It's Time For You to Join the Digital Economy
The digital revolution is real and it is open to anyone with an expertise and sufficient motivation.
Introduction
Something is afoot in the way people are thinking about their work, career and vocation.
The pandemic shifted our habits and paradigms.
Millions of people upgraded their tech skills, and Zoomability. Remote work became normal. And freelancing suddenly became a real possibility for many people.
Do you sense the shift too?
Who Is Dan Koe?
Recently, I attended a workshop hosted by Dan Koe, a successful solopreneur on X. There were hundreds of people in attendance wanting to hear about Dan’s one person business model.
But it was the type of person who attended that surprised me the most.
Many were mid- to late-career professionals, lawyers, corporate types, and consultants. They would be more at home on LinkedIn than listening to a Gen Z entrepreneur talking about the digital economy.
Thus, I think the opportunities afforded by the digital economy have gone mainstream. Folks are curious (and excited) because there might be something they can do outside of traditional work.
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In this newsletter, I’d like to talk about the digital economy in broad strokes, and the ways in which you can participate (even part-time).
Afterward, I’ll give you an inside peak at the community we’ve got cooking if you need help with executing on these ideas.
What Is the Digital Economy?
The digital economy incorporates:
The explosion of online entrepreneurs over the last two decades, and since 2020 (influencers, freelancers, coaches, writers, creators, agency owners, digital marketers, etc.)
The tools, platforms and methods required for generating an income via the sale of digital products and services on the Internet.
Digital entrepreneurs are a large group, and growing exponentially. Again, a big reason is that many folks caught a new vision for work after COVID. Many were also lured by the promises of more freedom, more income, or both.
In the workshop I mentioned above, Dan earned more in four hours of training than the average person earns in four months of work.
I am not trying to be sensational by posting up scammy income figures. Roughly 200 people attended the workshop, each paying $100. The figures are real, and so is the leverage of the digital economy.
It’s the same kind of leverage that is available to you as well.
How Can You Participate in the Digital Economy?
The process for leveraging the virtual economy is simple, but not easy. It’s simple because there are only a few principles you have to master. And we can give you a roadmap.
It’s not easy because most people cannot get beyond their own self-doubts or fears or they lack the patience needed to see results in the online world.
Still, I recognize that jumping into the online world can be overwhelming at first. This is why we suggest that you first get the foundation right.
Know yourself
Know your audience
Create a micro workshop to test the economics of your ideas
These three steps hold the key to your successful online venture. There is no complicated tech to configure. There is no complicated website, funnel, or course that you need to develop.
It’s just you, your creativity, and a little brain power. Once you get this foundational piece down, I don’t think there will be anything that can stop you.
So let’s proceed.
Know Yourself
This is where everything begins, with your skills, passions, interests, hobbies, and expertise.
To accomplish the task of knowing yourself, we help you complete two deep dive exercises:
This Is Your Wonderful Life - Where you explore your childhood, education, interests and abilities. Then we map those discoveries to problems you can solve or goals you can help others achieve. You can find this exercise at the end of this newsletter.
Pathway to Impact - Where we find the intersection of your interests and what the market / world needs. You can find this exercise in this newsletter.
Once you see your true potential, it will create a flame in your belly that will turn into concrete actions.
Know Your Audiences
This part is all about research, which so many people find boring.
I think it’s like hunting for gold.
The idea is to discover your audience’s needs, interests, pain points, and goals SO THAT you can develop a product or service to meet those needs.
I have written briefly on this step in other newsletters (here). But again, it’s not complicated.
We look through best-sellers and reviews on Udemy and Amazon, ask questions in forums and social media groups, and ask ChatGPT a few questions on demographics, psychographics, and the market.
Create a Micro Workshop to Test the Economics of Your Ideas
Creating a micro workshop is one of the secrets of the Impact Generation way.
You will find many opinions on the Internet about this. Create low-ticket for more buyers. Create high-ticket for more income. Both paths are valid, but they have significant technical and organizational hurdles.
And this is where most people get derailed.
In the complexity of the execution.
So I’m going to share with you:
What has worked for me
What has worked like gang busters for my virtual mentors
What I see working in the market (i.e. the Koe Workshop and others like it)
What has the least amount of risk in terms of time, tech and money
Take a look at this graph. The Zoom workshop sits between low-ticket and high-ticket. It’s the perfect “product” because:
It has a high perceived value
It allows you to test the economics of an idea. In other words, do people want what you have to sell?
It saves you months of building out a complicated course, marketing materials or a high-ticket coaching program that no one is asking for.
It is low-cost, low-time, and low-stress
I wrote two articles on why micro-workshops should be the first product you develop. You can read more details here and here.
In summary, the process to start an online business can seem daunting or even complicated. This is why you must focus on the foundations as we’ve outline above.
The Impact Generation Community
At the moment, we are busy building out a space where you can learn about, test, and collaborate on these ideas.
The space will include training on knowing yourself and your audience, plus designing and launching your first workshop.
We will also have a community portal (free of the distractions of social media).
This is where you will be able to interact with other entrepreneurs, collaborate, get help, and receive encouragement and feedback on your digital journey.
We are calling this initial launch 19 for 19. This means the first cohort of 19 people will only pay $19 per month.
This is a high-ticket coaching program at a low-ticket price.
Here’s what you’ll get.
On-demand video training on the foundations of launching an online business: knowing yourself, knowing your audience, and creating a micro workshop to test your ideas.
Weekly training on a topic related to the foundations of launching an online business. (Replays will be available.)
A community where you can ask questions and receive encouragement and accountability.
Real-time feedback from me on launching your first profitable workshop.
There are many high-ticket programs that will charge you a ton more to provide you with the training, coaching, mentoring and feedback that you will receive in our 19 for 19 program.
If you are interested, I want you to make a micro-commitment right now. Click reply on this e-mail and tell me: I’m in.
I will keep you posted on the details. I will be promoting this offer in other places. We will launch when we are full or close to full.
We’d love for you to be a part of this important cohort.
Conclusion
In order to monetize your skill, craft or expertise, you must take an inventory of all you have to offer, understand your audiences, then craft a workshop that meets an urgent need within your audience.
If you can do these things right, you will have first hand data AND customers to give you confidence to scale.
If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out. And again, if you are interested in the 19 for 19 program, simply reply to this email.
Here’s to your success!
Gustavo
