If you are building a SaaS Product

A lot of you might know by now.

But I changed my focus niche recently.

Focusing a lot more on SaaS Product Owners now.

And helping them make sure they keep their products safe.

Because of that, just recently I was approached by a Content Scheduling product owner.

A guy who was creating something similar to Buffer, but obviously with his own unique points.

I won't get into details of what they are because of an NDA...

But, I will go into what he needed from us.

You see, he wanted something that upheld the trust of his customers.

While at the same time protecting his company from any... bad people.

So we hopped on a call and understood his whole business plan.

And then figured out 3 issues that needed to be solved:

-> Users needed to understand their responsibilities.

Especially understanding the terms of service of the social media platforms they were scheduling content for.

And the company needed to protect itself from liability for any misuse of the platform by users.

-> The users also had to understand the limitations of the service, which could include potential downtimes or technical issues.

And the company needed to manage user expectations regarding service availability and performance.

-> The platform was handling user data and social media accounts.

So it was critical for them to address data privacy and security concerns.

And compliance with relevant data protection laws and transparent data handling practices were important to build trust in the platform.

Now that we had the issues figured out, all we needed to do was...

Create something for them that handles everything.

For that, we created a few documents, mainly Terms and Conditions + Privacy Policy, but focused on 5 points.

(1) User Responsibility and Conduct:

Our first step was to add clear clauses outlining user responsibilities.

Such as adhering to the terms of service of the social media platforms they use.

We also added provisions to prohibit misuse, such as posting illegal content or engaging in spamming activities.

We also included indemnity clauses to protect the company from claims arising from user actions.

(2) Service Availability and Reliability:

Our second step was to add a detailed scope of the service.

This included potential limitations and the company’s commitment to maintaining the platform.

We included disclaimers about service availability, notifying users of possible downtimes, maintenance periods, and technical issues.

We added a clause limiting the company’s liability for any loss or damage arising from service interruptions.

(3) Data Privacy and Security:

We also outlined how user data would be collected, used, and protected.

This is to make sure there's transparency and compliance with data protection laws like GDPR (because they targeted the EU region).

We also included clauses on data security measures that emphasized the company’s commitment to safeguarding user information.

Our last step was to provide information on how users could manage their data, including accessing, updating, or deleting their information.

(4) Subscription and Payment Terms:

Now comes the point of Payment, where most issues can arise.

So we clearly defined their subscription plans, billing cycles, and payment terms to avoid confusion and disputes.

We also included a clause on automatic renewals and how users could cancel their subscriptions.

We specified the process for handling refunds and addressing billing issues.

Because how you handle the refunds or any billing issue is important.

(5) Intellectual Property:

Our last step was to protect the company’s intellectual property rights.

And we did this by clearly stating that the software and related materials were owned by the company.

We also stated clearly that unauthorized use is prohibited, along with the reproduction, or distribution of the software.

This way, they owned the software.

The result was quite simple after these steps:

1) The users now will have an idea of what they can and can't do.

2) The company kept its liability at a bare minimum.

3) The company also clearly communicated its service availability and reliability.

Overall, the founder was happy knowing full well his whole product was properly communicated with his clients now.

It doesn't matter what kind of product you are creating.

As long as it's operating online, you have to be clear on these points.

Well, not exactly, because you might not be creating a content-scheduling app.

But on a broader level, you have to make sure your company is protected.

Because issues happen when points are not stated properly.

And if you need my help with that, we can work together.

Just reply to this email "SaaS" and I will send you the details.

Talk to you soon.

-- Akhil Mishra