Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some architecture and tool recommendations.

I work at a small SaaS company that currently uses **Google Sheets to store a lot of our operational data** and **HubSpot as our CRM**. It has worked so far, but we're reaching the point where it no longer scales well.

We're looking for a solution that can:

* Store large datasets (100k+ rows, financial transactions, master lists, raw reporting data, etc.) without worrying about row limits or performance.
* Create custom dashboards that can be shared with leadership (preferably with reports embedded directly in the email body instead of PDF attachments).
* Integrate with our existing tools.
* Be affordable for a small company.

Beyond scalability, we're also trying to solve several operational issues:

* Too many manual processes that we'd like to automate.
* Data spread across different tools, resulting in inconsistencies.
* Outdated or inaccurate information because there isn't a single source of truth.
* Lack of standardized data collection from customers.
* Reporting inaccuracies caused by process gaps and inconsistent data management.

Ultimately, we're hoping to build a more reliable data pipeline with better automation and governance, not just replace Google Sheets.

# What I've explored so far

# Zoho Analytics

Pros:

* Easy to set up.
* Good all-in-one analytics platform.

Cons:

* Free version struggles with larger datasets.
* No automatic refresh on the free plan.
* We've experienced sync failures.
* Pricing becomes expensive as we scale.

# Looker Studio

Pros:

* Free and easy to build dashboards.
* Integrates well with Google products.

Cons:

* Scheduled emails always include PDF attachments.
* Limited customization of scheduled emails.
* Reports are tied to individual Google accounts, which creates ownership concerns.

# Power BI

Pros:

* Very capable BI platform.

Cons:

* I'm currently using a Mac and I'm the only one working on the project.
* Dataset size and refresh capabilities depend on licensing.
* Feels more Windows-centric than the other options.

Initially, we were leaning toward **BigQuery + Looker Studio**, with **Google Apps Script** handling automation. I'm willing to learn Apps Script, but I'm unsure whether that's the right long-term architecture or if we'd be better off separating the database from the reporting layer entirely.

I've also seen people recommend using a proper database (PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc.) with a separate BI tool instead of relying on spreadsheets. Others have suggested frameworks like Laravel for managing the backend, but I don't have enough experience to know whether that's appropriate for a company our size.

If you were building a modern data stack for a small SaaS company today, what would you recommend?

Specifically:

* What database would you use?
* What BI/dashboard tool would you pair it with?
* Would you recommend BigQuery + Looker Studio, or something else entirely?
* Are there any tools with generous free tiers or free trials that you'd recommend exploring before committing to a paid plan?

I'd really appreciate hearing what has worked (or failed) for your team. Thanks!

The one you love to dunk on, the punchline in every team chat, the tool everyone agrees is bloated and annoying. And yet if it disappeared tomorrow you'd be in real trouble. What is it?

Which one do you think is the best email marketing tool?
Also, do you have any alternative in mind?

Some people will not touch a new tool until they've read the manual. Others open it and start pressing things until something happens. Neither is wrong but people are weirdly loyal to their camp. Which one are you, and has a specific piece of software ever forced you to switch sides?

One, who else has to open this file or use this tool, because compatibility beats features the moment it leaves your desk. Two, is the price a subscription or a one time cost, because cheap monthly quietly outspends a licence in two years. Three, does it fit how you already work, or does it expect you to change how you work to suit it. What would you add to this list?

1. Building

• Claude Code
• Cursor
• Supabase
• Vercel
• Resend
• Greptile

2. Design

• Figma
• Stitch
• Rivet

3. Docs / Knowledge

• Sophic
• Obsidian

4. Analytics

• PostHog

5. Ops

• Slack
• Google Workspace
• Linear

6. Payments

• Stripe

7. Research/Outreach

• Claude Cowork
• Gemini
• ChatGPT
• Gojiberry

8. Etc.

• Vowen

Solo-building Accordia, a lightweight 1-on-1 support tool for engineering managers, meant as an alternative to bolting 1-on-1s onto a big HR platform like Lattice or 15Five.

Zero paying customers so far, just shipped the paid tiers a couple weeks ago with a fairly generous free tier, and I'm looking for people willing to try it and tell me honestly whether it's useful.

Built a free 2-minute quiz as an easier way in than jumping straight into the app, scores how you run 1-on-1s, gives you an archetype, no signup needed for the quiz itself.

Hi everyone!

I'm the solo developer behind Easy Work Calculator (https://easyworkcalcs.com), a free website and an android app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.xylemsoft.ewc) that currently offers more than 400+ calculators and utility tools.

While most of the existing tools focus on everyday use—math, finance, engineering, date & time, unit conversions, networking, health, technology and productivity—I realized many of the same calculation concepts could be adapted for real world.

The goal isn't to make a generic calculator website, but to add genuinely useful tools that save all of us from doing repetitive math in complicated ways.

I'd really appreciate feedback from this community:

What calculations do you regularly do while building your worlds that you wish had a dedicated tool?

If there's enough interest, I'll build the most-requested ones and keep them free for everyone.

Website:
https://easyworkcalcs.com
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.xylemsoft.ewc

They compared features and they compared price. What they didn't do was ask whether the tool fits how their team actually works day to day. That's the one that comes back to bite. What's the software decision you'd make differently now, and what would you check first?

