The Weekend Launch Blueprint

Launching a micro-SaaS in 48 hours is less about heroics and more about ruthless scope, fast validation, and a clear offer. This playbook shows the exact moves I use when I need to get something from idea → billing → first users in a single weekend.

The 48-Hour Timeline (Ruthless Edition)

• Hour 0-4: Pick a niche pain, write a one-sentence promise, outline the aha moment.
• Hour 5-10: Scaffold the product shell (auth, one core workflow, billing button).
• Hour 11-16: Build the smallest “win once” path; cut everything that needs more than one input.
• Hour 17-24: Write landing copy, record a 60-second loom, wire Stripe, send first test payment.
• Hour 25-32: Add onboarding email + in-product checklist; remove all distractions.
• Hour 33-40: Run a tiny launch (DMs, two communities, one cold email thread).
• Hour 41-48: Fix the sharp edges users hit, write a changelog, and set up a waitlist.

“Scope is a decision, not a discovery. Decide early.” — a sticky note on my monitor

Stack That Minimizes Decisions

1. Next.js + Supabase for auth and data.
2. Stripe Checkout for “take money now, deliver fast”.
3. Resend for onboarding and receipts.
4. PostHog for “did they reach the aha?” tracking.

A Two-Table Data Model

• users table with onboarding flags + plan tier
• events table with verb, metadata, and timestamp

Code: The Minimum Paywall

export async function createCheckoutSession(userId: string) {
  const session = await stripe.checkout.sessions.create({
    mode: "subscription",
    line_items: [{ price: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_STRIPE!, quantity: 1 }],
    success_url: `${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL}/dashboard?joined=1`,
    cancel_url: `${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL}/pricing`,
    client_reference_id: userId,
  });
 
  return session.url;
}

Fast Validation Table

Debrief Checklist (Sunday Night)

• Document the aha moment in one sentence.
• Email early users with a loom and a personal thank you.
• Ship a tiny changelog entry describing fixes from day one.
• Queue a waitlist for the next cohort before you sleep.