The story behind ShipMySaaS: building quality from the ground up
Every great product starts with a story. For ShipMySaaS, that story began in September 2023, when I was working as a full-stack developer. My job exposed me to an advanced tech stack—powerful (NextJS, TypeScript, Parse Server, GraphQL, etc.) but not without its shortcomings. Around that time, I decided to embark on a side project to create a SaaS, and that’s when I hit my first roadblock: starting from scratch is hard—even for an experienced developer.
The problem: starting from zero
Initially, I explored popular tools like Supabase. While these platforms are fantastic for prototyping, I was wary of the challenges faced by large-scale applications with complex business logic. Scaling with tools like Supabase often meant hitting bottlenecks. This realization pushed me to take on a bold challenge: create a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) that could provide everything needed to quickly build robust, scalable applications.
Wabe: a foundation for fast development
A year later, in September 2024, I launched Wabe, an open-source BaaS designed to simplify application development. Wabe offered features like:
- Authentication
- Database management
- Auto-generated GraphQL CRUD APIs
- File storage
- Payment integrations
- Email handling
- And more!
The impact was immediate. I realized how much time and effort Wabe could save developers, including myself. But the real test of its power came when I decided to put it to work.
From experiments to a vision
To test Wabe in real-world conditions, I quickly built two small applications with Wabe for the backend and NextJS for the frontend. These experiments validated Wabe's efficiency and sparked a bigger idea: what if I could create a general-purpose boilerplate for SaaS applications ? Something that could let developers skip the grunt work and focus on innovation.
This idea wasn’t just about saving time. It was about setting new standards for SaaS solutions:
- Open-source at its core: Unlike existing boilerplates or starter kits, ShipMySaaS is built entirely on open-source technologies.
- Professional-grade quality: Many boilerplates are rushed to market, often lacking maintenance, security updates, or professional-grade coding practices. I wanted ShipMySaaS to be different—built to last, with regular updates and an unwavering focus on quality.
Why build another SaaS boilerplate ?
It’s a valid question: Why create another SaaS boilerplate when there are plenty out there? Why not just pay $200 for an existing one and save a year of work ?
Here’s my perspective:
- Open source matters: Open-source fosters innovation and transparency. No existing boilerplate fully embraces this ethos. This allow you to contribute, reporting bugs, suggesting features and improving the codebase.
- Quality over quantity: Too many boilerplates are rushed, prioritizing speed to market over durability and scalability. ShipMySaaS reflects my belief in meticulous craftsmanship a product that developers can trust to handle their production workloads.
- Long-term value: A poorly designed boilerplate can lead to bugs, technical debt, and expensive production issues. ShipMySaaS emphasizes reliability, ensuring your application is as solid as your vision.
The heart of ShipMySaaS
Developing ShipMySaaS wasn’t just a technical endeavor, it was an hard work. I poured countless hours into every line of code to ensure that it meets the highest standards. From robust testing to seamless integrations, ShipMySaaS is built to give you a real edge in building your SaaS applications. And because no one is infallible, if you encountera bug, you can hope it will be fixed soon.
When you use ShipMySaaS and Wabe as its backbone, you’re not just adopting tools—you’re embracing a philosophy of quality-first development. A philosophy that prioritizes doing things right the first time, so you can avoid costly mistakes later.
A product I’m proud of
After over a year of hard work, I’m proud to deliver ShipMySaaS a SaaS template using NextJS for the frontend and Wabe for the backend. It is also a product that embodies my commitment to quality and innovation. Whether you're building your first SaaS or your tenth, I hope ShipMySaaS helps you work smarter, iterate faster, and deliver the kind of applications your users deserve.
Let’s build something amazing, together.
ShipMySaaS
The SaaS boilerplate with NextJS focus on quality, effiency and security to build powerful SaaS applications.