11-Year SaaS Evolution: How Tanda Expanded From One Product to a Suite

Introduction

Tanda’s story starts with a couple of sentences scribbled on a napkin: a web-based tool for shift rostering and timesheets. Over 11 years, the product lineup swelled, first by tackling obvious gaps, then by wrestling with prioritization, and finally by syncing the whole company around big quarterly goals. This case study walks through each phase and the lessons learned on the way.

Stage 0: Idea and MVP

At this point, nothing exists. You have an idea that you hone into a two-line pitch: “A roster builder that runs in any browser” or “Timesheets that talk to payroll systems.” You aim to build the slimmest MVP to validate whether someone will pay. Skipping endless research, you draft those two sentences, show them to a handful of potential buyers, and adjust fast.

Stage 1: Build the Obvious

With a basic roster tool live and a few paying customers, the next steps are glaringly obvious. For Tanda that meant award interpretation, shift rosters, leave management, and payroll exports. Every feature picked should solve a pain point every customer shares. Scope tightly: if 100% of users will do it the same way, add it. Anything else waits.

Stage 2: Prioritization Becomes Tough

Once the essentials are in place, the inbox floods with requests, bug reports, and bright ideas. Not every ask qualifies as “must-have.” The team learned three pitfalls: building for a single big customer leads to confusing edge cases; ranking by projected MRR often backfires; forcing innovation can spawn flashy but useless projects. Tools like Amplitude or FullStory confirm what you already know—direct chats still beat dashboards.

Stage 3: Company-Wide Alignment

At this phase, alignment shifts from “feature over breakfast” to synchronized quarterly cycles. One month before OKRs refresh, product themes are locked. Marketing plans candy mailers (yes, Kit Kats!), sales scripts update, and support teams learn the new flows—all timed to roll out together. That coordination turned each release into a small company event, boosting impact.

Stage n: Adding New Products

When adding a second or third product, the playbook resets: start with what’s missing, deliver basics fast, then iterate. Cross-selling onboarded Tanda customers onto new modules more easily than hunting cold leads. The sunk-cost fallacy fades when fresh code and fresh energy spring from each launch.

Conclusion

Tanda’s phased roadmap—from napkin MVP to multi-product suite—shows how disciplined scoping, clear prioritization frameworks, and tight company sync can power sustainable SaaS growth. Their journey underlines that while features matter, the processes behind them matter even more.