Share valuable knowledge freely, then productize if demand signal is overwhelming
When you share expertise through lightweight formats (videos, threads, docs) and receive strong positive signals that it's extremely valuable, consider packaging it as a paid product. The validation comes from the intense positive reaction, not from pre-planned monetization. This works because you're solving a proven pain point with content you've already created.
When to use
When you've built deep expertise in an area and someone asks for help or advice. Create the helpful content first without monetization intent, then gauge reaction.
Don't do this
Creating paid educational products before validating that your knowledge is genuinely valuable to your audience, or creating content with monetization as the primary goal rather than helping.
1 Founder Who Did This
Recorded 5-minute Loom video explaining Starter Story's email flows for Peter Levels, who responded that it was the most valuable thing he'd ever watched and suggested selling it