America at a Crossroads: Why Immigration Enforcement Protests Have Become One of 2026’s Defining Sto…
Write by Human
How AI Is Reshaping Human Identity — And Why 2026 Feels Like the Most Important Cultural Pivot Yet
Stop Memorizing Design Patterns: Use This Decision Tree Instead
If you’ve ever sat in a meeting, interview, or design review and felt like design patterns were being thrown around like incantations — Singleton! Factory! Strategy! — you’re not alone. For decades, software engineers have leaned on the “Gang of Four” catalog of design patterns as if knowing them by name is equivalent to design skill. But here’s a truth that’s starting to surface in modern developer discussions: Memorizing design pattern names doesn’t make you a better designer — understandin...
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America at a Crossroads: Why Immigration Enforcement Protests Have Become One of 2026’s Defining Sto…
Write by Human
How AI Is Reshaping Human Identity — And Why 2026 Feels Like the Most Important Cultural Pivot Yet
Stop Memorizing Design Patterns: Use This Decision Tree Instead
If you’ve ever sat in a meeting, interview, or design review and felt like design patterns were being thrown around like incantations — Singleton! Factory! Strategy! — you’re not alone. For decades, software engineers have leaned on the “Gang of Four” catalog of design patterns as if knowing them by name is equivalent to design skill. But here’s a truth that’s starting to surface in modern developer discussions: Memorizing design pattern names doesn’t make you a better designer — understandin...
Three months ago, I did something small on purpose.
I created a $5 ebook.
Not a course.
Not a premium membership.
Not a 10-step funnel with upsells and countdown timers.
Just a short, focused digital product priced low enough that almost anyone could say yes.
I didn’t have a massive audience. No viral Twitter thread. No email list in the thousands. I just wanted to test one idea:
Can a tiny product validate your creator business?
Here’s what happened.
Most creators overprice their first product.
I didn’t want pressure. I wanted proof.
At $5:
It removes friction.
It reduces buyer hesitation.
It invites impulse decisions.
It builds trust instead of suspicion.
I wasn’t trying to maximize profit. I was trying to validate demand.
That distinction matters.
I kept it extremely focused.
One specific problem.
One clear outcome.
No fluff.
It was short — practical and actionable. Something someone could read in a weekend and immediately apply.
Time invested:
2 weeks outlining
3 weeks writing and refining
1 week formatting and polishing
Total: about 6 weeks of part-time effort.
No team. No ghostwriters. No paid designer.
Just execution.
I didn’t run ads.
I didn’t build a funnel.
I simply:
Announced it
Explained who it was for
Shared why I made it
Dropped the link
That’s it.
The simplicity was intentional. I wanted to see if the idea could stand on its own.
Here are the honest numbers:
147 copies sold
$735 in revenue
Very few refunds
Multiple positive messages
Is it life-changing income? No.
Is it validating? Absolutely.
The first 20 sales were the hardest.
After that, something interesting happened: momentum kicked in. Social proof made later sales easier than earlier ones.
A $5 price point signals accessibility, not low quality.
Several buyers told me they purchased because it felt like a fair experiment. That matters, especially when you’re not a household name.
Before this, I was “someone who writes online.”
Now I’m someone who builds assets.
That shift is powerful.
Content gets consumed and forgotten.
Products accumulate.
The revenue isn’t impressive.
But the confidence is.
Selling even 10 copies proves strangers will exchange money for your thinking. That psychological shift changes how you approach everything else.
This wasn’t perfect.
If I did it again, I would:
Build an email list before launch
Collect testimonials immediately
Add a bonus or small upsell
Follow up with buyers for feedback
The product worked.
The system needs refinement.
That’s a good problem to have.
Most creators wait too long.
They wait until:
Their audience is bigger
Their branding is cleaner
Their website is perfect
Their confidence is higher
None of those things are prerequisites.
A small, focused product is one of the fastest ways to test:
Whether people value your thinking
Whether your niche converts
Whether you can sell without hype
You don’t need a big launch.
You need clarity and courage.
Yes.
Not because of $735.
Because now I know I can build something once — and sell it repeatedly.
That’s leverage.
And leverage changes the game.
If you’re sitting on an idea, start smaller than you think you should.
A tiny product can teach you more about business than months of planning ever will.
And sometimes, $5 is enough to begin.
Three months ago, I did something small on purpose.
I created a $5 ebook.
Not a course.
Not a premium membership.
Not a 10-step funnel with upsells and countdown timers.
Just a short, focused digital product priced low enough that almost anyone could say yes.
I didn’t have a massive audience. No viral Twitter thread. No email list in the thousands. I just wanted to test one idea:
Can a tiny product validate your creator business?
Here’s what happened.
Most creators overprice their first product.
I didn’t want pressure. I wanted proof.
At $5:
It removes friction.
It reduces buyer hesitation.
It invites impulse decisions.
It builds trust instead of suspicion.
I wasn’t trying to maximize profit. I was trying to validate demand.
That distinction matters.
I kept it extremely focused.
One specific problem.
One clear outcome.
No fluff.
It was short — practical and actionable. Something someone could read in a weekend and immediately apply.
Time invested:
2 weeks outlining
3 weeks writing and refining
1 week formatting and polishing
Total: about 6 weeks of part-time effort.
No team. No ghostwriters. No paid designer.
Just execution.
I didn’t run ads.
I didn’t build a funnel.
I simply:
Announced it
Explained who it was for
Shared why I made it
Dropped the link
That’s it.
The simplicity was intentional. I wanted to see if the idea could stand on its own.
Here are the honest numbers:
147 copies sold
$735 in revenue
Very few refunds
Multiple positive messages
Is it life-changing income? No.
Is it validating? Absolutely.
The first 20 sales were the hardest.
After that, something interesting happened: momentum kicked in. Social proof made later sales easier than earlier ones.
A $5 price point signals accessibility, not low quality.
Several buyers told me they purchased because it felt like a fair experiment. That matters, especially when you’re not a household name.
Before this, I was “someone who writes online.”
Now I’m someone who builds assets.
That shift is powerful.
Content gets consumed and forgotten.
Products accumulate.
The revenue isn’t impressive.
But the confidence is.
Selling even 10 copies proves strangers will exchange money for your thinking. That psychological shift changes how you approach everything else.
This wasn’t perfect.
If I did it again, I would:
Build an email list before launch
Collect testimonials immediately
Add a bonus or small upsell
Follow up with buyers for feedback
The product worked.
The system needs refinement.
That’s a good problem to have.
Most creators wait too long.
They wait until:
Their audience is bigger
Their branding is cleaner
Their website is perfect
Their confidence is higher
None of those things are prerequisites.
A small, focused product is one of the fastest ways to test:
Whether people value your thinking
Whether your niche converts
Whether you can sell without hype
You don’t need a big launch.
You need clarity and courage.
Yes.
Not because of $735.
Because now I know I can build something once — and sell it repeatedly.
That’s leverage.
And leverage changes the game.
If you’re sitting on an idea, start smaller than you think you should.
A tiny product can teach you more about business than months of planning ever will.
And sometimes, $5 is enough to begin.
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