Ship before you’re ready and pre‑sell to prove demand ethically
A freelance developer kept rewriting her course for beginners. She tweaked fonts, re‑recorded modules, and rearranged lessons while her coffee went cold. Six months in, she had a beautiful outline and zero students. We scrapped perfection and wrote a one‑screen promise. “In four weeks, you’ll deploy your first web app and have a project to show employers.” We opened 15 seats with a clear refund if fewer than eight joined.
Twelve people paid in 48 hours. She didn’t have fancy slides. She had a whiteboard and a plan. Each week she taught live, answered questions, and updated the next lesson based on where people stumbled. After the cohort ended, she clipped the recordings, added two walkthroughs where confusion popped up, and suddenly had a course grounded in reality, not guesswork.
A micro‑anecdote sealed it. One student said he’d signed up because the promise was concrete, and the dates were set. “I knew I’d actually do it if you were waiting for me,” he joked. The developer admitted she never would’ve learned those friction points by planning alone.
The science fits. Lean‑startup thinking says validate assumptions with minimum viable versions, not polished fantasies. Loss aversion makes deadlines and scarcity wake people up, and implementation intentions (“On Monday at 7pm I do Lesson 1”) increase completion. Pre‑selling is not trickery if you’re clear about dates and guarantees. It’s respectful. You test demand with transparency, deliver live to learn, and polish with proof instead of hope.
Write a one‑screen promise for the outcome you can deliver in four weeks, then sketch the 3–6 steps you’ll teach. Set dates, cap seats, and publish a checkout link with a simple guarantee that you’ll refund if you don’t hit a minimum. Deliver live to that first small group, recording sessions and capturing questions in a shared doc. Use those questions to upgrade your materials and only then build the polished version. Put the link in front of five people today and see who raises a hand.
What You'll Achieve
Internally, reduced perfectionism and increased bias toward action. Externally, validated offers, faster revenue, real customer language for marketing, and assets you can sell again.
Pre‑sell before you build anything
Write a one‑screen promise.
Define the specific outcome, time frame, and who it’s for. Example: “In four weeks, busy designers create a portfolio that lands three interviews.” Keep it simple.
Outline the first version.
Sketch a 3–6 step roadmap, not a 30‑module masterpiece. Decide the earliest milestone you can deliver live or as weekly drops.
Offer it with a refund guarantee.
Post or email a simple checkout link with dates, price, and a clear guarantee. Cap seats to reduce risk. If too few people buy, refund quickly and learn.
Deliver live, then refine.
Teach the first cohort on Zoom or in person. Record, collect questions, and then turn those into your polished version. Your customers help you write it.
Reflection Questions
- What specific result can I responsibly promise in four weeks?
- Where am I over‑building because I’m afraid to be seen learning?
- What minimum number of buyers would make the pilot worth it?
- How will I handle refunds quickly if interest is too low?
Personalization Tips
- Nonprofit: Pre‑sell five seats to a grant‑writing bootcamp to fund the venue, or refund if interest is low.
- Fitness coach: Sell 12 spots for a 21‑day kickstart with text check‑ins, then build the app later.
How To Be F*cking Awesome
Ready to Take Action?
Get the Mentorist app and turn insights like these into daily habits.