AdBlock Detection SaaS (unnamed)

"A mini-SaaS that identifies what content and scripts are blocked on websites by ad blockers, Firefox Tracking Protection, and similar tools."
0
Maker: dowakin
$600/mo (explicitly stated: two enterprise customers at $300/mo each, custom on-premise deployments)

Marketing Channels

Primary

Direct outreach / sales

Creator found enterprise customers through the process of client acquisition, pivoting from self-serve to direct sales

Secondary

Hacker News

Shared in Show HN thread for community visibility

Growth Levers

  • Double down on enterprise sales by targeting more companies that depend on ad-supported revenue (publishers, media companies)
  • Reposition marketing to target enterprise/agency buyers rather than individual webmasters
  • Create case studies from existing enterprise customers to build credibility for future B2B sales
  • Build a self-serve dashboard for smaller clients while maintaining the enterprise tier for custom deployments
  • Target ad tech companies and digital advertising agencies who need to understand ad blocker impact on their clients

First Customer Strategy

The creator initially pursued a high-volume, low-price SaaS model but failed to gain traction. Through the client acquisition process, they discovered two enterprise customers willing to pay $300/mo each for a custom on-premise version. This accidental pivot from self-serve SaaS to enterprise custom deployment reached the $500+/mo threshold.

Pricing Insight

The original cheap monthly pricing plan failed to attract volume. Enterprise customers pay $300/mo each for custom on-premise versions. This reveals a common SaaS lesson: the initial pricing strategy targeted the wrong market segment. Enterprise buyers value custom deployment and are willing to pay significantly more than individual users.

New Market Opportunities

  • Digital publishers and media companies Publishers losing ad revenue to blockers need tools to understand the scope and impact of ad blocking on their sites
  • Ad tech and analytics firms Companies in the ad tech ecosystem need data on blocking rates to adjust their strategies and report to advertisers
  • Compliance and privacy consulting With increasing privacy regulations, understanding what tracking is blocked can help companies ensure compliance

Key Takeaways

  • When a low-price, high-volume strategy fails, pivoting to enterprise customers can be a viable path to revenue
  • Accidental product-market fit with enterprise buyers is a common pattern — listen to what the market is willing to pay for
  • Custom on-premise deployments command significantly higher pricing than self-serve SaaS
  • Reaching $500+/mo through two enterprise clients rather than many small ones is a valid business model, even if it wasn't the original plan
  • The creator's honest reflection ('Not sure it is what I wanted') highlights the tension between building a scalable product vs. doing services work

Sentiment Analysis

1 Pos

Notable Quotes

"Totally counts though! — iandanforth"

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