From prompt to production: ship a Next.js SaaS with Stripe and auth today
Here's the playbook I use when a client says "we need a SaaS tomorrow." With a fullstack builder AI driving scaffolding, Next.js 14, Stripe Billing, and modern auth, you can go from prompt to production in a single workday-whether your vision is a donation platform builder AI, a developer-first toolkit, or a real estate listing app builder AI.
9-11 AM: Scaffold and core plumbing
- Kick off your fullstack builder AI with a precise prompt: "Create a Next.js 14 app with App Router, TypeScript, Prisma, Postgres, Auth.js (OIDC), Stripe Billing, webhooks, and multi-tenant orgs."
- Generate base routes: /, /dashboard, /settings, /api/webhooks/stripe. Ask for server actions for mutations and Zod validation.
- Auth: enable email + Google; enforce org context via middleware; store users, orgs, roles (owner, admin, member).
- Database: Prisma models for User, Organization, Subscription, AuditLog. Add soft deletes and createdAt/updatedAt.
- Stripe: create products/plans (Starter, Pro), a metered "AI operations" price, and a free trial. Implement checkout and customer portal links.
11 AM-2 PM: Domain features
- Donation SaaS: Campaign, Donation, Payout models; 1-click campaign pages; Stripe Connect for payouts; fraud rules and receipt emails.
- Real estate SaaS: Property, Listing, Agent, Lead; image optimization; map search; lead routing; MLS import worker.
- Common layer: activity feed, RBAC gates, org usage meter, and rate limiting (per-org tokens/minute) via Upstash.
2-4 PM: AI, billing, and compliance
- Wire an "AI action" endpoint with usage events to Stripe metered billing; log token counts and latency.
- Add org-level quotas; surface "upgrade" nudges when 80% consumed.
- Security: CSRF on forms, signed upload URLs, secure cookies, and webhook signature verification. Add audit trails for admin actions.
- Compliance: cookie banner, data export/delete endpoints, and ToS/Privacy links in the footer.
4-6 PM: Polish, test, deploy
- Unit tests for pricing, RBAC, and webhooks; Playwright smoke flows (signup → checkout → first action).
- Observability: Vercel Analytics, Logtail, and a "/status" health route. Set SLOs (p95 < 400ms, 99.9% uptime) and alerts.
- Deploy on Vercel; set env vars; run prisma migrate; seed demo orgs and sample data per vertical.
Production checklists that matter
- Backups: nightly database snapshots; restore drill.
- Multitenancy: row-level security guard in all queries; "orgId" enforced at boundary.
- Pricing: clear value ladder-Starter (1 org), Pro (5 orgs + metered AI), Enterprise (SAML, SLAs).
- Docs: 90-second onboarding video, API keys page, and Postman collection.
This blueprint isn't theory-it's a repeatable path. Start with the scaffolding, integrate billing and auth first, then layer vertical features. The result: a credible, enterprise-ready MVP by dinner.
Prompts that work: "Generate donation checkout with Stripe Elements and server actions," and "Create listing CRUD with image uploads, map search, and role-gated moderation." Keep iterations tight: ship, test, iterate.
