The SaaS Founder

Most recent articles

• What a Software Maintenance Contract Actually Buys You (and What Happens Without One)

  

  What a Software Maintenance Contract Actually Buys You (and What Happens Without One)

  A software maintenance contract buys guaranteed response times and priority. Without one, fixes get batched. Here is how both modes honestly work.

  Ferenc Fekete  -  6 min read

• Legacy Software Modernization: Rebuild, Refactor, or Replace?

  

  Legacy Software Modernization: Rebuild, Refactor, or Replace?

  Legacy software modernization means choosing between rehosting, refactoring, rebuilding, or replacing. Here is the honest decision framework and cost math.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  9 min read

• Fixed Price vs Time and Materials: Which Contract Fits Your Software Project?

  

  Fixed Price vs Time and Materials: Which Contract Fits Your Software Project?

  Fixed price buys predictability at a risk premium; time and materials buys flexibility you manage. Here is how to choose, and the hybrid that works.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  8 min read

• Scope Creep: A Founder's Guide to Projects That Outgrow Their Quote

  

  Scope Creep: A Founder's Guide to Projects That Outgrow Their Quote

  Scope creep is uncontrolled project growth after work begins. 52% of projects experience it. Here is what causes it and what a fair fix looks like.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  10 min read

• Bus Factor: What Happens to Your Product When the Key Person Quits

  

  Bus Factor: What Happens to Your Product When the Key Person Quits

  The bus factor is the number of people whose exit would stall your product. 74% of projects sit at 1 or 2. Here is what that costs and how to fix it.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  9 min read

• eIDAS 2.0 Explained: What the EU Digital Identity Deadlines Mean for Your Product

  

  eIDAS 2.0 Explained: What the EU Digital Identity Deadlines Mean for Your Product

  eIDAS 2.0 requires every EU state to offer a Digital Identity Wallet by December 2026, with mandatory acceptance in 2027. Here is what builders should know.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  10 min read

• Technical Due Diligence for Founders: What VCs Check

  

  Technical Due Diligence for Founders: What VCs Check

  Technical due diligence takes 2 to 6 weeks and covers architecture, code, security, and team. Here is what investors check and how founders prepare.

  Ferenc Fekete  -  10 min read

• How Much Does a Design Subscription Cost? (2026 Pricing Guide)

  

  How Much Does a Design Subscription Cost? (2026 Pricing Guide)

  Design subscriptions cost from about $499 to $10,000 per month depending on tier, turnaround, and scope. Here is a full 2026 pricing breakdown and what drives it.

  Ferenc Fekete  -  7 min read

• Are "Unlimited" Design Subscriptions Really Unlimited? How the Model Works

  

  Are "Unlimited" Design Subscriptions Really Unlimited? How the Model Works

  "Unlimited" design subscriptions mean unlimited requests, not a full-time designer. Here is how the queue, the 48-hour turnaround, and big requests work.

  Ferenc Fekete  -  7 min read

• Design Subscription vs Hiring a Designer: Which Is Right for Your Startup?

  

  Design Subscription vs Hiring a Designer: Which Is Right for Your Startup?

  Design subscription vs hiring: a senior in-house designer costs $116k-$185k/year, a subscription runs $499-$6,000/month. Here is which one fits your startup.

  Ferenc Fekete  -  7 min read

• The 9 Best Design Subscription Services for Startups (2026)

  

  The 9 Best Design Subscription Services for Startups (2026)

  The 9 best design subscription services for startups in 2026, compared on price, turnaround, and focus. Plans run from $499 to $10,000+ per month.

  Ferenc Fekete  -  9 min read

• Post-Acquisition Software Rebuild: An Operating Partner's Guide to De-Risking Portfolio Technology

  

  Post-Acquisition Software Rebuild: An Operating Partner's Guide to De-Risking Portfolio Technology

  How PE operating partners de-risk inherited portfolio tech: what post-acquisition technical debt costs and how to sequence a rebuild in the hold period.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  6 min read

• Do You Need a Full-Time CTO to Build Your MVP? (And the Alternatives)

  

  Do You Need a Full-Time CTO to Build Your MVP? (And the Alternatives)

  Whether a funded, non-technical founder needs a full-time CTO to build an MVP, what it costs, and the alternatives: fractional CTO, co-founder, or build team.

  Ferenc Fekete  -  5 min read

• Build vs Buy Software: How Funded Founders Should Actually Decide

  

  Build vs Buy Software: How Funded Founders Should Actually Decide

  When to build custom software vs buy off the shelf, framed for funded non-technical founders. The real cost comparison, and who should own the decision.

  Ferenc Fekete  -  4 min read