Chapter 19 Exercises: Digital Products: Courses, Templates, and Info Products
Exercise 1: The Transformation Statement Workshop
Objective: Develop a clear, specific transformation statement that can serve as the foundation for a digital product.
Instructions:
Many creators know they want to build a course or digital product but cannot articulate what it actually does for the buyer. This exercise forces that specificity.
Part A: Write ten possible transformation statements using this template:
"After using my [product type], [specific type of person] will be able to [specific, measurable outcome] even if [specific current obstacle or fear]."
Push for specificity in each clause: - "specific type of person" — not "everyone" or "beginners" but "a 22-year-old with their first full-time job who has never invested" - "specific, measurable outcome" — not "understand investing better" but "have their first $500 invested in a low-cost index fund within 30 days" - "specific obstacle" — not "they're confused" but "they've tried to open a brokerage account and given up because they didn't know which investments to pick"
Part B: Review your ten statements. Which three feel most true to what you actually know how to teach? Which three feel most urgent to your specific audience?
Part C: Combine your analysis from Part B. Which single transformation statement sits at the intersection of "I can genuinely teach this" and "my audience urgently wants this"? This is your product concept.
Deliverable: One final transformation statement, written as specifically as possible, plus a one-paragraph explanation of why you chose this concept over the others.
Exercise 2: Course Curriculum Backward Design
Objective: Use the backward-design approach to build a course curriculum that is organized around student outcomes, not instructor knowledge.
Instructions:
Use the transformation statement from Exercise 1 (or a new one) and apply the backward-design process:
Step 1: Identify the transformation. Write your transformation statement at the top of a document.
Step 2: List the learning outcomes. What does the student need to be able to DO (not know, but do) to achieve the transformation? List these as action verbs: "Open a brokerage account," "Evaluate an ETF," "Set up automatic contributions." Aim for 8–15 discrete outcomes.
Step 3: Group outcomes into modules. Cluster the outcomes from Step 2 into logical groups. Each group becomes a module. Give each module an action-oriented name (not "Introduction to ETFs" but "Your First ETF Investment").
Step 4: Sequence the modules. Order the modules from first to last. The rule: each module should make the next module easier or more meaningful. The first module should deliver a quick win — something the student can complete in 30 minutes or less and feel immediate progress.
Step 5: Identify what to cut. List three topics that are related to your course subject but do NOT directly advance your stated transformation outcomes. These go in a "bonus materials" section or are cut entirely.
Deliverable: A complete course outline with module names, learning outcomes per module, and a "what I'm cutting" list with brief explanations.
Exercise 3: Digital Product Pricing Analysis
Objective: Develop a defensible price for a digital product using three different pricing frameworks.
Instructions:
For a product concept you are considering, complete the following analysis:
Framework 1: Competitive Anchoring Research three to five comparable products in your niche (search Gumroad, Etsy, Udemy, Teachable's marketplace). Record: - Product name and type - Price - What it claims to deliver - Estimated quality/depth
What is the price range for comparable products? Where does your product sit relative to competitors in terms of depth and quality? Where should you price relative to them?
Framework 2: Value-Based Pricing What is the economic or personal value of the transformation your product delivers?
Calculate concretely: If your product saves someone 3 hours per week, and their time is worth $25/hour, that is $75/week in value — $3,900/year. If your product helps someone land a better job, what is the average income differential? If your product helps someone make their first investment, what is the compound value of investing six months earlier?
Price your product at 5–15% of the annual value it delivers (a common rule of thumb for value-based pricing).
Framework 3: The Waiting List Test Imagine you had 100 people who specifically wanted this product and were waiting for you to build it. You have to announce a price to them today. What would you charge? This price, generated under hypothetical demand conditions, tends to be more accurate than prices generated by worrying about whether anyone will buy.
Synthesis: Average the three framework prices. Is the average in a range that feels both fair and profitable? Does it align with what similar products charge in your market? Adjust based on your qualitative judgment.
Deliverable: A completed three-framework pricing analysis and a final recommended price with a two-paragraph justification.
Exercise 4: Minimum Viable Product Build
Objective: Build and list a simple digital product using only free tools, completing the full production-to-sale pipeline.
Instructions:
This is a hands-on exercise with a concrete deliverable: an actual digital product listed for sale.
Choose one of the following product types: - A Notion template (using Notion free tier, duplicated to a public link) - A PDF guide or checklist (designed in Canva free tier) - A spreadsheet template (Google Sheets, shared via link) - A swipe file or resource collection (organized in a Google Doc or Notion page)
Product requirements: - Must address a specific problem your audience has - Must take 3–8 hours to build - Must include a title that focuses on the outcome, not the format - Must include a brief description (3–4 sentences) that explains who it is for and what they will be able to do after using it
Sales setup: - Create a free Gumroad account - List your product at a price between $7 and $47 - Write a sales page with: (1) a transformation-focused headline, (2) a "who this is for" section, (3) what is included, (4) three to five bullet points of specific outcomes, (5) your refund policy
After listing: Share the Gumroad link with at least five people in your audience or community and ask for honest feedback on whether the price and description match the product.
