'But What Would I Sell?' Answering Your Biggest Digital Product Questions

Last week, I mentioned that I'd created a simple digital product for my Substack subscribers that generated over $2,000 in a single weekend. My inbox immediately flooded with questions.

Then, I decided to start a new thread in my Substack Chat. I asked, “What kind of questions do you have around digital products?” I got a ton of replies.

• "What exactly did you sell?"

• "How did you know what to create?"

• "Do I need a massive audience first?"

These weren't just casual inquiries. They revealed a deeper struggle many of you are facing: you're pouring hours into your Substack, watching your subscriber count tick up slowly, but still feeling miles away from meaningful income.

I get it because I've been there. Eight months ago, I was staring at my dashboard—zero subscribers, zero income, wondering if all this effort would ever pay off. Now I'm generating consistent income while writing less, not more.

The turning point? Creating digital products specifically designed for my newsletter audience.

So instead of writing a regular post today, I decided to answer the actual questions you sent me. No theory, no fluff—just practical advice based on what's working right now in my newsletter business and for my clients.

Let's dive in.

---

"But My Audience Doesn't Ask Questions!"

Dawn asked: "I see the wisdom of your teaching on building digital products that answers your audience's questions. But what do you do when your audience doesn't ask questions? I get interest on my posts but not comments or questions, even when I ask them point blank."

Matt echoed this: "I see a lot of big accounts say 'pay attention to what your audience is saying in the comments, what questions they're asking etc,' but what does one do if that's not the case?"

This might be the most common struggle I hear. You publish consistently, see decent open rates, but the comment section remains a ghost town. Does that mean you can't create products because you don't know what your audience wants?

Absolutely not.

Here's what most "experts" miss: the absence of comments doesn't mean the absence of needs. It just means you need different listening tools.

When I created my first digital product, I had fewer than 1,200 subscribers and almost no comments. Here's exactly what I did instead:

1. Look at your analytics, not your comments

Which posts get the highest open rates? Which links get the most clicks? This behavioral data often reveals more than direct questions.

For me, every post about growing Substack subscriber numbers outperformed everything else by 15-20%. People weren't asking questions, but their behavior showed exactly what they cared about.

2. Create a simple survey (with a crucial twist)

Forget lengthy surveys nobody completes. Send a one-question email:

"What's your biggest challenge with [your newsletter topic]?"

The twist: Make it a direct reply to your email, not a form. I got a 23% response rate using this method compared to less than 5% with traditional survey tools.

3. Use Notes as a testing ground

I've found Substack Notes to be the perfect place to test product ideas. Drop a simple note saying:

"Thinking about creating [potential product idea]. Would this be helpful for you? Reply with a 👍 if you'd be interested."

I did this with three different product ideas before settling on my first one. The response rate was 5x higher than in my regular newsletter comments.

4. Look for patterns in non-question responses

Even when people don't ask questions, they leave clues. Look for phrases like:

"I've been struggling with..." "I wish I knew how to..." "I'm trying to figure out..." "That's exactly what I needed..."

I keep a running document of these phrases from email replies, and they've become the foundation for my most successful products.

5. Study your unsubscribes

This sounds counterintuitive, but it's gold. When people unsubscribe, Substack often asks why. These brutally honest responses reveal precisely what your current content isn't delivering—and what your product could solve.

One unsubscribe comment saying "I need more actionable advice on growing my Substack, not just theories" led directly to my most successful product to date.

The truth is that even "successful" newsletters often have relatively quiet comment sections. The real magic happens in private replies, analytics, and patterns you actively look for—not in public engagement.

The biggest mistake is waiting for your audience to tell you exactly what they want. Most never will, even if they desperately need your solution.

---

Finding Your Perfect Digital Product (Even When You're Not Sure)

Justin asked: "I have a question on marketing for design assets. I am creating design assets and trying to market them through my publication. However, most of my posts are on art and the benefits of art. I am worried that I will attract people interested in creating art and not buying my digital assets."

Anja wondered: "What would be my digital product if I wrote about my journey with disability and resilience and shared my colourful paintings? Which painting helps me cope emotionally and physically?"

