Aykut what's your backstory?

I was born in Balıkesir, Turkey. From a young age, I dreamed of having the freedom to create something on my own. When I discovered computer science at 12, I dove right into exploring its possibilities. I started with desktop applications and gradually moved on to websites, games, and mobile apps. Before high school, I had already built a news website, a Flash games platform, and even a social media site, handing out paper brochures to my classmates to promote it.

Right before high school, I developed a clone of my favorite mobile game, uploaded it to my website, and hit over 250,000 downloads in just three months! Unfortunately, I didn’t know about Git back then. Thinking I’d saved the right backup files, I lost everything after reinstalling Windows—a tough lesson but a memorable one.

At one point, I was intimidated by web development. I didn’t want to constantly learn new things, sacrificing weekends and free time to stay updated. I thought mastering C# once would be enough to sustain a career, but when I tried sticking to it, I found it monotonous and uninspiring.

In my junior year, I finally ventured into web development, starting with backend work. Like many others, I began with blogs and simple to-do apps. Then I built a Discord game bot where users could earn currency by completing tasks, spending it in a shop, showcasing collectibles, and climbing leaderboards. It unexpectedly grew to 100k+ monthly average user. I dealt with security flaws, optimizations (running it on a 256 MB RAM server because I always look for free or affordable solutions), and even monetization—though at that stage, my priority was learning, not earning. I also collaborated with a major gaming company tied to the bot’s theme.

When I entered university to study Software Engineering, I shifted my focus to building open-source projects and stepped away from the Discord bot. Sharing my work on LinkedIn became a habit, and I always made sure my READMEs and non-code aspects were polished. To me, a clean presentation is as important as a solid codebase—it’s all part of good marketing.

I’m grateful for exploring so many areas of computer science early on. It gave me clarity on where to focus, how to understand customer needs, and where to bring value.

What does ToDiagram do and how did you come up with the idea?

If you’ve read my backstory, you might recall my work on a Discord bot. I was using MongoDB Atlas to manage and view database documents, and while I liked its UI, I kept thinking: ‘What if I could create something more tailored to my needs? What if I could not only view user data and inventories but also edit them, maybe even visualize them in diagrams or graphs?’

That’s when the idea for a custom tool started to take shape. I wanted a way to better understand complex data, not just through text but through something visual and interactive. Initially, I developed this tool specifically for my Discord bot project, aiming to improve my workflow and better manage the user data.

As I worked on it, I realized the concept could apply to far more than just my bot. By reading key-value pairs from any structured data, I could generate hierarchical diagrams—diagrams that weren’t limited to any single use case but could be universally applied to a variety of data formats, such as JSON, YAML, and more.

This realization shifted my focus from a personal tool to something broader. What started as a small, specific tool evolved into a vision: a platform that could make complex data easier to understand and manipulate, especially for developers working with structured formats like JSON.

That was the spark that led to the creation of JSON Visio, which later became JSON Crack. It began as an open-source project to help developers like me visualize and interact with their data more intuitively. Over time, the tool evolved, and I realized it could serve not just as a visualization tool, but as a powerful data editor—a tool that could improve how developers, analysts, and anyone dealing with structured data worked.

JSON Crack quickly gained traction, and I saw the need to evolve it into a more robust product. What started as a simple side project grew into a full-fledged solution, helping users make sense of their data in ways they hadn’t been able to before. The open-source foundation laid the groundwork for what became ToDiagram, a platform that’s now helping users transform complex data into interactive, editable diagrams.

How did you get your first 10 customers for ToDiagram?

I didn’t monetize the project from day one, though in hindsight, that might be a good approach for others starting out. For me, the priority was understanding whether the product had the potential to go viral. I wanted to see if people would find it valuable enough to share with others or recommend it on their own.

One of the first things I did was figure out what kind of product I was building. I think it’s crucial to determine whether your product is a ‘candy,’ a ‘vitamin,’ or a ‘painkiller.’ A candy is something nice to have, but not essential. A vitamin improves lives but isn’t an immediate necessity. A painkiller, on the other hand, solves a pressing problem that users are actively seeking a solution for. For me, the most important thing was figuring out if ToDiagram could be a painkiller—something that people truly needed and would pay for.

To test this, I focused on building something that addressed real problems and shared it openly. Initially, I made sure the project, JSON Crack, was available on GitHub as an open-source tool. This way, it would get visibility from developers and I could see if it would resonate with the community.

Rather than focusing on monetization right away, I used this time to gauge the product’s potential and gather feedback. The first signs were encouraging. As the project grew, I began to see it gain traction organically—it was picked up by the GitHub Release Radar, shared on social media, and even on Twitter.

As more people interacted with it, the project started to attract more attention, including issues and pull requests from users who were genuinely interested in improving the product.

