How I Leveraged a Niche Online Purchase to Boost My Freelance Developer Rates and Attract High-Value Clients
September 30, 2025The Legal Implications of Buying a Proof Cameo Coin: Navigating Data Privacy, Licensing, and More
September 30, 2025Building a SaaS Product with a Niche Passion
I’ve built SaaS apps before. But this one’s different—because it started with a coin.
Not just any coin: a Proof Cameo Three Cent Nickel. I bought it on a whim, drawn to its frosty design and mirror-like surface. But that purchase? It turned into my best product strategy lesson ever.
Here’s how a personal hobby helped me build, test, and grow a lean SaaS product—without the usual fluff, over-engineering, or false starts.
Why Niche Markets Are Your SaaS MVP Launchpad
Let’s be real: most MVPs try to please everyone. That’s a fast track to burnout.
But niche communities? They’re gold.
When I bought that Cameo proof coin, I stepped into a world of collectors, numismatists, and investors—people who live and breathe this stuff. They’re vocal. They pay for good tools. And they’ll tell you *exactly* what’s missing.
My little Three Cent Nickel? It was a gateway to a passionate, engaged audience—perfect for early SaaS validation.
How Niche Communities Validate Your Product
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- They hang out in forums, Facebook groups, and Discord—always ready to chat.
- I got 200+ signups in 48 hours just by posting in one coin collecting group.
- They don’t mind bugs if the core idea works. That’s rare.
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Try this: Ask yourself: *Where do I already belong?* Your next SaaS might be hiding in your hobbies.
Tech Stack Optimization: From Coin Registry to SaaS Backend
I didn’t start with a fancy stack. I started with a question: How do I organize, value, and show off these coins without losing my mind?
That led to a lean, bootstrapped-friendly tech stack—fast, cheap, and built for real users.
My SaaS Tech Stack (2024 Edition)
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- Frontend: Next.js + Tailwind CSS — quick prototyping, solid SEO, and design flexibility.
- Backend: Node.js with Express — lightweight and integrates easily with third-party tools.
- Database: PostgreSQL on Supabase — handles relational data, auth, and real-time features for free.
- Image Optimization: Cloudinary — handles photo compression, CDN delivery, and auto-tagging for coin images.
- Analytics: Plausible.io — fast, privacy-friendly, and simple to set up.
- Deployment: Vercel for frontend, Railway for backend — both deploy in minutes, scale cheaply.
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Total cost? Around $30/month. That’s *5%* of the typical Firebase or AWS bill.
Code Snippet: Dynamic Coin Grading Display
One of my users’ favorite features? A smart grading tool that boosts CAM coins by +1 point—just like the PCGS registry.
Here’s how I built it with Supabase and React:
// Fetch CAM coins and sort by grade
const { data: coins } = await supabase
.from('coins')
.select('*')
.eq('finish', 'CAM')
.order('grade', { ascending: false });
// Add +1 point for CAM finish
const getEffectivePointValue = (coin) => {
const baseGrade = parseInt(coin.grade.replace(/\D/g, ''));
const bonus = coin.finish === 'CAM' ? 1 : 0;
return baseGrade + bonus;
};
// Render with enhanced grade
coins.map(coin => (
{coin.year} {coin.denom} {coin.grade}{coin.finish}
Effective Value: {getEffectivePointValue(coin)} pts
));
Simple? Yes. But it made users feel like insiders. They weren’t just logging coins—they were optimizing their registry score.
Product Roadmap: From Proof-of-Concept to Scalable Features
I didn’t plan a year ahead. I planned two weeks at a time.
Every feature came from watching real users—what they clicked, what they ignored, what they asked for.
Phase 1: MVP (Weeks 1–4)
- Upload coin photos and basic details (year, grade, finish)
- Registry score calculator with CAM bonus logic
- Public profile sharing (think: “My coin collection, online”)
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Phase 2: Engagement (Weeks 5–8)
- AI-powered image tagging (using Google Vision API)
- “Compare Grades” tool—side-by-side CAM vs. non-CAM
- Weekly email: “Top CAM coins this week”
Phase 3: Monetization (Weeks 9–12)
- Premium tier: price trends, auction history, markup tools
- API access for dealers and marketplaces
- White-label portfolio builder for coin shops
Rule I followed: If users didn’t use a feature, I didn’t build it. No vanity metrics. Just data.
Getting to Market Faster: The “One Coin” Launch Strategy
I didn’t wait for 10 features. I launched with *one*—the CAM grade converter.
Inspired by my first coin, I built a landing page that said:
- Headline: “CAM Coins Give You +1 Free Point—Stop Overpaying”
- Demo: 60-second screen recording of the tool
- CTA: “Sign up free—catalog your coins in under a minute”
Result? 18% of visitors signed up. Why? Because it solved a real, painful problem—exactly like Steve said: *“A PR65CAM is often worth the same as a PR66, but costs less.”*
Lean Launch Checklist
- ✅ One core problem
- ✅ One standout feature (CAM bonus)
- ✅ One clear action (sign up)
- ✅ One metric (conversion rate)
Staying focused kept us from building things no one asked for.
Bootstrapping Mindset: Zero Marketing Budget, Maximum Impact
I didn’t run ads. I didn’t hire influencers. I did this:
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- Wrote three detailed posts: “Why CAM Coins Are the Best Value in Collecting”
- Shared my coin-buying story on Indie Hackers and r/coins
- Posted a Twitter thread showing how the tool changed my collecting
- Emailed 50 collectors: “I just bought my first CAM coin—here’s how I’m building a tool to help us all.”
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Six weeks later: 1,200 users. 87 paying subscribers. All from being honest about the journey.
The secret? Be real. People don’t buy tools. They buy into stories.
Why Passion + Lean Thinking = SaaS Success
My Three Cent Nickel wasn’t just a collectible. It was a product lab.
This worked because I:
- Chose a niche with real energy and low noise
- Used a tech stack that’s fast and cheap
- Let user behavior shape the roadmap—not my ego
- Launched fast with one powerful feature
- Marketed through authenticity, not ads
You don’t need investors. You don’t need a huge team. You need a problem you care about—and the patience to listen to users.
Now, when I look at a Cameo proof coin, I don’t just see history and beauty. I see a user. A feature. A revenue stream. A community.
And that’s the mindset that turns hobbies into SaaS products.
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