Drew asked: "How do I even figure out what to make if my audience is small and I've never monetized anything other than direct exchange of time for money?"

These questions all circle around the same fundamental challenge: how do you create a product that actually sells when you're either not sure what to make or worried about a mismatch between your content and your offer?

Let me share what I've learned from helping dozens of writers with this exact problem.

The Bridge Framework

The most successful digital products act as bridges—connecting where your audience is now with where they want to go.

Justin, your art content and design assets aren't misaligned. They're actually two sides of the same bridge. People interested in the benefits of art are potential customers for design assets—you just need to build the right connection.

For example, instead of seeing your design assets as separate from your content, position them as tools that help readers experience the benefits you write about. If you write about how art reduces stress, your design assets become "stress-reduction templates" rather than just "design assets."

Anja, your journey with disability, resilience and painting contains at least three powerful product opportunities:

1. A visual guide that pairs specific emotional challenges with the paintings that helped you overcome them

2. A framework for using art as a coping mechanism (with your paintings as examples)

3. A simple course on how to use color expression for emotional processing

Your product isn't the paintings themselves—it's the transformation those paintings helped create in your life, packaged in a way others can apply.

Drew, having a small audience isn't a limitation—it's actually a gift when creating your first product. Here's why:

With a small audience, you can take a more direct approach. Email each subscriber personally (yes, individually) with this question:

"I'm considering creating something to help with [broad topic area]. Before I do, I'd love to know: what's one thing you're struggling with right now related to [topic]?"

When I did this with my first 200 subscribers, I got 58 responses. Those responses revealed patterns I never would have seen otherwise.

The Product-Content Matrix

Here's a simple matrix I use with my clients to find their perfect digital product:

1. Vertical axis: What are the emotional states your content helps people move between? (Confusion → Clarity, Anxiety → Calm, Stuck → Progressing)

2. Horizontal axis: What are the practical outcomes your content helps people achieve? (Save time, Make more money, Improve skills, Gain confidence)

Where these intersect is your perfect product opportunity.

For example, if your content helps move people from overwhelm to confidence (emotional) while helping them attract more clients (practical), your product might be a "Client Attraction Framework for Overwhelmed Freelancers."

The Three Easiest Digital Products to Create

If you're still unsure, here are the three types of products I've found work best for first-time creators:

1. The Process Pack: Document a process you use that gets results. My first product was simply the exact process I use to grow my Substack, turned into a step-by-step guide.

2. The Template Collection: Create templates that save people time. These can be writing templates, design frameworks, scripts, or workflows—anything that helps people skip the blank page.

3. The Curated Resource: Organize and explain resources that would take others hundreds of hours to find themselves. My most recent product is essentially a curated collection of Substack growth tactics with my commentary on each.

The beauty of these product types? You can create them in a weekend, and they provide immediate value to your audience.

I've seen a writer with just 350 subscribers make $1,200 with a simple collection of email templates. Another with 600 subscribers made over $3,000 with a curated guide to publishing on Amazon.

The size of your audience matters far less than how precisely your product solves a specific problem they're facing.

---

Starting Without an Audience

Anna asked: "So if you don't have an audience, how do you validate?"

This question hits close to home because eight months ago, I was exactly where many of you are now: staring at a subscriber count I could count on one hand, wondering if I was shouting into the void.

The conventional wisdom is that you need a sizable audience before you can validate product ideas or generate meaningful income. That's simply not true.

In fact, waiting until you have a "big enough" audience is one of the costliest mistakes I see new Substack writers make. Here's why:

Building an audience and validating product ideas aren't sequential steps—they're parallel processes that fuel each other.

Let me share the exact approach I used to validate my first product with fewer than 300 subscribers (and how several writers I've worked with have done the same).

(1) The Micro-Validation Approach

When your audience is small, traditional validation methods like mass surveys won't work. Instead, you need micro-validation:

1. Start with 10-15 conversations

Reach out personally to your first subscribers (even if that's just 20 people) and ask for a 15-minute call to better understand their needs. When I did this, 8 out of 20 people said yes—a 40% response rate.

