Make Your First Simple Digital Product on Your Phone (Day 4)
Today you make something real. By tonight you'll have a finished PDF on your phone that you could hand to someone who needs it.
We'll make a short guide or checklist — the easiest digital product for a beginner. Allow about 90 minutes, and it's fine to split it across two sessions.
Step 1: Outline it (15 minutes)
Open Google Docs and create a document named after your product. Write:
- Title — clear, not clever. "$40 Week: 7 Simple Dinners on a Tight Budget."
- Your one-sentence promise from Day 3.
- 5 to 7 section headings — the steps or parts someone needs.
For a checklist, the headings might be stages ("Before you go," "What to bring," "Questions to ask"). For a guide, they're steps.
Step 2: Write it plainly (45 minutes)
Use voice typing if typing on a phone is slow — tap the microphone on your keyboard and talk. Then clean it up.
Rules that make beginner products good:
- Short sentences. Write like you're texting a friend who asked for help.
- One idea per paragraph.
- Specific beats general. "Buy a 5-lb bag of rice" beats "buy staples."
- Include the mistakes. "The first time I did this, I forgot X" is gold.
- No promises you can't keep — no health, legal or money guarantees.
Aim for 1,000–2,500 words for a guide, or one or two dense pages for a checklist.
Step 3: Make it look decent in Canva (20 minutes)
Open Canva, search templates for "document", "checklist" or "workbook," and pick a free one (free templates don't show a crown icon). Paste your text section by section.
Keep design simple: one or two fonts, dark text on a light background, big headings. Readability beats decoration. Use only Canva's free photos and icons, or your own photos, so you don't run into copyright problems.
Step 4: Add a cover and an "about" page
Your cover needs the title, a subtitle that says who it's for, and your name. Add a final page with a sentence about who you are and how to reach you (your work email). Add a line like: "This guide is for general information and isn't legal, medical or financial advice."
Step 5: Export and check
Tap Share → Download → PDF Standard. Open the PDF on your phone and read every page. Typos, cut-off text and blank pages are common on the first export — fix and download again.
Step 6: One honest reviewer
Send the PDF to one person who fits your audience. Ask two questions: "What was confusing?" and "What's missing?" Don't ask "Do you like it?" — people will just be nice.
Make the fixes. Version 1.1 is better than version 1.0, and nobody expects version 1 to be perfect.
What to charge
For a short guide or checklist, beginners commonly price between $3 and $9, or give the first version away free to collect feedback and a few kind words they can share (with permission). We'll set it up for sale tomorrow — including what to do if you don't have a bank account yet.
Save everything
Keep your Google Doc (the "master copy"), the Canva design and the PDF in your Business folder. Updating your product later will take minutes instead of hours.
Common questions
What kind of product should a beginner make?
A checklist, template, planner page or short how-to guide (5 to 15 pages). They're quick to make, easy to understand and easy to improve later.
Can I use pictures I find online?
Only if the license allows it. Use the free images and icons inside Canva's free library, or your own photos, to stay safe on copyright.
How much should I charge?
Many beginners start between $3 and $9 for a short guide or checklist, or offer it free at first to get feedback. You can raise the price after people say it helped.
Keep reading
- Write a Product Description That Sells — Honestly
- Free Places to Sell Your Digital Product — Even Without a Bank Account (Day 5)
- Offer a Simple Service From Your Phone: Beginner Ideas That Aren't Scams
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