buildsaasappingo.com

What It Is

Build a SaaS or web application with Go is a hands-on Go backend book and video course by Dominic St-Pierre. Its core goal is to help you build an API-first SaaS/web application from scratch, all the way through billing and subscriptions with Stripe. The purchase bundle includes a 145+ page PDF/ePub, source code organized by chapter branches, a local Git repository, and 2 bonus videos. The 2nd edition video course is listed as having 28 lessons, over 4.5 hours of content, and additional modules still being added.

Core Content and Course Scope

The course focuses on Go Web APIs, SaaS backends, and cloud-native backend development. It is not a live class or 1-on-1 coaching, but a book plus pre-recorded videos. The content emphasizes building a lightweight web engine using only the Go standard library, covering fundamentals such as middleware, logging, JSON parsing, routing, and the HTTP lifecycle. It then expands into MongoDB/PostgreSQL data layers, Go interfaces, build tags, authentication and authorization, API rate limiting, Stripe subscriptions, email and background jobs, webhooks, request capture and replay, and more. The page does not mention any certification or completion certificate.

Pricing and Payment

The current listed price is discounted by 50%, from $39 to $19.50, with a one-time purchase model. The page also says you can contact the author via the newsletter or email to request a “fair pricing by country” discount. Supported payment methods explicitly include credit cards and PayPal. Given the SaaS backend modules covered, the course offers strong value for money.

Pros and Cons

The main strength is its practical focus. The author says he used the same tech stack and approach to build two SaaS products, LeadFuze and Roadmap, and later developed the project into an open-source Go library. The course also provides sample chapters and post-purchase discussion via GitHub, so the support aspect is fairly clear. The downside is that the entry bar is not low: learners are expected to have Go set up, to have completed beginner tutorials, to understand HTTP/REST/JSON, and ideally to have built web applications in another language before. The page also explicitly notes that it may not be suitable for people just starting out with web development. In addition, the 2nd edition video course is still described as almost completed, so buyers should confirm its completeness before purchasing.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is best suited to intermediate developers who want to use Go to build API-first backends, SaaS MVPs, subscription billing, and basic commercialization features. The text does not provide information about access from China, so that remains unknown. For users in China, credit cards and PayPal may not be equally convenient payment options. If you need Chinese-language explanations or domestic payment options, you may want to consider Chinese Go backend courses, or combine this with materials on frameworks such as Gin, Echo, or Fiber.