It Doesn't Have To Take Forever To Create A Product

by 50 replies
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As most of you know by now, I'm kind of semi retired. At least I don't do a
heck of a lot of work these days. As a matter of fact, I just got back home
after being out with my daughter. Got her pizza and some games for her PC.
Well, attempted to get some games but that kind of turned into a bust. Don't
ask.

Anyway, spent 2 hours this morning working on my one product for the
month of June. Got the main PDF done in those 2 hours.

That's it...2 hours.

The rest of it shouldn't take more than another 2 or 3 hours tops and then
my work for the month of June is over.

A whole month to record songs, play games and spoil my daughter.

Point is, it doesn't have to take forever to create a product.

1. Come up with an idea.
2. Make an outline for what is needed for it.
3. Take it one chapter, piece, or whatever at a time.
4. Stay focused. Don't let yourself be distracted by stupid sh*t.
5. Treat the process seriously, like a job if you have to.

All of the above can be summarized as discipline. Once you have a process
in place, you'll be surprised how quickly it will go.

There is no excuse for somebody to take months putzing around with
a product and still not have it out the door...none.

It all comes down to how badly you want it.
#main internet marketing discussion forum #create #forever #product
  • I like this post. Except the part about spoiling your daughter. Please don't, generations are getting more and more narcissistic and it's because their parents spoil them too much.
    • [1] reply
    • Let's see, my daughter is a former valadictorian, straight A student at
      college and hasn't caused me a day of grief in 20 years.

      I think I'll raise her the way I want, thank you.
      • [ 3 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • I agree with you completely. I find I even do better work this way. If I work on something too long I over analyse and plan out grand schemes that'll never happen. When I sit down and really go for it with a defined task I achieve so much more ... and I actually finish!
  • That's so true mate, it really is.

    The actual product creation phase, if you sit down and just bloody get on with it doesn't take long at all. But, it in my opinion anyway, it is the planning beforehand that takes the time.

    Stuff like:

    What to make it about the first place...?

    How to market that...?

    Would anyone actually pay for the information...?

    To really sit down and wack out a product in a day, you need to have exact answers to all of these things. As well as the knowledge to create that product in the first place. Which can take weeks, months or even years to accumulate.

    But yeah, I totally agree, it doesn't take forever, and many marketers shouldn't put it off for so long. Even if you're a beginner, if you take the time to plan it, you can create a really solid product in a short amount of time.

    George
  • Steven,

    DO spoil your daughter! Not with things - but with lots of time & attention...

    Elaine
  • Hey Steve, love your posts!

    Do you set a time limit for yourself when creating a product? Or do you just work on it until you feel it's ready to launch?
    • [1] reply
    • I set no time limits. I start working and stop when I'm done.

      I'm very methodical about the way I go about product creation, almost like
      a robot. It took me a while to get to that point. It mostly comes from
      confidence in knowing what you're doing.

      And yes, as somebody pointed out, you really have to know your subject
      well, know that people want it, to go through the process this fast. Otherwise,
      even if it's just 2 hours work, it could be 2 hours wasted.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Great post, Steven.
    Mu first product took me months to create - when it should have taken a day or two... Only because I didn't have a good outline so I'd always forget what I wanted to write about...

    These days I try to do audio/video courses if possible, this is even faster than typing an e-book

    Alex
  • Hi Steven,

    I agree with most of what you've said although I don't totally agree with this part,
    Some projects require active research and data gathering.

    I have a project that I started working on back in February of this year
    and it is not yet completed and I've worked on it every day since.

    I'm not procrastinating just refining the data and ensuring the Product is
    Top Notch. It will be complete in a few days just as I scheduled it to be.

    Yes I have also been working on other projects at the same time. They
    are all moving in the right direction towards completion.

    So, there are excuses(I call them reasons)for a product not to go out the
    door on a whim.

    Have a Great Day!
    Michael
    • [1] reply

    • Michael, it all depends on how "perfect" you want your product to be. I
      could go through just about every little thing I have ever created and say,
      "This could be better, that could be better, this could be more fully
      explained" and so on. Had I done that, I doubt I would have ever gotten
      anything done...ever.

