What comes to your mind when you think about technical requirements for successful SaaS company? Should it be lean and easy-to-build, but ready for continuous improvement? Should it have wide opportunities for customization but still be reliable and stay under the control? Should it be powerful and scalable, but still really easy to manage? We’ll see how to build such kind of Software-as-a-Service application using WordPress Multisite, from scratch.

1. ● WordPress lover since 2010
● WordPress Multisite fan
● Rocketeer at
● Loves spaghetti with tomato and basil
● Swims 4,3 km per hour freestyle
Sabrina Zeidan

2. How to build a lean SaaS App
with WordPress Multisite
WordCamp Vienna 2019

3. Why SaaS model?

4. In 2018, the average company spent
$343,000 on SaaS
SaaS trends report

5. Why Lean approach?

6. The Lean Startup and Your SaaS
Don’t build a product like this. You only discover if you have succeeded at the end
Instead start with something basic and gather feedback as you get more complex

7. Build-measure-learn feedback loop
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

8. Lean SaaS app should be
1. easy-to-build
2. customizable
3. scalable

9. WordPress Multisite ?

10. WordPress Multisite is
scalable
WordPress.com
117 880 739 sites
136 628 430 users
1 072 589 689 visits per month

11. WordPress Multisite is
easy-to-build
● Built-in user system
● Plugins
● Separate environment for each site
● SuperAdmin role
● Domain mapping

12. WordPress Multisite is
customizable
● Appearance
● Custom Post Types
● Custom Fields
● Hooks and filters

13. WordPress Multisite is
ready for the further development

14. WordPress Multisite is
easy-to-use

15. Diet Club:
SaaS built with WordPress Multisite

16. WordPress Multisite
Building a network

17. Structurizing websites
WP Multi Network Plugin

18. Paper+pencil or XMind
Planning the website structure

19. ● CPT Meal Plan
● CPT Recipe
● CPT Product
+Taxonomy: Diet Stage
+Taxonomy: Diet Stage + Meal Type
+Taxonomy Diet Stage
Custom Post Type UI
Bringing it to life

20. Custom Post Type UI
Bringing it to life

21. Advanced Custom Fields
Structurizing data: CPT Recipe (wp-admin)

22. Advanced Custom Fields
Structurizing data: CPT Recipe (front-end)

23. Advanced Custom Fields
Structurizing data: CPT Meal Plan (wp-admin)

24. Advanced Custom Fields
Structurizing data: CPT Meal Plan (front-end)

25. Gutenberg
Making landing pages

26. WooCommerce + Paid Membership Pro
Turning this into a SaaS

27. Done?

28. It’s just the beginning
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

29. ● https://wordpress.tv
● https://wordpress.org/showcase/
● https://sabrinazeidan.com/wpmu_use_case/
More examples of SaaS apps
built with WordPress Multisite

30. Get in touch with me:
● @sabrina_zeidan
● http://sabrinazeidan.com/
● sabrinazeidan@gmail.com
● or just say “Hi” right after this talk is over :)
Questions?
WordCamp Vienna 2019