This early organic growth confirmed that the product had real value. While I didn’t focus on monetization at first, I did want to understand how much demand there was for the solution. I realized that the best way to validate the product early on was through this kind of organic growth—seeing if users were spreading the word and getting excited about the tool.

My approach was to focus on proving the concept first, validating whether it could solve a real problem, and building a community of users. That’s how I got my first few hundred users, and from there, the growth continued.

How did you ensure your product or service met the needs of your target customers?

I originally built the project for my own use, never expecting it to gain significant traction—especially among software developers. Like my previous open-source projects, I shared it on GitHub, and that’s when things took off. The project caught the attention of GitHub’s Release Radar, where staff highlighted selected projects for the community. On my first try, it got picked, and I started seeing people staring at my repository on my GitHub timeline.

Then, GitHub featured my project on Twitter, which turned out to be the most impactful event. It brought the project to a much larger audience, resulting in new issues, pull requests, and a surge of engagement. At that point, the idea was validated.

After two years of iterating on the project, I decided to take it to the next level. I set out to create a new product that fixed all the bugs and included features tailored to a professional audience with a specific interest in this concept. This time, I rebuilt everything from scratch, deciding it wouldn’t be open-source. It was a challenge—essentially competing with my own open-source success—but I was ready to take that leap.

What distribution channels did you try that didn’t work?

I tried advertising, but it wasn’t very effective due to the niche audience. Think about it—how often do you search for a tool that diagrams JSON? Probably never. Depending on the use case, the product can feel like both a vitamin and a painkiller, but it’s not something people actively look for.

For such a niche product, the best approach has been word-of-mouth marketing. Imagine being in a meeting, and your teammate shows you a complex raw JSON file. Then they open ToDiagram, paste the data, and it instantly transforms into beautiful, editable diagrams. You’d immediately think, ‘Wow, what tool is that?’ That kind of organic discovery works best for a niche audience, especially when you’re bootstrapped. If funding were available, I’d also consider influencer marketing.

Currently, I’m experimenting with cold outreach. I used to find unsolicited messages on social media annoying, but I’ve shifted my perspective. I’m not spamming random people; I’m targeting individuals who might genuinely benefit from the product. When you’re bootstrapped, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask potential users if they’re interested in trying your product.

Why did you decide not to offer a freemium plan?

I occasionally add a free plan and then remove it—it’s a bit unconventional, I admit! But it’s a way to test whether customers see the product as a true painkiller. If they don’t, it’s important to figure out why. The goal is to identify the audience that genuinely finds value in the product and gather as much data from them as possible.
‍
A free plan can sometimes be misleading. It might give you a large user base, but you’ll often find yourself wondering why you’re not converting those users into paying customers. For me, it’s more valuable to focus on the users who truly see the product’s worth and are willing to pay for it.

How do you find it running a SaaS business outside of your day job?

It’s fun! Having a full-time job means I’m not afraid to take risks with my product—whether it’s trying something new, even if it could cost money, leads, or worse. These risks don’t scare me because I have a safety net.

‍
That said, I’m very careful not to let experimentation negatively impact customers. They’re the most valuable part of the business, and I make it a priority to engage with them personally, understand their needs, and address their concerns. My average response time to customer emails is usually six hours or less, which reflects how much I value their experience.

How do you find running a side business SaaS as a solopreneur?

It’s challenging, and you end up wearing a lot of hats. Honestly, I wish I’d started this with someone who could complement my skills—especially on the business side.

Being a technical person, I had no real experience with marketing or sales when I began. I had to dive in and learn, and I’m still learning—it’s a continuous process. zMaking tough decisions as a solopreneur can be daunting. You’re essentially living with the outcomes of your past choices. Even after years of working on this project, I’d be open to splitting equity with the right person if they could bring significant value.

My advice? Find a strong partner or co-founder for the journey. As you make progress, the challenges grow, and having someone to share the load makes all the difference.

What specific tools have been most helpful in growing your business?

GitHub Copilot has been a game-changer! I started the project before tools like ChatGPT existed, but now, with AI tools available, they’ve significantly sped up my progress. I honestly wouldn’t have gotten this far this quickly without their help.

Also, Twitter (now X ) has been incredibly impactful. It’s full of inspirational people and has probably been the most influential social media platform for me.

Who are some experts to follow to learn how to grow a business?

I don’t have anyone specific to recommend, but I’d suggest following the journeys of various entrepreneurs. Everyone has their own story, and even learning one single thing from someone’s experience can have a lasting impact on your own life.

How many of your customers are from Turkey and how many are from the rest of the world?

Customers from Turkey are fewer than the fingers on my hand. The majority of my customers come from the United States.

What drives you to do what you do?

What drives me is the freedom to build something. Whether it’s with Lego, electronics, or any other medium, the act of creation is what excites me. For me, programming is that medium—it’s an infinite resource that fuels my passion.

Any quotes you live by?

Work life harmony.

Your links + socials

Aykut Saraç LinkedIn

Aykut Saraç X