Deliverable: A live Gumroad listing URL, plus a written reflection on what you learned from the production and listing process.
Exercise 5: Email Launch Sequence Design
Objective: Write a complete five-email launch sequence for a digital product, including subject lines, email body drafts, and CTAs.
Instructions:
Design a launch sequence for a product priced between $97 and $297. The sequence runs over one week.
Email 1 — Launch Day (Monday): - Subject line (write 3 options; A/B testing requires alternatives) - Opening hook (first paragraph) — should be a story or specific moment, not a product description - One paragraph on the problem this product solves - One paragraph on what the product delivers (specific outcomes, not content list) - Social proof element (one testimonial, a number from your waitlist, or a relevant result) - Clear CTA with the price and any early-bird deadline
Email 2 — Value Email (Wednesday): - Subject line focused on a specific outcome or objection - Address the most common hesitation about buying this type of product - Share one piece of genuine value (a tip, a story, a framework) from inside the product - Secondary CTA
Email 3 — Testimonial / Proof Email (Friday): - Subject line: social proof focused - Two to three specific testimonials or results (can be beta tester feedback if you have no buyers yet) - Address the "will this work for me" objection - CTA with urgency reference (closing in 48 hours)
Email 4 — Closing Email (Saturday evening): - Short, urgency-driven, personal - "Last chance" framing without being manipulative - Final CTA with clear deadline
Email 5 — Post-Close Email (Monday after): - Announce that enrollment has closed - Share one piece of community feedback or early result - Plant the seed for future launch
Deliverable: All five emails written in full, with subject lines, body copy, and CTAs.
Exercise 6: The Evergreen Funnel Map
Objective: Design an automated evergreen sales funnel for a digital product.
Instructions:
Map a complete evergreen funnel from first contact to potential purchase. For each stage, specify the content, timing, and goal.
Stage 1: Lead Magnet What free offer converts a visitor into an email subscriber? Describe it in one sentence. What is the opt-in rate target (20–40%)?
Stage 2: Welcome Email (Day 0) Sent immediately on subscribe. What does it contain? Does it deliver the lead magnet? Does it set expectations for what is coming?
Stage 3: Nurture Sequence (Days 1–10) Sketch five to seven emails: what is the subject or theme of each? What value does each deliver? Which email transitions from pure value to a product mention?
Stage 4: Product Offer (Days 10–12) How is the product introduced? What is the offer (price, bonuses, guarantee)? Is there a deadline mechanism? (Many evergreen funnels use a 72-hour countdown timer from the point the offer email is sent.)
Stage 5: Follow-Up (Days 12–14) Two emails: one addressing the most common objection, one final urgency/close.
Stage 6: Long-Term Nurture (Monthly) For non-buyers, what is the ongoing monthly email strategy? How often do you reference the product? What triggers a re-pitch (seasonal, updated product, price change)?
For each stage, estimate conversion rates at industry benchmarks (opt-in rate, email open rate, click rate, conversion rate). Calculate what 1,000 monthly new subscribers produces in monthly product revenue at these benchmarks.
Deliverable: A complete funnel map document with content descriptions, timing, and revenue estimate calculation.
Exercise 7: The Equity Audit
Objective: Audit a digital product concept for access barriers and design at least two mechanisms for reducing them.
Instructions:
For your product concept, complete the following audit:
Part A: Access Barrier Identification List every barrier that might prevent a willing, motivated buyer from purchasing or fully benefiting from your product:
- Price barrier: Is your standard price accessible to your full potential audience? What income level does your standard buyer need to afford it without stress?
- Technology barrier: Does the product require software, hardware, or a reliable internet connection the buyer might not have?
- Time barrier: How many hours does it take to complete or use the product? Who cannot spare those hours?
- Cultural or language barrier: Is the product written for a specific cultural context or in a language not all of your audience shares?
- Prior knowledge barrier: What does a buyer need to know before your product is useful to them?
Part B: Access Solution Design For at least two of the barriers you identified, design a specific mitigation:
- For price barriers: An income-based pricing option, a scholarship program, a payment plan, or geographic pricing. Write the specific terms and the public-facing description.
- For technology barriers: A low-tech alternative version of the product (a printable PDF instead of a Notion template, for example).
- For time barriers: A "quick start" version of the product that delivers core value in under 30 minutes.
Part C: The Tradeoff Analysis For each access solution you designed, estimate: What does this cost you (in revenue, time, or complexity)? What does your audience gain? Is the tradeoff worth making? Why or why not?
Deliverable: A completed equity audit with identified barriers, access solutions, and a brief tradeoff analysis.