The SaaS Founder

Most recent articles

• 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

• How AI Helps With Regulatory Compliance (Without Becoming the Risk)

  

  How AI Helps With Regulatory Compliance (Without Becoming the Risk)

  AI can monitor, audit, and de-risk compliance in real time. A guide to AI-based compliance and AI compliance monitoring, a market growing 36% a year.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  10 min read

• How to Add AI Features to Your SaaS Product (Without a Data Science Team)

  

  How to Add AI Features to Your SaaS Product (Without a Data Science Team)

  A practical founder's guide to adding AI features to your SaaS product: what to build first, which APIs to use, how to brief your dev team, and the mistakes that make AI features fail after launch.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  21 min read

• The EU AI Act, Explained: What Founders Building AI Actually Need to Know

  

  The EU AI Act, Explained: What Founders Building AI Actually Need to Know

  A plain-English guide to the EU AI Act: the risk tiers, the timeline, the €35M penalties, and the 2025 Digital Omnibus changes. Written for founders building AI products, not lawyers.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  11 min read

• SaaS Pitch Deck Structure: What Investors Actually Look for in 2026

  

  SaaS Pitch Deck Structure: What Investors Actually Look for in 2026

  A stage-by-stage guide to the SaaS pitch deck structure investors actually want to see in 2026 - from pre-seed to Series A, including the metrics benchmarks, AI positioning, and red flags that kill deals.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  19 min read

• No-Code vs Custom SaaS Development: When to Make the Switch

  

  No-Code vs Custom SaaS Development: When to Make the Switch

  No-code is right for validating SaaS ideas. Custom development is right for scaling them. Here is how to tell the difference - and how to make the transition without starting from scratch.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  15 min read

• SaaS Pricing Models: The Complete Founder's Guide (2026)

  

  SaaS Pricing Models: The Complete Founder's Guide (2026)

  A complete guide to SaaS pricing models for founders - from flat-rate to AI token pricing. Includes a decision framework, comparison table, and the metrics impact of each model.

  Ferenc Fekete  -  28 min read

• Switching Development Agencies: How to Keep Your Code, Accounts, and IP

  

  Switching Development Agencies: How to Keep Your Code, Accounts, and IP

  You may not legally own the code you paid for. Here's how to switch development agencies without losing your codebase, accounts, or IP rights.

  Máté Várkonyi  -  10 min read