How to Create AI SaaS Clones (and 10 SaaS Ideas You Can Build Today)

Hey, thanks for joining for another week of New Venture Weekly.

Thanks to new AI tools like Bolt.new and Cursor.ai, creating your own SaaS tools has become a lot more accessible.

These tools write, debug, and optimize code for you, meaning you don’t need any experience with coding (although the more you know, the better the results).

Here’s how you can use this to your advantage: Clone one feature from an existing SaaS tool that focuses on solving one specific problem.

Let’s jump in!

 👀 Looking for more?

Increase your online income with 3 quick resources every day.

Join 7000+ online hustlers in receiving a daily email with 3 quick & valuable resources that will help you make more money online.

Sign up for free here.

The best businesses solve specific problems

Are you tired of wasting time and resources on business ideas that don’t work? It’s not because you’re not smart or hardworking - it's because you’re not focused on solving the right problems.

Here’s a database of problems begging for a better solution.

Own a stake in Alaska’s oil reserves.

• Estimated 300 million barrels of recoverable reserves

• Royalty-based model reducing operational risks

• Projected 25+ years of reliable, high-margin royalty income

Learn More

⭐️ Examples:

• WeTransfer is a stripped-back version of Dropbox that focuses on 1 specific problem - instant, secure file sharing.

• Instead of Webflow, you can use Carrd to create simple one-page websites.

• Instead of Calendly, you there’s TidyCal - a much cheaper alternative that does the same thing.

• Screenity is a simplified, open-source version of Loom

🧐 Opportunities:

I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking of ideas I could build using this framework:

Idea #1: A tool that indexes and summarizes video call transcriptions.

• Problem: People struggle to take and organise high-quality notes while engaging in the meeting.

• A simplified version of Otter.ai

• Connects directly to Zoom, Google, Teams

Idea #2: AI-powered subject line tester that predicts open rates and suggests optimized subject lines based on historical performance and audience behaviour.

• Problem: Subject lines can make or break an email. 1st impressions matter and emails need to stand out in the inbox.

• A simple 1 feature tool that connects to Klaviyo, Beehiiv, SubStack & Convertkit via API

• Compares subject line performance over time

Idea #3: Content library organiser with AI tagging and sorting.

• Problem: Many e-commerce brands test 100s if not 1000s of creatives a month. Organising these and staying on top of the backlog is extremely time-consuming. (I’ve worked in this field and would 100% use this tool).

• Aimed at paid social managers in e-commerce

• A stripped-back Dropbox clone that organises and tags files based on campaigns, and product categories, whether they’ve been set live and so on

• Bubble shows you how to build a Dropbox clone here.

Idea #4: A pre-meeting agenda generator based on past discussions or shared notes.

• Problem: Meetings with Agendas are much more effective but they can be time-consuming to create and humans might miss things.

• Connects to emails, calendar & forms and suggests agenda based on conversations

Idea #5: A tool to create quick clips from long Loom videos.

• Problem: People use Loom to create quick videos but editing, organising and posting them can take longer than actually recording them.

• Like Opus.pro but targeted at Loom users - could try and plug directly into Loom.

• Breaks it into sections for tutorials or pulls out the best bits that you can publish on TikTok/Shorts without editing yourself. Adds captions, effects and templates.

Idea #6: Tool that tests different price points for your online products on either Etsy, Amazon or Shopify

• Problem: Many brands need to be competitive on pricing, especially in marketplaces like Amazon. However, testing pricing can be difficult and time-consuming, especially if you don’t have much experience with it.

• An AI tool that automatically adjusts and A/B tests pricing while you sleep.

• Set rules based on margin, COGs and revenue targets.

• It could be a simple Shopify app or use it for Amazon or Etsy

Idea #7: A tool that auto-generates FAQs based on customer chat logs and reviews

• Problem: Writing high-quality FAQs that answer all your customer’s questions can be time-consuming and may considerably change over time. Good FAQs can significantly reduce the number of customer service requests, saving time and money, and improving the customer experience.

• Could be a simple Shopify app that connects to your support inbox or a web app where users import a CSV of all their chats in one go.

Idea #8: A tool that analyzes and tags support tickets for trends (e.g., common bugs or issues).

• Problem: With larger support teams it can be difficult to uncover common trends in support tickets.

• Could be a simple Shopify app that connects to your support inbox or a web app where users import a CSV of all their chats in one go.

Idea #9: A Dropbox-like tool that creates personalised links to the same file to track usage and protect the contents from being shared.

• Problem: Digital products are often shared illegally online and it’s very difficult to do anything about it or track who shared them.

• Could be a Shopify or Framer app or a standalone web app.

• Could also give a personalised experience when the user accesses the files.

• Target digital product sellers.

Idea #10: A tool that simplifies analytics to 5 essential metrics in a mobile-friendly dashboard.

• Problem: Website analytics can be daunting for new users and often confuse them.

• Create a privacy-first analytics SaaS that simplifies website analytics for new users and lets AI analyse it for them.