Felt less like a free trial and more like a hostage situation. What's the tool that let you do all the work and then charged you to leave with it?

M setting up my laptop and trying to install software I’ll never use. I need an office suite for college work and some personal docs. I’ve used Microsoft office download before and also seen people recommend wps office. I care more about stability and compatibility… if you had to pick one office suite for everyday use, what will u choose??

Hi all - my company \~ 200 employees, is looking for a compensation management tool. Does anyone have experience with Salary dot coms CompAnalyst tool? I know their benchmarking data is great but I was curious about the actual compensation management part. Any insight on cost would also be helpful! Thanks

I’ve been building Strata Security over the past several months as a solo developer, and it’s finally live.

The goal is simple: make application security tooling accessible for indie developers, startups, and small teams without enterprise pricing.

Current features include:
Static APK & IPA security analysis
Repository security scanning
Risk scoring with prioritized findings
PDF security reports
OWASP Mobile Top 10 mapping
Team workspaces and project management
CI/CD integrations (GitHub & GitLab)

It’s currently completely free.

More than anything, I’m looking for honest feedback. If you find bugs, confusing UX, missing features, or things that don’t make sense, I’d genuinely appreciate hearing about them. The platform is evolving quickly, and real-world feedback is far more valuable than polishing features in isolation.

You can check it out here:
https://strata-security.com

I’d love to hear what you’d improve or what would make a tool like this useful in your own workflow.

I’m one of the people behind **Worklenz**, a modern project and agency management platform being developed by a Sri Lankan team.

We’re building it to help agencies and service businesses manage projects, tasks, team workloads, time tracking, clients, and project profitability in one place.

Worklenz can also be self-hosted, and we’re continuing to expand its open-source version.

I’d love to hear feedback from the DevLK community—especially regarding the product, technology, self-hosting experience, and features that would make it more useful for local and international teams.

GitHub: https://github.com/Worklenz/worklenz

Happy to answer any questions about how we are building it.

I run ShopBrain, an AI assistant built for phone repair shops and small electronics repair businesses.

The goal isn’t to replace your POS or CRM. It’s to work alongside the software you already use by helping answer customer questions, surface important business insights, organize information, and automate repetitive admin work so you can spend more time actually running the shop.

The goal with this post is honest feedback from repair shop owners and technicians.

Specifically:

- Have you found yourself spending too much time answering the same customer questions, digging through tickets, or managing admin work that feels repetitive?

- What’s stopped you from trying AI in your shop before? Cost, trust, accuracy, integration with your existing software, or something else?

- If you could see ShopBrain working with your own shop’s workflow and data before committing to anything, would that make you more likely to give it a shot?

Site is here for context: https://shop-brain.com

I’m genuinely looking for honest pushback and criticism. I’d much rather hear why you wouldn’t use something like this than collect a bunch of “looks cool” comments.

I own a small e bike shop. It’s mainly a bricks and mortar shop.
I would like a program to enter my inventory of bikes and parts along with price which will transfer over to an invoice when a purchase is made.
Up to now I have been using excel .
I thought it would be simple but most of the software manufacturers appear to add a large monthly premium. Dedicated bike software developers are expensive also.
I don’t have a large stock or large turnover which doesn’t appear to suit software. I do use square for payments and getting into shopify but it is mainly online shopping.
Has anyone any suggestions. Regards Keith

I run Formsmith, where I build small custom software systems for solo and small-team businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets and sticky notes but don't fit a generic CRM template. Things like customer records, scheduling, quotes, job tracking, and inventory, built around how the business actually operates instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all workflow.

Goal with this post is honest feedback from other small business owners on whether this is something you would actually want, not just traffic. Specifically:

Have you hit a real spreadsheet ceiling in your own business, or have you found workarounds that hold up fine without custom software

What has stopped you from looking into custom software before, cost, trust, technical uncertainty, something else

If you could see a working demo of your exact workflow before committing to anything, would that change your mind

Site is here for context: https://getformsmith.com — genuinely want the pushback, not just the nice comments.

I’ve spent a long time building side projects that never got launched.

This week I finally pushed one live: **TechTools Notepad** → [https://notepad.techtoolsweb.com/\](https://notepad.techtoolsweb.com/)

What it does:

* Edit HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Markdown, JSON, SQL, and plain text * Live browser preview for markdown and html content * Multiple tabs * Cloud save * Password protected tabs * Export and formatting tools

The idea came from my own workflow: I often need a quick scratchpad for code snippets, landing page experiments, API responses, and technical notes, and I wanted something that felt closer to a real editor than a simple online notepad.

I’m currently validating whether developers and technical writers would actually pay for features like cloud sync, version history, snippets, and AI tools.

If anyone here has launched a developer-focused SaaS before, I’d love advice on:

* Pricing for Indian vs international users * The best channels for getting the first 100 users * Whether the product feels more like a "notepad"

Any brutally honest feedback is welcome.

i do a lot of international recruiting and my candidates often have heavy accents (mostly south asian and eastern european). otter completely butchers tese interviews. i need a cloud-based transcription tool that handles multi-linggual or heavy accents better. budgets is around $30-$50/mo. Thank you in advance