Founder Log Week #5 – First Pre-Sales, Real Validation, Real Pressure

- 3 minutes read - 601 words

🧠 Weekly Overview

This was one of the most important weeks so far.

I launched the Menuvivo pre-sale — despite being scared as hell — and got three pre-orders, including one from a person I didn’t know at all. That was the breakthrough I needed. This was real validation: strangers are willing to pay for Menuvivo based on the current idea and vision.

It gave me massive energy to continue. It also confirmed that the weeks of early morning work, stress, and sacrifice were not for nothing. Now I have public commitment to deliver the working solution by the end of May — which adds extra pressure, but also turbocharges the focus.

On the product side, I stabilized and deployed the RecipeService backend, and started integrating it into the UI. Despite some setbacks (like a burnout day on Saturday), the core recipe browsing flow is almost working end-to-end.

🗓 Daily Execution Summary

Monday – Apr 21

  • Wrote the first draft of the Menuvivo pre-sale offer page.
  • Structured offer to be clear and trust-based.
  • Reflected on the emotional weight of launching.

Tuesday – Apr 22

  • Finalized the pre-sale page, added screenshots, terms of use, pre-sale regulations.
  • Prepared pre-sale form, newsletter, and social media posts.
  • Launched the offer in the afternoon.

Wednesday – Apr 23

  • Reviewed early pre-sale reactions.
  • Improved the offer based on family feedback.
  • Scheduled LinkedIn post.
  • Got the first pre-sale order — from a person I knew personally but not a close friend. Nervous but hopeful.

Thursday – Apr 24

  • Double-checked tax rules for SaaS invoices and handled first customer communications.
  • Fixed GitLab pipeline for RecipeService build.
  • Tested backend locally but still had API Gateway routing issues.

Friday – Apr 25

  • Investigated and diagnosed API deployment issues — found native image reflection bugs.
  • No full solution yet, but narrowed down the root cause.
  • Reflected on burnout creeping in — 9-5 work and SaaS work colliding hard.

Saturday – Apr 26

  • Sleep-deprived and unfocused day.
  • Fixed backend native image issues after hours of frustration.
  • Confirmed RecipeService API working correctly on staging.
  • Started adapting UI fetch logic but didn’t finish.

Sunday – Apr 27

  • Full recovery after proper sleep.
  • Integrated real recipe search and details into the UI.
  • Migrated 8 real recipes from mock data into YAML.
  • Found and documented bugs in matching logic (ingredient matching issues in Polish).
  • Reflected on building community on Twitter by supporting other builders.

🏆 Wins of the Week

  • 🚀 Launched Menuvivo pre-sale and got 3 real orders, one from a complete stranger.
  • 🎯 Validated product-market fit hypothesis at a basic level — people are willing to pay.
  • 🎯 Fully deployed RecipeService backend and integrated first end-to-end flow (search → recipe view).
  • 🎯 Started growing engagement and presence on Twitter/X by participating in the Build in Public community.

✍️ Lessons & Reflections

  • Fear doesn’t disappear — you launch despite the fear.
  • Pre-sale success changed everything mentally: now it’s about execution, not guessing.
  • Backend coding with good specs + AI is a productivity superpower.
  • Lack of sleep destroys productivity — need to respect the 9 PM rule.
  • Building a social presence around the product early can pay off later.

🎯 Plan for the next week

Goal: Recipe browsing and details live

  • Finalize backend API for recipe search (bugfixes, Polish matching fix)
  • Finalize backend API for recipe details (tests, bugfixes)
  • Finalize 20+ recipes (with Polish + English titles and descriptions)
  • Host recipe images on S3 and configure CloudFront
  • Integrate real recipe search screen in UI (basic filters)
  • Implement recipe details screen (full view with images and steps)
  • Test full flow: search → open recipe → view details and images