Getting started · 4 min read
Find a product idea people actually need
A simple way to turn everyday questions into a focused, useful digital product.
Start with a person, not a format
It is tempting to begin with a format: an ebook, a template pack, a course. A more useful starting point is a person trying to get something done. What are they working on? Where do they get stuck? What would a helpful next step look like?
Choose a group you understand well enough to speak to. A freelance designer preparing a first client proposal is more specific than ‘anyone who wants to start a business.’ That specificity makes the research, product, and sales page easier to write.
Write one sentence: I want to help [person] do [task] when [obstacle]. Keep the task small enough that you can describe what finishing it looks like.
Collect real questions
Read public discussions, reviews, and questions in places where that group already spends time. Record the problem, the situation behind it, and what the person has already tried. Save the source so you can return to the original context.
A complaint is a useful clue, but it is not proof that someone will buy a solution. Look for repeated situations and existing ways people spend time or money to work around them. Avoid collecting private information or copying someone else's paid material.
A useful research note: ‘New freelancers keep rewriting their onboarding emails because they do not know what information to request.’ This gives you a task to solve, rather than a vague topic to write about.
Use AI to organize the evidence
Give your AI tool a small set of relevant, public excerpts. Ask it to group the problems, separate direct observations from assumptions, and point out gaps. Keep the source references attached.
Try: ‘Using only these notes, list the recurring tasks people struggle with. For each task, include the supporting excerpt, the current workaround, and what we still need to learn. Do not invent demand or customer quotes.’
Read the original material yourself before choosing an idea. An organized summary is useful; it cannot replace the people behind the questions.
Choose the smallest useful solution
For each idea, write down the outcome, the deliverable, and the work required to make it reliable. A short onboarding checklist with example emails may be more useful than a broad course about freelancing.
- Can you explain the result in one sentence?
- Can a buyer use the product without extra explanation from you?
- Can you make and review every part you promise?
- Can you speak with someone who has the problem before you build more?
Pick one idea and create a sample. Ask a potential user to try it and describe where they get confused. Improve the product around that feedback before expanding it.
Your next small step
Write your one-sentence audience statement, collect five relevant questions, and choose one task to help with. You do not need a large list of ideas. You need one clear problem and a useful response to it.
When that is clear, move on to writing an offer people can understand.
Keep exploring
Turn a good idea into a clear offer →