There comes a point in every tech enthusiast’s life where ambition hits a fork in the road:
“Should I build my own SaaS and grind my way to glory, or just buy shares in someone else’s success and let them do the job?”
It sounds like a clean choice, right? It’s not.
This isn’t just about money. It’s about control, ego, freedom, regret, and yes, profit.
👨💻 The Case for Building a SaaS
Control everything, own everything, break everything.
Building your own SaaS app is the holy grail of indie developer dreams. You’re not just coding – you’re creating a business, a system, a digital product with potentially compounding returns.
Pros:
- Full creative control (until bugs start voting against you).
- Potential for long-term passive income if it gains traction.
- You learn a ridiculous amount: tech, marketing, legal, customer support, all of it.
Cons:
- Time becomes a myth. You’re building, fixing, learning, doubting, and Googling at 2 AM.
- Costs pile up before revenue even waves hello.
- Market risk: You can build something brilliant and still flop.
The trap: You think you’re working on your dream. Sometimes you’re just burning out in slow motion.
📈 The Case for Buying SaaS Stocks
Minimal stress. Maximum leverage. But also no control.
Buying shares in SaaS companies is basically saying, “Hey, you do all the work. I’ll be here collecting dividends and watching earnings calls with popcorn.”
Pros:
- Passive potential. Stocks work while you sleep, literally.
- Exposure to top-tier tech growth without lifting a line of code.
- You can diversify across multiple SaaS bets, reducing risk.
Cons:
- No control. If the CEO fumbles, you’re just riding along for the fall.
- Less exciting than building. You’re a passenger, not the pilot.
- Emotional volatility: You don’t know real pain until your portfolio drops 40% overnight and you can’t debug it.
The trap: It feels smart until you realize you’ve become a spectator in an industry you once wanted to conquer.
⚔️ Build vs Buy – The Real Question
You’re not choosing between right and wrong.
You’re choosing between pain now or being powerless later.
- Building a SaaS means sweating for a chance at asymmetric returns.
- Buying stock means hoping someone else’s dream goes the way you need it to.
And here’s the kicker: You can lose in both.
But you can also win in both, if you know your limits.
🧮 Let’s Talk Numbers
| Category | Build a SaaS | Buy SaaS Stock |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Cost | Low (if solo) but hidden costs explode | Depends on stock price and quantity |
| Time Investment | Extremely high | Virtually zero |
| Skill Requirement | Full stack + business sense | Basic investing knowledge |
| Risk | High (execution, market fit) | High (market volatility, no control) |
| Upside | Unlimited (if it takes off) | Capped by market performance |
| Passive Income | Eventually (if successful) | Possible via dividends |
💡 What Smart Devs Are Doing in 2025
- They build what they understand and invest in what they believe.
- They use no-code/low-code tools to launch MVPs quickly and test demand.
- They invest in SaaS companies solving real developer pain, the ones they’d use themselves.
No rule says you can’t do both.
But here’s a truth you won’t hear on Twitter:
Trying to build a SaaS just because it sounds cooler than investing is a fast lane to burnout.
Investing in SaaS just because you’re scared to build is a quiet way to stay mute.
👁️ A Developer’s Thought Experiment
- What would happen if the money you put into ads for your app went into SaaS ETFs instead?
- What would happen if the time you spent building your dream app went into contributing to someone else’s?
- What if you’re meant to build the next big SaaS, but you’ll never know because you played it safe?
🎯 Final Take
Don’t choose based on what feels impressive. Choose based on what you can realistically execute without hating your life.
- Build if you’re obsessed with solving a problem and you’re ready to suffer for it.
- Buy if you want exposure to growth and you trust others to do the heavy lifting.
And if you’re bold enough?
Build a SaaS, then buy your competitors’ stock.