FWIW - I've also seen a lot of SAAS companies come out of individual consulting engagements. I know of two services that started with "I'll give you a 25% disco

FWIW - I've also seen a lot of SAAS companies come out of individual consulting engagements. I know of two services that started with "I'll give you a 25% discount on my normal rate if you're ok with me keeping the IP for this portion of the project" type negotiations. I think this is a neat way to start as it's validation (someone is paying) and your first customer (which is the hardest to get) all in one shot.