Tarun Kumar

Building AI SaaS from the inside @VirtualStation | Frontend, product, outbound & startup execution | Sharing honest lessons while learning

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

I’m a Founding Engineer @virtualstationx . Beyond code, I’m learning SaaS sales, outbound, LinkedIn outreach, cold email, and startup marketing. Sharing honest lessons on building, selling, and growing SaaS from the ground level in public, without pretending to be an expert.

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

People don’t switch tools just because a new one has better features.

They switch when the current way of doing things becomes painful enough.

The challenge isn’t always building something better.

It’s understanding why someone would change.

#BuildInPublic #SaaS #Startups

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

@shikheronline I’d start by showing the landing page to someone unfamiliar with the product and asking them what they think it does, without explaining anything first. Their answer can reveal where the messaging is unclear

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

Building SaaS has taught me that explaining your product clearly is a skill of its own.

You know every feature you’ve built.

A new user doesn’t.

If they need a long explanation to understand the value, your messaging needs work.

#BuildInPublic #SaaS #Startups

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

@yuriilobur The disposable camera example makes it click instantly. You’re selling an idea people already understand, not asking them to learn a new one.

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

@PressX_Global This is actually a great test. If they get it without the technical explanation, you’re probably onto something.

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

@Joshua_WD Haha! sounds like you’ve experienced this firsthand too.

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

Startup founders with 5–20 employees:

What's the ONE thing you still handle yourself that you wish someone else could take off your plate?

Hiring?
Client follow-ups?
Project management?
Team coordination?
Something else?

Curious what takes up most of your time.

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

One week you’re deep in code.

The next, you’re doing outreach, talking to customers, or figuring out a product decision.

That’s what I didn’t expect from an early-stage startup:

Your role keeps changing as the problems change.

#buildinpublic #saas #startups

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

Building SaaS changes how you look at small problems.

A tiny friction in a workflow can seem insignificant.

Then you realize the same friction happens every day, for every user.

That’s when a “small problem” starts looking very different.

#buildinpublic #saas #product

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

One thing I’ve learned building real-time products:

Performance problems aren’t always caused by “heavy” features.

Sometimes, the real problem is doing unnecessary work again and again.

Learning to question what actually needs to run has changed how I build.

#buildinpublic

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

Building a virtual office sounds simple until you start thinking about presence, movement, communication, and all the tiny interactions that make a remote workspace feel alive.

That’s the fun part of building VirtualStation.

#buildinpublic #saas #product

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

One thing I’m starting to value more in startups:

Fast feedback > perfect execution.

Ship something.
See what happens.
Learn.
Adjust.
The faster you close that loop, the faster you understand what actually matters.

#buildinpublic #saas #startups

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

Being a Founding Engineer changed how I think about ownership.

It's not just:
"Did I finish my task?"
It's:
"Did this actually move the product forward?"

That shift changes how you work.
#buildinpublic #saas #startups

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

One thing I'm learning as a Founding Engineer:

Every feature has an opportunity cost.

Time spent building one thing means not building something else.

In a startup, saying "no" is often as valuable as saying "yes."

#buildinpublic #saas #startups

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

A mistake I used to make:

Assuming that if a feature sounds useful, people will use it.

Building software taught me otherwise.

Useful isn't enough.

The problem has to matter enough for someone to change their behavior.

#buildinpublic #saas #product

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

The more startup conversations I hear, the more I notice:

Founders rarely ask:

"How do we build this?"

They ask:

"How do we get people to care about this?"

Building is difficult.

Attention is scarce.

#buildinpublic #saas #startups

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

Startups compress years of learning into months.

One day you're building features.

The next day you're discussing customers, positioning, hiring, or distribution.

That's what makes them exciting.

#buildinpublic #saas #founder

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

One thing I'm learning inside a startup:

The hardest part isn't building features.

It's deciding what NOT to build.

Every yes costs time.

Every no creates focus.

#buildinpublic #saas #startups

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

The startup mindset is different from the engineering mindset.

Engineers ask:
"Can we build it?"

Founders ask:
"Should we build it?"

The second question is usually more important.

#buildinpublic #saas #startups

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

The biggest surprise for me:

The closer I get to product and outbound, the more I realize good ideas are common.

Distribution isn't.

[Tarun Kumar @Tarunk_0510]

As an engineer, I used to think:

"Can we build this?"

Startup conversations taught me a better question:

"Will anyone care if we build this?"

The second question is much harder.

#buildinpublic #saas #startups