How to Make Your First Product (4 Part Audio Series)

If you’re on this page you likely fall into one of two camps: 1. it’s time to make your first sellable thing, or 2. it’s time to start thinking about making your first sellable thing.

5 years ago most of us literally thought we could support ourselves with advertising revenue. In case you weren’t around for that: it didn’t work.

So now we’re all coming around to what’s been central to business since the beginning of time: make something people want, make it good enough to be worth a few bucks, connect the people to that thing.

In other words: make a product, a thing to sell.

Will the first thing you create support yourself for the rest of your life? Maybe not. But everyone can make something worth at least a buck…

… and once you break that seal — once you get your first sale from someone who isn’t a family member — the light bulb goes on, your eyes light up and you say, “oh shit, I get it! And I know what I’m going to do better next time.”

We want you to be a product maker (even if you’re in a service industry) because it makes you better at your thing, brings you closer to your audience, and, frankly, because this tool making stuff is in your DNA.

(Making useful stuff is much deeper in your blood than cubicles, smoke stacks, Excel reports and factory lines).

For the next few episodes of the Fizzle Show (including this one) we’re going to get you thinking about building your first product.

Whether you’re ready to build it now or not, getting your mind right about this stuff will profoundly impact the decisions you make about your business.

In each episode we talk you through a common roadblock to creating your first thing. In this episode we tackle the idea questions:

• Where can I find an idea for my first product?
• What makes a good or bad idea for a product?
• What examples of other ideas that have worked in the past?

But that’s not even the best part. In each episode we’re going to feature the “first product stories” of several successful friends of the show.

These are people supporting themselves and their families doing stuff they care about, making things they’re proud of, things that have stood the test of time and continue to sell.

These are people with hard-fought, well-earned insights about the process. Their tips here are priceless.

(Which is funny, cuz, like, one of the episodes is about pricing and this goes against some of the advice you’ll hear there. See what I did there? now ur curious!)

If you can’t tell, we’re really excited about these episodes and this idea. You’re more capable of doing this than you give yourself credit for.

It’s no longer about traffic or exposure. You can create a profitable, small and trust-oriented businesses if you just come at it from the right direction.

These episodes will help you do that. Please be our guest and enjoy this, the first episode in the Product Prodcrust Series about how to find find your idea.

Guest Interviews in this Episode

Anne Samoilov — Blogger and founder of Fearless Launching, a step by step course for launching your first anything.

Matt Alexander — Founder of NeedLifestyle.com, a startup in mens fashion with all the right backers making all the right moves.

Leo Babauta — Founder of ZenHabits.net, one of internet’s top 50 sites (according to TIME magazine!)  A guy who drinks tea slowly and serves his audience matterfully.

Josh Shipp — Founder of Youth Speaker University and an insanely popular youth speaker. (He does balloon animals. He toured with Bill Cosby. Literally).

More From The First Product Story Series

1. Finding The Idea for Your First Product (this one)
2. Pricing Hangups
3. Conversion Essentials
4. The Failure Plan
5. 13 Successful Founders Share First Product Stories

Show Notes

How to Have GREAT Ideas by James Altucher — “And this post is not just about coming up with ideas to get rich. It’s how I saved my life.”

Drafts, the iOS app we use — “Drafts is where text starts on iOS. Quickly capture text and send it almost anywhere! The most flexible note taking app on iOS.”

A Walk Through Making Your First Product in 7 Steps (FS027) — “You piece of crap. Nobody’s gonna buy this stupid thing. Who do you think you are? There are so many others smarter than you about this. What makes you think anyone will care?”

Ultimate Dog Tease – YouTube — “Yea? What was in there!?”