estimated build time (realistic timeline)
• [ ] Identified success metrics

Go-to-market:

• [ ] Know where target customers congregate
• [ ] Have 20+ potential early users identified
• [ ] Planned initial distribution strategy
• [ ] Set realistic first-year goals

Personal readiness:

• [ ] Can commit 10+ hours weekly
• [ ] Have technical skills or co-founder
• [ ] Understand this market personally
• [ ] Prepared for 6-12 month runway

If you can't check 80% of these boxes, do more research before building.

Most failed SaaS products fail because founders skip validation, not because they lack technical skills.

How to Use These Templates Together

These resources form a complete system:

Week 1-2: Discovery phase

Use the pain point collection worksheet and weekly routine tracker. Mine 3-4 different sources. Collect 30-40 potential problems.

Week 3-4: Analysis phase

Pick your top 5 pain points. Fill out competitor analysis matrices for each. Use AI prompts to identify patterns and gaps.

Week 5-6: Validation phase

Conduct 10-15 customer interviews using the interview script. Update your opportunity scoring spreadsheet with real data.

Week 7-8: Decision phase

Score all opportunities. Pick the top idea. Complete the MVP feature worksheet and launch readiness checklist.

This eight-week process gives you validated ideas worth building. It's not sexy, but it works.

For inspiration on what types of ideas to pursue, explore our collection of SaaS ideas for specific industries or untapped opportunities nobody is building yet.

Common Mistakes When Using Templates

Mistake #1: Filling them out once and stopping

Templates work through repetition. One competitor analysis teaches you nothing. Analyzing 20 competitors reveals patterns.

Commit to the weekly routine for at least four weeks before judging results.

Mistake #2: Treating them as final answers

Templates guide research. They don't replace judgment. If your scoring system says an idea is great but your gut screams "no," investigate why.

Maybe you're missing a risk factor. Maybe you know something the template doesn't capture.

Mistake #3: Skipping the messy middle

Templates make research feel clean and organized. Real research is messy. You'll have incomplete data, contradictory signals, and uncertainty.

That's normal. Use templates to organize chaos, not to eliminate it.

Mistake #4: Not adapting to your context

These templates are starting points. Modify them for your situation. If you're targeting enterprise customers, add fields about procurement processes. If you're building AI tools, add technical complexity ratings.

The best template is one you'll actually use.

Advanced Applications

Once you're comfortable with basic templates, try these advanced techniques:

Combine multiple sources:

Use the pain point worksheet to collect problems from Reddit, then validate them with LinkedIn posts and support forum threads. Cross-source validation is stronger.

Our guides on mining Reddit, LinkedIn, and support forums show you how.

Track ideas over time:

Some opportunities aren't ready today but will be in six months. Keep a "watch list" of ideas that score 60-70 points. Revisit quarterly.

Market conditions change. Early movers win.

Build a personal knowledge base:

As you research multiple ideas, you'll develop expertise in specific markets. Document insights that apply across opportunities.

This knowledge compounds. Your fifth idea will be better than your first because you understand patterns.

Share with accountability partners:

Research is lonely. Find other founders doing similar work. Share your completed templates weekly. They'll spot assumptions you missed.

Accountability also prevents you from abandoning the process when it gets hard.

What to Do After Completing These Templates

You've done the research. You've validated the idea. Now what?

Build the MVP:

Use your feature definition worksheet as your specification. Build only what's listed. Resist adding "just one more thing."

Our guide on building SaaS ideas in a weekend shows how to move fast.

Launch to your research participants:

Remember those 10-15 people you interviewed? They're your first users. Send them early access.

They've already told you they want this. Now prove you can deliver.

Iterate based on actual usage:

Your assumptions will be partially wrong. That's fine. Watch how people actually use your product. Fix the biggest friction points first.

Scale what works:

Once 10 users love your product, find 100 more just like them. Don't expand to new segments until you've dominated your initial niche.

For a realistic timeline, check out from idea to $5K MRR.

Your Next Steps

Download these templates and start using them today:

1. Set up your pain point collection worksheet
2. Block 30 minutes on your calendar for tomorrow morning
3. Pick one source to mine (Reddit, LinkedIn, or support forums)
4. Collect your first 10 pain points

Don't wait for the perfect moment. Start messy. The templates will guide you toward clarity.

Remember: successful founders don't have better ideas. They have better processes for finding and validating ideas.

These templates give you that process. Use them consistently for eight weeks and you'll have validated opportunities most founders never discover.

Ready to find your next micro-SaaS idea? Visit SaasOpportunities.com for more resources, weekly idea breakdowns, and a community of builders using these exact methods to launch profitable products.

The difference between aspiring founders and successful ones isn't talent. It's having the right tools and using them consistently. You now have the tools. The rest is up to you.