The key is making it clear this isn't a sales call. I used this exact script:

"I'm working to make my newsletter more valuable for readers like you. Could we chat for 15 minutes about your experience with [topic]? No selling, just listening—and I promise to make it worth your time with some personalized advice."

These conversations revealed patterns I never would have discovered otherwise.

(2) Use "borrowed" validation

Before I had my own audience, I looked for validation in other people's audiences:

• Search Substack Notes, Twitter/X, Reddit, and other platforms for people asking questions related to your topic

• Check the comments sections of popular newsletters in your niche

• Look at reviews of books and courses in your subject area

Pay special attention to language patterns—the exact words people use to describe their problems. These become the foundation of your product positioning.

I once created an entire product based on recurring questions I saw in another creator's comment section (with their blessing, of course).

(3) The "Pre-Product" Content Test

Before creating a full product, test your concept as content:

Write a detailed post that addresses the specific problem your product would solve. Make it genuinely useful—not a teaser, but a complete mini-solution.

At the end, include this simple call to action:

"If you found this helpful and want a comprehensive version with [additional benefits], reply to this email with 'I'm interested.'"

My first "pre-product" post got just 12 responses—from an audience of about 250 at the time. But those 12 responses were enough to validate that I was on the right track.

(4) The Minimum Viable Audience

Here's the truth about audience size: you don't need thousands of subscribers to validate a product idea. You need what I call a Minimum Viable Audience (MVA).

Your MVA is simply the smallest number of engaged subscribers needed to validate your concept. The formula is surprisingly simple:

(Price of your product) ÷ (Reasonable conversion rate) = Minimum Viable Audience

For a $47 product with a conservative 2% conversion rate, you need just 50 subscribers to make your first sale ($47 ÷ 0.02 = 2,350, but with a small audience, personal outreach can increase conversion rates to 10%+ making 50 subscribers enough).

Even one sale proves someone is willing to pay for your solution—which is infinitely more validation than zero sales.

(5) The "Small Batch" Approach

Instead of launching to the world, start with a small batch approach:

Create a super-simple version of your product (even if it's just a detailed outline) and offer it to 10-15 of your most engaged subscribers at a reduced "early access" price.

Be transparent that you're developing this product and want their input to make it better. Many will jump at the chance to shape your offering while getting early access.

I did this with my first product, offering it to 15 people for $27 instead of the eventual $47 price. 9 people purchased—a 60% conversion rate—and their feedback made the final product significantly better.

Remember: Audience Building IS Validation

The most important insight I've gained is that the process of building an audience is itself a form of validation.

Every subscriber, every open, every reply is data validating that your message resonates. If you can get 100 people to subscribe to your newsletter, you can get 10 people to buy your product.

The key is starting before you feel ready. Your first product won't be perfect—and that's exactly how it should be.

---

The Technical Side Made Simple

One reader asked: "How do I curate an email list and what is the best app/tech to use? I am talented as a writer, but not as a salesman or with tech tools."

Paul asked: "What email marketing tools do you use to sell the digital products once created?"

Let me ease your mind immediately: the technical side of selling digital products is far simpler than most people think.

When I created my first product, I had zero technical skills yet set up my entire system in a single afternoon. Here's the bare-minimum tech stack that works beautifully for Substack writers:

1. Substack itself (you already have this)

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a separate email list when starting out. Substack gives you everything needed for initial product sales:

• Your subscriber list is already there

• The editor creates beautiful sales messages

• Analytics show who's engaging most

I made my first $2,700 using only Substack to promote my product. No external email service, no complex funnels.

2. A simple payment processor (Gumroad or similar)

For collecting payments and delivering your product, Gumroad remains my top recommendation because:

• Setup takes 10 minutes

• It handles payments, delivery, and basic email sequences

• The fees are reasonable (5% + payment processing)

• Zero technical knowledge required

I personally use Stan Store, and it’s a great option for something that’s a step up from the free version of Gumroad.

3. Your actual product (keep it simple)

For your first product, stick with easy formats:

• PDF guides (created in Google Docs or Canva)

• Recorded workshops (just use Zoom)

• Templates (Google Docs or Canva work perfectly)

Avoid complex formats like membership sites or elaborate courses for your first offering.