      Sure, you don't want to put out crap, but at what point do you say, "It's
      good enough" and get it out the door?

      I guess that's a question each one of us has to answer for himself.
      • [1] reply
  • Man....I'm kinda ADD.

    So every single time I created a product, I would worry about it all day and edit here and there non-stop!

    Haha. That is why right now I focused on helping people to promote their products instead of me creating it.
  • Wish i have more discipline as you Steve!

    Working on it every single day so i can seize my day properly.

    P.S. - love your posts, don't retire from WF
  • Steven,

    Good on you to post this. I've had my fair share of incomplete products that are waiting to get that last bit of attention which will make them complete and ready to sell.

    Sometimes, I'm surprised at how we can move on from one thing to another and not realize that we're leaving that last thing unfinished, thinking we will do it a little later. As we all know, the "little later" doesn't seem to come forever.

    And this doesn't apply just to products. It applies to articles, blogs, salesletter, even complete websites. I figure if I could develop a habit of completing the task at hand NOW without leaving it to the future, I can get much much more done in a day. Working towards that goal at the moment...

    Regards,
    Sagar
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply

    • Sagar, it is so good to see you here. I thought you disappeared off the
      planet. Been a long time.

      Yes, it's very hard to go back to something once you've put it aside.
      • [1] reply
  • I couldn't agree more. The one item you mentioned that helped me when I created my first product was using an outline. I knew it was necessary but i didn't realize HOW necessary.

    Cheers!
  • Girls who play PC games are frikkin awesome!

    Sorry I just had to say that.
    • [1] reply
    • Amen to that! Now if someone would just release a WSO to help me convince my wife to be awesome life would be perfect!:p
  • It's funny to see you posting this - because I remember trying to tell you it should be like that and you resisting
    • [1] reply
    • Which goes to prove Andy, there is hope for everybody.

      Even stubborn folk like me.
  • Well, in my opinion 30-page PDF ebooks dont cut it anymore. This is not 2005. Now a days you want to offer videos, transcripts, backend products, even some type of canned script, etc. PDFs is not something I'd market now a days. And it takes more than 2 days, or 2 weeks, to put a good product together.
    • [1] reply
    • I have a product that I release each month that would blow your theory
      totally out of the water. It's less than 30 pages and I have people begging
      me for copies.

      Depends on what it is you're selling.

      More is not always better.
      • [ 4 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • Thanks for the post Steven. For me, the outline is the main piece of the puzzle. Once that is in place, I can bang out a product in nothing flat.
  • So, Coming Up With A Product~

    Thinking just outside "my box"--As a Newbie...the best product to come up with is a merchant's that is really hot and in demand--and advertise it with your own affiliate links...

    However, some people want their own product to advertise about. I had one. And realize the sense of achievement and income it brought to me.

    I just learned about it using the web, planned it up on paper within a few days and posted it to the market who wanted it. It woked...

    So, I agree--it does not take forever to present a new product-- especially if you have done research on competitors' products..you take the best features while creating your product and incorporate them into your own creation--and then when you have achieved success at either duplicating the best features of your competitor or out-doing those features, you create a twist..a surprise...something unfamiliar but cool.
  • Good post and 2 hours to produce one product is very impressive
    even if it is a 30-page pdf report. I guess because you do it so
    often that it becomes second nature to you.
  • Voice recognition straight into Word 2007 helps a lot. ;-D
  • Thanks for this thread. It really gave me a kick in the butt to get my first product finished!
  • It's great if you are able to put together a product in two hours as long as you don't compromize on the quality.

    It took me months to create my first product (a lot of that time was procrastination). The product is something I am very proud of. Then I created another one overnight (including the website, thank you page, pitch page, etc.) It's not bad but it could be better. My very last product was created in a rush. It's wasn't horrible but as I started getting tons of sales I was embarrassed of the quality. People rarely returned but I felt bad, so I made a new one (it took some time) but now I am able to sleep at night knowing that people are getting what they paid for. I gets lots of e-mails thanking me for writing it. It got me incouraged to make it even better, so the last edition I am about to put on the site is top notch.
    • [1] reply
    • Well, I hit both ends of the spectrum. I have put out a full IM Recipe in an afternoon (No 2 hours as I am typing challenged). But, I'm now bringing out a new product that took 2 years to develop and the last month to create.
      • [1] reply
  • Spot on, the above is my greatest enemy but ever since I started writing my daily goals on paper I have seen increase in production and revenue.
  • My thoughts...

