Links:
Creating a minimum viable product is easy if you know how.
Make it so easy discipline doesn’t have to be part of the equation.
The most common refrain in creator circles? “Price dictates perception of quality.”
I’ve wrestled with that every time I launch a product. Growing up poor—“I hope the lights stay on” poor—taught me to stretch every dollar.
I still buy based on usefulness, not price tags.
And when I look at the $200 courses and $1,000 masterminds flooding the market, I can’t help but call bullshit.
High prices don’t guarantee quality.
They just guarantee fewer people get access. That model tells struggling creators: if you can’t afford to play, you don’t deserve to win.
I reject that.
So I changed my approach.
The majority of my digital products cost the price of a cup of coffee.
I build them DIY-style using open-source tools, lean distribution, razor-thin margins. I reinvest profits into making more.
Affordability isn’t a weakness; it’s a system. A strategy that democratizes access while building long-term loyalty.
Because I don’t want to be known as a rich writer.
I want to be known as the writer who helped others succeed.
Imagine a young creator who bought one of my $5 guides, built their career on it, and years later credits me for their breakthrough.
That’s impact. That’s legacy.
Affordability doesn’t diminish value.
It amplifies opportunity.
It turns a gatekept industry into an open door. It empowers people who otherwise would’ve been priced out.
And that’s the hill I’ll die on: quality is not dictated by a price tag.
Ask yourself: How do you define value?