• Again, this could be a simple Shopify App or an app for Framer or Webflow or it could be a standalone SaaS.

🛠 How to Build:

Tools like Bolt.new are great at producing basic versions of your ideas. But the more information you give it, the better output you’ll receive.

Step #1: Create a UI design in Figma to get a solid idea of how the software should look.

• Make it simple at first, it doesn’t have to be super polished to begin with.

• Find Figma UI templates to speed it up or hire someone to design it for you.

Step #2: Write down exactly the problem you’re solving and how your software solves it.

• Write down the steps a user would take to reach their final goal.

• Again make this simple, there should be as few steps as possible to achieve this.

• For example:

  • User uploads their CSV via drag & drop or by selecting import

  • The user then clicks “Analyse File”

  • AI analyses the file

  • AI produces output

Step #3: Get Claude or Chatgpt to write a detailed prompt for your software that you can then give to Bolt.new 

Step #4: Run the prompt through Bolt.new or work with Cursor.ai and Claude to start building.

• If you don’t have much experience with coding it might be better to use a freelancer from Upwork

Step #5: Once you have a usable MVP, get early feedback and iterate on your SaaS.

• At this stage, you might need to find an actual developer or write some code yourself as these AI apps are currently only good enough to take you so far.

Useful Tools & Tutorials:

Tools:

• Bolt.new

• Cursor.ai

• Replit

• Github CoPilot

• Bubble.io 

• Figma (for UI design)

• Figma UI Templates

• Claude

• ChatGPT

Tutorials:

• How to use Bolt for beginners with CEO Eric Simons

• Copy these apps with Bolt

• How to build an AI tutor app in minutes

• Cursor Tutorial for Beginners

• How to build your own Dropbox Clone

• How to use AI to build a SaaS

🚀 How to Grow:

• Build in Public: Share the journey of building your micro-SaaS on platforms like Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, or indie maker communities.

• Leverage Communities: Actively engage in niche communities (e.g., Reddit, Indie Hackers, Product Hunt discussions). Provide value before pitching your tool.

• Offer Lifetime Deals (LTD): Platforms like AppSumo are perfect for offering early discounted deals to get feedback and loyal users.

• Partner with Makers: Collaborate with other indie developers to cross-promote tools, especially if they serve a similar audience.

• Freemium Model with Viral Hooks: Offer a free plan with features that incentivize sharing (e.g., branded reports, invite bonuses).

• Referral Program: Create a referral program where users earn credits, discounts, or features for bringing in new customers.

• Cold Outreach with Hyper-Personalization: Reach out to prospects on LinkedIn or via email with personalized pitches showcasing how your tool solves their specific problem.

• Integrate with Popular Tools: Build integrations with major SaaS products (e.g., Zapier, Slack, or Notion) to tap into their user base.

• Content Marketing: Create blogs, tutorials, and case studies that solve problems your audience faces and showcase your micro-SaaS as the solution.

• SEO for Niche Keywords: Identify and dominate long-tail keywords that reflect your audience’s pain points.

• Google Ads for High-Intent Searches: Use PPC ads targeting queries that show purchase intent, like “best [category] tool.”

• Influencer Marketing: Partner with niche influencers (YouTubers, podcasters, or bloggers) to promote your micro-SaaS.

• Email Marketing with Lead Magnets: Offer a free guide or checklist in exchange for email addresses, then nurture leads with drip campaigns showcasing the value of your tool.

• Launch a Free Tool/Resource: Offer a related free tool (e.g., a calculator or mini-feature) to attract users to your micro-SaaS.

🔥 Cool Stuff

(Bookmark these)

• Find problems that need business solutions - Access the Problems & Pain Points Database.

• Want to grow your business? Here’s a database of tools that can help.

• Want to promote your startup for free? Here’s a database of free places to promote your startup.

• Want to turn your idea into a business? Check out this business idea checklist.

• Want to differentiate from your competitors? Check out this Differentiation Strategy Guide

• Want to run ads for your business? Use these proven psychological ad positioning strategies.

• Like the newsletter and want to show your support? You can buy me a coffee here.

🤯 Recommendations

Get Your Team Booked on 3.8 Million Podcasts Automatically

It's 2025. Want to finally be a regular podcast guest in your industry? PodPitch will make it happen. Even the beehiiv team uses it!

The best way to advertise isn't Meta or Google – it's appearing on podcasts your customers love.

PodPitch.com automates thousands of weekly emails for you, pitching your team as ideal guests.

Big brands like Feastables use PodPitch.com instead of expensive PR agencies.

Get your FREE personalized demo!

Securing top talent with our guide is a click away

At Deel, we've simplified a world's worth of global hiring information. Our expert teams can help you navigate quick and compliant hiring in 150+ countries and so much more.

Get the guide

Bootstrapped Growth

The best strategies, tools & resources to supercharge your SaaS growth.

Every Tuesday, you get 3 marketing examples, 2 free resources, and 1 growth strategy breakdown.

Subscribe in one click