This article helped me turn ColorBliss from a hobby into a business that supports my family. Changing my targeting from hobbyists to prosumers led to a huge spike in growth for me.

It started when people started asking if their subscription came with a commercial license. I didn't understand why.

But someone shared this article with me and it finally clicked--people were wanting to use ColorBliss to make things they could sell. And they weren't huge businesses. They were usually individuals trying to sell on Amazon via KDP or Etsy or similar.

Highlights

  • The normal advice for people building SaaS companies is "Don't build software for consumers (B2C); build it for businesses (B2B)." But, there's a third category that doesn't get very much attention: prosumers. (View Highlight)
  • Business-to-consumer (B2P) is an underrated business model; here's why. (View Highlight)
  • A serious, enthusiastic consumer: not professional (earning money), but of similar interest and skills to a (generally lower level) professional, or aspiring to such. (View Highlight)
  • Prosumers are individuals who straddle the line between being consumers and producers. They're incentivized to invest in products and services with the dream of earning a side income. (View Highlight)
  • The mindset of a Prosumer is distinct from that of a typical consumer: they view their purchases as investments rather than mere expenses. (View Highlight)
  • Generally, Prosumers aspire to: • earn some extra money • earn a full-time income • improve their profile in an industry • build a brand they can take wherever they go • build an audience • meet interesting people • develop new skills they can use in their job • get good at their craft (View Highlight)
  • Targeting Prosumers offers unique advantages. Unlike B2B transactions (where there can be many decision makers), it's often easier for a Prosumer to make a purchasing decision. (View Highlight)
  • Price points for prosumer software are typically lower, but these SaaS make up for that in volume (and can attract thousands of paying users). (View Highlight)