    Not all product creation should be about getting it done in an hour. You hear it alot from people saying "I made $23,456 last year selling a product that took me 2 hours to make."

    Sure, they did it. Sure, they only took 2 hours.

    But what you may over look is... The INFORMATION they can spit out in 2 hours in an interview could be killer stuff if they know it well. (really well)

    So if you wanna do the "Overnight Product Creation" thing. Just make sure the information you can type, or record in a few hours is killer stuff. Period.

    ...or else... do the damn research to make a good product! haha

    • [2] replies
    • Exactly Dylan. I agree. Quality is the most important thing.

      I have spent two hours consulting with a client and come up with advice and points which went on to make them about $21,000 and save them $8,000 in costs. Thats a pretty valuable two hours they spent with me and they were happy to pay whatever I was charging for my time. (Quite a bit)

      Saying that, I have also spent weeks on writing business plans, advice and giving consultation to clients who got maybe slightly less back in return. (Still a good result though)

      The point is, it really depends on the person, product and marketplace. Extra time spent doesnt equal a great product, BUT getting something done in an hour doesnt neccessarily mean smart product creation.

      I am 100% sure this doesnt apply to the poster of this thread. I am sure his products are high quality. I imagine hes got his work schedule and practise down to a tee and it suits him and his style, that plus his knowledge allows him to put out something truely worthwhile. Surely his work schedule is the reason we all work for ourself, quality of life?

      The main point I think to take from this is exactly what the thread was entitiled.. "It Doesn't HAVE to take forever to create a product"

      That doesnt mean it should be quick either, simply that it doesnt have to take an age to get something valuable created.

      It is a great example that sometimes, preperation, information overload and worrying about tweeking and fine tuning something can simply be great ways to not get the job done and launch it.

      I posted somewhere else that I now use the mantra "Concept to Cash" to measure exactly how long it takes me to get from an original idea to a released product.

      If I keep this strictly in mind, it usually ensures I am focused on getting results quicker than if I allowed myself time to second guess every point.
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
    • LMAO! How profound Dylan! Make a killer product in 2 hours or less by getting your photos from istock! What are you still doing here? ROFL!!!

      Steve, you're right. It's all about time management. Treat the time in front of the computer like a job. I set a time goal of 2 to 4 hours of work before I sit down. No opening other tabs, no checking email, no phone calls. Anymore than 4 hours is wasted without a long break.

      I heard a recent recording where the author said most projects take too long because people can't make decisions. He went on to say not to take more than 60 seconds to make a decision. He called it pondering. Don't ponder in front of the computer. Ponder on the way to the gym, ponder in the shower, etc. But whatever you do, don't ponder in front of the computer.

      I've created a product in 4 hours that continually makes me money, so it can be done despite what Dylan says.
  • When I settle down and focus I can crank stuff out pretty fast too. I created an outline yesterday for example, then sat down and spit out over 10,000 words of a draft so far in 4 hours this morning. I probably have another 3000-5000 words to finish then I'll go back and clean it up, put in screen shots, links, resources, etc.

    Usually I can go from idea through draft, final, sales letter, purchase and delivery setup in about 2 days for ebooks and reports of 30-50 pages.

    If I'm doing several hundred pages for a print book project though, that takes 1-2 months. There's much more research involved, plus fact checking, creating indexes, getting the layout right, proofing, and so on there though.

    Software takes a few days to a few weeks depending on various factors.

    The hardest part for me is usually getting started Once I get through that point there's usually no stopping me
  • I agree 100%. Great advice. You just have to put your mind to it and focus on your goal.
  • I have just launched my very first product ebook which was 2.5 months in the making.

    I am obviously a newbie at product creation and as a result although I personally like the product, I am not confident it will sell.

