Find a Skill You Can Turn Into a Digital Product (Day 3)
Today's lesson is about you. Not trends, not what's "hot." What do you know that could save someone else time, money or stress?
Open the Skills and Problems notes you made on Day 1. You'll add to them now.
Step 1: Write 20 things
Set a timer for 10 minutes and list 20 things you know how to do, or have lived through. Don't judge them. Examples people often forget:
- Cooking good meals on a very small budget
- Getting a state ID or birth certificate replaced
- A trade: painting, landscaping, detailing cars, braiding hair, small engine repair
- Working out with no equipment
- Staying organized with a chaotic schedule
- Writing a strong letter, appeal or résumé
- Taking care of a family member
- Getting through the first 90 days of recovery
- Finding free resources in your city
Twenty feels like a lot. Keep going; the useful ones often show up at number 15.
Step 2: Circle what people ask you about
Look at your list. Which ones have people asked you about? "How did you get your license back?" "What do you cook when money's tight?" "How do you stay so organized?" Circle them. Questions people already ask you are the strongest signal there is.
Step 3: Check if strangers ask too
For each circled item, spend two minutes searching:
- Type the problem into Google as a question and look at the "People also ask" box.
- Search Reddit or Facebook groups for it.
- Look at YouTube comments on videos about it.
You're looking for the same question coming up again and again. That means there's demand for a clear, simple answer.
Step 4: Shrink it
Beginners usually pick something too big — "a complete guide to fitness." Shrink it until it fits in a short checklist or a 10-page guide:
- Too big: How to cook healthy.
- Better: A one-week, $40 grocery plan with 7 simple dinners.
- Too big: How to get a job after prison.
- Better: A fill-in-the-blank cover letter that explains a gap in your work history honestly.
Small and specific is easier to make, easier to explain, and easier for someone to say yes to.
Step 5: Write your one-sentence promise
Finish this sentence in your notes:
This helps [specific person] to [specific result] without [common pain].
For example: This helps people on a tight budget cook seven dinners for about $40 without needing an oven.
Be honest — only promise what your product actually does. Don't promise health results, legal outcomes or money.
A note on lived experience
Guides drawn from real experience — reentry, recovery, caregiving — can be truly valuable to someone a few steps behind you. Keep them practical, protect other people's privacy, and stay out of medical or legal advice. "Here's the checklist that helped me" is powerful. "Here's what your lawyer won't tell you" is a problem.
What you have now
By the end of today you should have one small problem and one honest sentence. That's it. Tomorrow you'll turn it into an actual product, using only your phone and free tools.
Common questions
What if I don't have any skills?
Everyone has knowledge someone else lacks: how to cook cheaply, navigate a system, fix something, stay organized, or get through a hard season. Life experience counts.
Can I sell something about my experience in prison or recovery?
Yes, many people create helpful guides from lived experience. Focus on practical help, protect other people's privacy, and don't give medical or legal advice.
How do I know if people want it?
Look for questions people already ask in forums, comments and groups. If the same question appears again and again, there's demand for a clear answer.
Keep reading
- How to Price Your First Digital Product (Without Guessing)
- Make Your First Simple Digital Product on Your Phone (Day 4)
- Free Places to Sell Your Digital Product — Even Without a Bank Account (Day 5)
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