Help Your Kid Build Their First Product
Not a lemonade stand. A digital product. Something they build once that anyone can buy. A template, a guide, a tool, a tutorial. The productization mindset starts young.
The short answer
Pick something your child knows. Package it as something someone else can use. Sell it for $1. The amount doesn't matter. The experience of someone paying for your work changes everything.
The process
Step 1: Find the knowledge (15 min)
What does your child know that others don't? It doesn't have to be expert-level. It has to be one step ahead of someone else.
- A game strategy others struggle with
- A study method that works
- A recipe they've perfected
- A skill they can teach
Step 2: Package it (30 min)
Turn the knowledge into a product. Options:
- PDF guide — one page, step-by-step
- Video tutorial — 5 minutes, screen recording
- Template — something someone can fill in and use
- Checklist — a sequence of steps someone can follow
The format matters less than the specificity. "How to draw" is too broad. "How to draw a realistic eye in 5 steps" is a product.
Step 3: The One-Pager (15 min)
Fill out together:
- Name: What's it called?
- One-liner: What does it do in one sentence?
- Who it's for: Be specific
- What it does: The outcome someone gets
- Why you: What makes you the right person?
- Proof of work: What can you ship this week?
Step 4: Sell it (30 min)
Post it somewhere. Options:
- Gumroad (free to set up, takes a small percentage)
- A simple link shared on social media
- An email to friends and family
Set the price at $1. The goal isn't revenue. It's the experience of creating value someone pays for.
The key insight
"Your work product and the system that creates it are two separate revenue streams." The guide is one product. The process of making guides is a second product. Build once, sell twice.
What to read next
Build Once, Sell Twice — 55 lessons on the full productization playbook. From ideation to pricing to scaling.
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