    My plan of action is to give it away as a freebie for a limited period in June and hopefully build my list and get some testimonials after which, I will start to sell it.

    lack of confidence I guess, but at least now having launched it for the world to see I will soon know if I have gotten my format right.

    If it is right, I expect my next product to be done within half the time as the product layout is pretty much what held me back (asside from research)

    So I guess as you gain more experience as to what does and doesn't work, your product creation will speed up.....I Hope lol.
  • Steven,

    I really like your point of view in this article. I also like the point raised somewhere in this thread that things can take longer.

    That is a contradiction and I will explain.

    The biggest problem with product creation is that people draw it out thinking it takes forever. It doesn't have to. I created a nice product within a week and when I actually worked on it after laying it out it materialized very quickly.

    However, I can also see why some things would take a while as well. I've never created a 500 dollar product (working on it )...but I imagine that cranking it out in a week would mean it leaves a lot of holes and wouldn't sell well...

    The point raised about balance here is key, in my opinion.

    Cheers,

    Brad Spencer
  • I personally would love getting into creating products. I get really into what I am doing, but honestly I guess that I am just scared that I would not be able to do it. Thanks for the insight! Maybe someday I will take the plunge!
    • [1] reply
    • Fear of the unknown - one of the biggest obstacles in the way of success.

      Then of course there's fear of success and fear of failure.

      Can't forget about those.

      Only reason you haven't yet is a self image issue more than anything else.

      Yeah, "SOME DAY" you'll take the plunge.

      Some Day = NEVER

      Why not make "some day" TODAY and take a chance on yourself.
  • Banned
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    • [1] reply
    • Couldn't agree more; I don't create info products because I do affiliate marketing exclusively, but I know for a fact that it's not as difficult as many claim. Even if you don't want to do it yourself, just outsource it and you can have it done within a day or two easily. Anyway, thanks for the inspiratoinal post.
  • It would be great if you guys could list your tools or sources like programmers etc.

    A check list would be cool !!

    PM me please with more
  • Great advice Steven!

    I remember when I launched my first product, I was petrified also.. It felt like if it didn't sell it would be literally the end of the world.

    I remember one day I was making myself a coffee in the kitchen (I still remember the moment to this day) and was probably doing ANYTHING to avoid actually launching my product, and something hit me..

    If the product doesnt sell, assuming its good, it doesnt mean the product is wrong, it means the offer is wrong! (Assuming I had confirmed there was a market)

    Then I realised, "Hey, I can always alter, reword, edit the offer!" That moment was like a personal revelation for me. It isnt an all or nothing process.

    As you say, worst case it doesnt sell. You move on and "fail better" next time

    You can always edit the product or offer itself and although its such glaringly obvious points, I remember the moment that they hit me, my whole mindset changed.

    If it doesnt sell, so what? Revise the offer, add value, repackage it up and retry until it does. (Assuming of course id done some sort of reseach to confirm there was any kind of market for my product first, and of course I had)

    I have to admit, I still have that nervous fear whenever I release anything however. I have high expactations for myself so I haven't quite reached the point where you are and can say I have no fear whatsoever..

    I have certainly learnt to not let it stop me these days though
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
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  • If your a newbie you can always outsource the process i know this can be overwhelming.

    http://guru.com
    http://scriptlance.com
    http://elance.com
  • Hi Steven,

    Good post.

    I've been involved in Product creation for a good amount of time, both online and offline. In my opinion, a Product should take that much amount of time that it justifies the price people pay for it. That's not to imply that a 30 page eBook should take 3 months, but a full course consisting of videos, transcripts, audios, worksheets etc 'may' take that much amount of time. In the offline world, 5-6 months sounds pretty reasonable.

    Then, it depends on the person in question too.

    Thanks
  • Good post. In my case, I am finding that the creation of a product is not the problem, but the problem I am having is in the marketing of the products I have created. Trying to find affiliates and/or joint venture partners to work with. People only want to work with people who have a list, but if you are new to a niche and new to product creation, you don't have a list in that niche.

    The only real success in my search for affiliates and JV partners is 1.) had 7 affiliates sign up through my program at Ejunkie and 2.) writing articles for other people's sites in my niche and having them posted. Any help or advice in this area would be appreciated? Thanks.
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