Hello there
This is the #18 Issue of Weekly Dan.
Ready to become a better Maker?
Every Tuesday, I share an actionable essay for Indie Entrepreneurs.
Today let’s talk about launching frequency.
Our secret
This Monday was incredible:
We got the #1 Product of the Day with Sponsor This Newsletter
We crossed $20 000 in all-time revenue
And only 6 months ago, we had 0 products, revenue, and followers. Nobody knew us.
What is our secret?
Launching products every month.
You heard this advice many times before.
But do you follow it?
In this issue, I will handle 2 objections to this advice and give 5 actionable tips that worked for us.
Let’s start.
Objection 1 — I need more time to perfect the product
But what if users don’t see Feature X on the landing page? They will leave, and we will lose money. Let’s postpone the launch date to the next month 🤝
Founders think that their product is different and it will be successful (guilty). They have a “default success” mindset. Therefore, the more time they prepare, the fewer their chances of failure.
But in reality, 99% of startups (yours and mine included) should be viewed through the “default failure” framework. Our products have a higher chance of failing than succeeding. It’s not my opinion; it’s statistics.
This mindset changed everything for me:
Every product is more likely to fail than to succeed
The sooner I will found it in which category my product falls, the more time and money I will save
Paying customers is the ultimate validation of this framework
The sooner I launch, the sooner I will find it out how many paying customers I can get
By launching every month you will understand quicker, should you focus on this product or not.
And developing a sick footer won’t change it. Your value hypothesis either works or not.
Objection 2 — It works for content products only
Easy for you to say, Dan. You launch content products and I am building complex products with code (like a true Founder)
Aw, that hurts.
But you got the point. It’s easier to launch content products.
Should you leverage this opportunity too?
Absolutely.
You don’t need a code product to validate the idea.
Launch Airtable list instead of Marketplace
Launch a Notion checklist instead of an Automation tool
Launch a Video Course instead of a Productivity app
Launch CSS templates instead of a Website Builder
You shouldn’t write a single line of code if no one is buying your content product.
#BuildMoreContentProducts.
Time-tested advice
I hope you have bought the idea. Now let’s make it actionable.
How can you successfully launch products every month?
Be ruthless to your MVP
You don’t need to cover every use case. Pick the ideal customer profile and make a Minimum Sellable Product for them. It’s good enough for the first version.
Nail the positioning
You will lack some crucial features. Your landing page won’t be perfect. But you can outweigh it with an irresistible positioning. Make your offer worth it.
Drop high-effort marketing ideas
Don’t do SEO and Google Ads before you’ve validated the idea. Product Hunt and cold outreach are x10 more effective for the first month.
Prioritize market research over customer interviews
You won’t have time to interview 50 people. But you will have 5 hours to research your competitors. Understand their strength and weaknesses.
Daily planning every (surprise) day
You are pumped in the first 2-3 days. Then it’s just boring, hard work. If you are anything like me, you tend to procrastinate it. Daily planning solves this problem.
Should you do it?
Shifting my mindset from “the first version should be perfect” to “alright, sellable enough” was a life-changer for me.
I stopped worrying about the success of every product and started enjoying the process. Even if it consists of failures.
This approach is counterintuitive, weird, and risky.
You will love it.
That’s it!
What do you think about today’s issue?
I would love to hear your thoughts. Hit me with a reply.
And see you on Friday with the usual 5 golden nuggets for Indie Makers.
Absolutely not a CTA 🙃
1) Learn more marketing frameworks with MakerBox Framework.
Only for Founders who care about marketing.
2) Let me roast your landing page.
It will be painful. You will get more paying customers from it.