That's it. No integrations, no complex automations, no landing page builders needed. Your ability to solve problems for your audience matters infinitely more than technical sophistication.

---

The Art of Non-Salesy Selling

Noemi asked: "How to use Substack to elegantly, subtly market products? Mention them casually in the newsletter? Mention them shamelessly, incessantly?"

Alwedo wondered: "How do I not come across as salesy? I am a social entrepreneur of a sort."

The fear of coming across as "too salesy" might be the biggest psychological barrier Substack writers face. I know it was for me.

Here's the framework I've developed after much trial and error:

The 90/10 Value-to-Promotion Ratio

At least 90% of your content should be pure value with no direct selling. The remaining 10% can include offers, but even these should provide standalone value.

The Three Types of Selling (Only One Feels "Salesy")

1. Direct selling: Explicitly promoting your product as the main focus. Limit these to launch periods (5-7 days, 3-4 times per year)

2. Contextual selling: Mentioning your product naturally within value-based content. Example: "I cover this in more detail in my template pack" with a link

3. Solution selling: Creating content that addresses a problem so effectively that readers naturally want more. The least "salesy" approach and my personal favorite

Sell Through Stories, Not Features

Instead of: "My template pack includes 10 templates, 3 bonus worksheets, and a video walkthrough."

Try: "One writer used this template to publish 15% faster while increasing their engagement by 23% within the first month."

Specific results-based stories feel like valuable information, not sales pitches.

The Authentic Urgency Rule

Never create false urgency. Instead, use authentic reasons for timely decisions:

• "I'm closing enrollment to focus fully on current students"

• "The price increases next week as I add new materials"

When you create something that genuinely helps your readers—something you know can transform their situation for the better—selling it isn't just acceptable, it's a service.

---

Ready to Transform Your Substack with Digital Products?

We've covered a lot of ground today:

• How to uncover audience needs even when nobody's asking questions

• Finding your perfect digital product idea (even in non-obvious niches)

• Validating your ideas without a large audience

• The minimal tech stack you need to start selling

• How to promote your products without feeling salesy

These strategies have helped me transform my Substack from a passion project into a thriving business generating well over $5,000 monthly—without relying solely on subscriptions or working myself to the bone.

But I know that reading about these concepts is just the first step. Implementing them—actually creating and launching your first digital product—is where the real transformation happens.

That's why I've put together something special for you.

📌 Introducing the “Digital Product Masterclass” Especially for Substack Writers

Over the past few months, I've been refining and documenting my entire process for creating, validating, and selling digital products specifically designed for newsletter audiences.

It's the exact system I've used to generate over $50,000+ from digital products in the past 8 months—starting from zero subscribers and zero products.

I've distilled everything into a comprehensive, step-by-step system that works even if:

• You have a small audience (or are just starting out)

• You've never created a digital product before

• You're not technically savvy

• You're in a "difficult" niche

• You're worried about coming across as salesy

The Six-Figure Digital Product Masterclass includes:

• My complete weekend product creation system

• Templates for every component (product outlines, sales emails, etc.)

• The exact validation process that ensures your product will sell

• Launch email templates you can customize for your audience

Plus, when you join this week before Thursday midnight (California time), you'll also get these special bonuses:

1. "5-Day Digital Product Sales Launch Training for Writers" — This method ensures your product sells by properly prepping your newsletter audience beforehand

2. "Six Figure Digital Product Brainstorming Template" — This template helps you mine your existing newsletter content for product ideas your audience will actually pay for

If you're ready to transform your newsletter from a passion project into a profitable business without the grind of endless content creation, this is your moment. Join below:

I'm here if you have questions. Just drop a comment below, and I’ll reply as soon as I can.

---

Remember: Your readers aren't paying for your product; they're paying for the transformation it creates in their lives. When you focus on that transformation rather than on selling, your offers never feel salesy—they feel like valuable opportunities.

---

💡 Question: What’s holding you back from creating your first (or next) digital product? Drop your digital product idea in the comments, and let’s brainstorm together.

---

📌 PS - If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience?

This spreads the word and keeps me writing content that will help you grow your Substack and “escape the cubicle” life. 🙏