Thinking of that product that you just want to launch but unsure where to start? Here are five tips that will help you get that product out of your head and out into the world.

1. Think Big. Start Small.

If you’ve been reading this blog regularly, you’ll know that I’m a big advocate of the K.I.S.S philosophy (Keep it Short and Simple)…and if you haven’t well then happy to have you here 🙂

Which is not to say you can’t have a BIG idea but for your first product you may want to take a SMALL bite out of that bigger  product. And then work iteratively, adding more to your product over time.                                            

I say this because launching your first product (whether it’s a course, ebook, webinar, teleclass,  blog, website) involves more than just creating the acutal product but the whole marketing aspect as well.

2. Don’t reinvent the wheel.

This is one of the lessons that was drilled into our heads first semester of Software Engineering. Build on top of and use existing solutions rather than starting from scratch.  While our profs were talking about coding, this can pretty much apply to anything!

For example, are you thinking of developing a membership site? You don’t have to get one custom developed but rather you can use existing plugins and platforms to  launch your membership site.

Too often people let technology, money and skills be a barrier to entry when it comes to starting their projects. But it doesn’t have to be!  You’d be surprised at how much is available out there to use and build on at no-to-low cost. And it’s a great way to start validating your ideas and once you start earning money you can invest in higher-priced solutions.

The same goes for your first website; you don’t need to shell out big bucks to have something that looks good and reflects your style. There are plenty of afforadable templates to choose from that can be tweaked and customized to reflect your needs. And then when you start making huge amounts of $$ and your products are selling out, reinvest and get that website you’ve always wanted 🙂

3. Work on your strengths, get help with rest

If transcribing is not your thing then get help to doing it! Logos, or ebook covers not your speciality? Use a site like Fiverr or Elance to get you started with outsourcing.

Trust me, I’ve wasted enough hours doing things that would take someone else more qualified in that area much less time.

Not to mention, it also opens the possibility to develop product ideas that you normally wouldn’t do because you think it’s outside your skillset. And you’d be surprised at how little you can spend and get quality work. Remember time = money and your time is valuable. And that you do have to spend some money to make money!

Alternatively, see if you can barter and do an exchange with someone in your network.

4. Pick a date and start!

It helps having a date to work towards and get you to start taking action. As simple as that. Put it on the calendar, tell your friends, post it on your Facebook wall but most of all, commit to taking action and start breaking down what you have to do into goals and milestones.

5. “Done is better than Perfect“

Sorry perfectionists, but you have to let go! Yes, you still want to provide a valuable product but you have to get out of the “it has to be perfect mindset”. You can tweak and improve as you go.

I’ve worked with too many people who are hesitant to hit publish on their first blog post, worried about what people may think and that it may not be their ‘best’ work. I have to remind them that it’s a process and that you won’t be getting tons of traffic to your site on day 1!

Finally, follow Seth Godin’s advice and “just ship it!”

Overcome those fears, and get that product out. And then do it again 🙂

Anything stopping you from launching your product? Leave a comment and let me know!

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