Field notes

Clear explanations of the architecture, trade-offs, and operating ideas behind modern SaaS products.

Social Sign-In: Google (and Friends) End-to-End OAuth/OpenID Walkthrough

A packet-level walkthrough of Google (and other OAuth/OIDC) sign-in: redirects, backend callbacks, code-for-token exchange, token verification, user linking, issuing your own session/JWT, and how the same pattern applies to Apple, Facebook, GitHub, etc.

  • auth
  • oauth
  • google

Web Authentication Deep Dive: JWTs, Sessions, and Remember Me

A practical, end-to-end guide to how web auth really works: signup, login, access vs refresh tokens, session IDs vs remember-me tokens, lazy refresh, logout, and how to choose between JWT-based and server-side sessions.

  • auth
  • security
  • jwt

What Is Middleware? A Beginner-Friendly Guide

Understand middleware from first principles, why SaaS apps use it, and how our Next.js middleware works with i18n and request IDs — plus how to customize it.

  • middleware
  • nextjs
  • edge

Google for SaaS — Why it matters and how to use it

A beginner-friendly guide to using Google’s ecosystem (Search Console, GA4, Business Profile, Merchant Center, Trends) to get discovered, measure behavior, and grow a SaaS in 2025.

  • google
  • seo
  • analytics

Comparison of Full-Stack SaaS Boilerplates vs Sushi Templates

A deep dive comparing leading open-source Next.js SaaS starters with Sushi Templates across features, design, openness, maintenance, responsiveness, and docs.

  • comparison
  • boilerplates
  • nextjs

Why Sushi Templates Beats Minimal Starters for Real SaaS Projects

An analytical comparison of Sushi Templates vs. minimal starters (Vercel’s Next.js SaaS Starter, ShipFast, create‑t3‑app) focused on real‑world SaaS needs, trade‑offs, and time‑to‑launch.

  • comparison
  • saas
  • boilerplates

Databases for SaaS: Postgres + Drizzle in Beginner Terms

Beginner-friendly guide to PostgreSQL and Drizzle ORM for SaaS: tables, rows, relationships, why Postgres, typed schema in TypeScript, querying, indexes, data safety, migrations, and local vs production.

  • database
  • Drizzle
  • Postgres

Frontend vs Backend vs Full‑Stack for SaaS Beginners

A beginner-friendly guide to understanding frontend, backend, and full‑stack development in the context of SaaS, with a relatable analogy and examples from a modern web stack.

  • saas
  • frontend
  • backend

What Is Next.js? The Beginner’s Guide

Why Next.js suits SaaS: routing, SSR/SSG, and API routes in one repo — a beginner-friendly, full-length guide.

  • nextjs
  • beginners
  • saas

Affiliates & Referrals for Beginners

Set up invite links, 30‑day cookies, attribution at signup, reward models, and anti‑abuse basics for a beginner‑friendly SaaS affiliate/referral program.

  • growth
  • affiliates
  • referrals

Anatomy of a Modern SaaS

A practical blueprint of modern SaaS architecture: customer lifecycle, authentication, billing, data, docs/SEO, admin/RBAC, i18n, emails, analytics, and how the pieces integrate.

  • saas
  • architecture
  • guide

Legal & Compliance at Launch: A Plain‑English Guide

A founder’s plain-English checklist for Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, email compliance (GDPR/CAN‑SPAM), taxes/invoices, data requests, and DPAs at launch.

  • legal
  • compliance
  • privacy

Why Use a SaaS Template (and When You Shouldn’t)

How SaaS boilerplates save months of work, when building from scratch is better, and how to avoid ‘framework prison’ lock‑in myths.

  • saas
  • templates
  • productivity

About Sushi SaaS — What It Is and Why It’s Reliable

A production‑ready, MIT‑licensed SaaS starter focused on shipping real products: i18n, Better Auth, Drizzle ORM, Stripe billing, MDX docs, RBAC admin, and practical DX. Built to be cloned, extended, and trusted.

  • overview
  • philosophy
  • trust

SaaS Budget Guide — Costs, Hosting, and What Matters

Practical guide to the real costs of starting a SaaS: hosting, database, payments, email, and where money actually goes. Start free, validate early, and pay only when you grow.

  • budget
  • costs
  • hosting

SaaS 101: What 'Software as a Service' Really Means

An introduction to the Software‑as‑a‑Service (SaaS) model — understanding what SaaS means, how it works, its key benefits, and why it's become a dominant way to deliver software in the cloud era.

  • basics
  • fundamentals
  • SaaS

Invite, Affiliates & Rewards

Set up invite links, attribution, and configurable affiliate rewards (fixed and/or percent). Learn how cookies capture referrals, how attribution is finalized after login, and how rewards are computed on paid orders.

  • affiliates
  • referrals
  • rewards
Field notes · Sushi SaaS