Thank you Rodney Daut, Gunnar Habitz, Aishwariya Laxmi, Kam, Celmuun, and many others for tuning into my live video with Neera Mahajan!
Access your FREE Solopreneur Success Hub - your subscribers-only comprehensive command center for building and scaling a successful one-person business.
I created this all-in-one toolkit for building a profitable one-person business, something I wish existed when I first started, and it saves me 20+ hours a week.
Now, it’s yours… FREE!
More information about the Hub here.
What We Really Talked About in Our Substack Live With Neera
A while ago, I went live on Substack with Neera Mahajan
What started as a casual conversation turned into a deep, practical breakdown of digital product creation, monetization, and why most people stay stuck even with endless free knowledge.
Why This Conversation Happened
Neera has been writing on Substack for five years.
I have been building digital products actively for the past two.
We came from different angles, but we kept running into the same questions:
Why do people learn so much but ship so little?
Why does monetization feel heavy even after years of writing?
Why do courses fail to produce outcomes for most buyers?
What actually helps people move forward?
This live was about answering those honestly.
My Path to Substack and Why I Use It Differently
I started my solopreneur journey in August 2023.
At first, I was everywhere.
Twitter, Facebook groups, Reddit. Like most people, I chased reach without owning distribution.
Substack changed that.
I started my newsletter in April 2024 with one clear intention:
Education stays free
Implementation is paid
Most of what I know is already online.
The real problem is not access.
It is execution.
Substack gave me a place to teach openly, build trust, and support people who want help turning ideas into action.
The Three Skill Sets That Matter for Digital Products
A big part of the conversation focused on skills. Not tools. Not tactics.
Three skills.
1. Courage to act before clarity
You do not need confidence first.
Confidence comes after action.
Most people delay by learning more, planning more, validating endlessly.
That creates the feeling of progress without results.
Action comes first.
Understanding follows.
2. Persuasive writing, not storytelling
Writing to express is different from writing to move someone.
For digital products, writing must lead somewhere.
Every piece has a clear next step
Every idea points to action
Every message respects the reader’s intelligence
If someone reads your work, they should know what to do next.
3. Learning how to learn fast
You do not need mastery.
You need speed.
If you want to ship an ebook, learn just enough to write and publish.
If you want to ship a template, learn just enough to build and test.
Learning becomes useful only when tied directly to shipping.
Why Validation Is an Action, Not a Topic
One key disagreement we explored was validation.
Learning how to validate feels productive.
Actually validating feels uncomfortable.
Real validation means:
Put something in front of people
Ask for commitment
Observe behavior, not feedback
Anything else is procrastination disguised as preparation.
How Digital Products Should Stack Together
Random products create random buyers.
We discussed building products as a sequence, not as isolated items.
Start with the end in mind.
Define your highest-value offer
Work backwards
Each product answers the next natural question
This is not about volume.
This is about direction.
Products should feel inevitable, not optional.
Transformation Beats Content Depth
Neera shared something important from her own cohort experience.
Giving more content does not create better outcomes.
Transformation does.
Every product should answer one question:
“Who is the buyer before this, and who are they after?”
When that is clear:
You stop worrying about giving too much
Buyers stop feeling overwhelmed
Progress becomes visible
People want enough to move forward.
Why Challenges Work Better Than Courses
We also talked about completion rates.
Most online courses fail buyers.
Not because the content is bad, but because nothing forces action.
Challenges change the KPI.
Courses measure completion
Challenges measure execution
When the goal is doing, learning becomes a byproduct.
That is why I run challenges instead of static courses.
Final Thoughts
There are no secrets left.
Knowledge is everywhere.
The advantage comes from:
Taking action while others prepare
Designing products around transformation
Selling implementation, not information
If you missed the live, I recommend reading Neera’s reflection from her side as well. It pairs well with this post and adds depth from a writer’s perspective.
Now the only real question is whether you will apply any of this.
Because reading alone changes nothing.
Not a paid member yet?
Upgrade to paid access now to unlock the Premium Vault, join monthly live trainings, and get access to the AI Toolbox and Action Lab.
Want to read more about the FULL benefits of being a Paid Subscriber?
You’ll gain exclusive access to:
Let’s crack the growth equation and build a thriving one-person business on your terms!
Anfernee
