To help achieve your goals and objectives(Chapter 3) as a content creator. This post was made to guide you to answer 2 business master plan questions:
1. What are your guiding principles?
and
2. What product do you want to market?
Inspired by the 4th chapter of 7 Steps to Freedom II by Ben Suarez.
To answer the first question – What are your guiding principles[Policy]? I’ve extracted 3 Sub-questions inspired by Ben’s constitution.
I’ve also made this FILLABLE workbook to help you answer them in an organized manner.
And filled my sketch answers to these questions
As well as Ben’s answers, to serve as examples.
Here it goes:
1. What to Avoid In Order To Succeed?
What are the things you need to avoid, that can slow you down or stop you alltogether if you don’t?
Ben’s Answer(Corporate constitution – 1994): We’ll avoid the death of the business by avoiding TRICCLIRS*.
Yan’s Answer(Lone content creator – 2025): We’ll avoid all kinds of distractions while creating content, including, but not limited to: Reading news, surfing gaming websites, checking social media or email.
Your Answer: _____________________________________
2. How to Strengthen The Relationship With Customers?
What’s one policy you could implement to strengthen the bond with your customers/audience?
Ben’s Answer(Corporate constitution – 1994): We’ll use the acronym QPSI* to guide us how to treat customers
Yan’s Answer(Lone content creator – 2025): We’ll make it a point to end every workday with reading the responses of the audience and answering them in a profound manner, for at least 15 minutes.
Your Answer: _____________________________________
3. How To Treat Negative People?
How will you act in regards to people who treat you negatively?
Ben’s Answer: Try not to make enemies, but if all attempts fail, make your enemies spend resources in self-protection, to deter other enemies
Yan’s Answer: Stating an opinion, or making content more controversial attracts attention. Thus, making some audience feel closer to you and some farther. This is better than stating no opinion and having no-one care at all.
Your Answer:_____________________________________
What Product Do You Want To Market?
Suggested Business Characteristics
The characteristics of the business we should have according to Ben:
-Something we have expertise in. I assume this is what the YouTuber Ali Abdaal calls “An unfair advantage”
(13:23-15:07)
-If you’re just starting a business – go for direct response, meaning, without intermediaries [like retailers].
It gives the most money in the least time, says Ben.
How It Applies for Content Creators
-So, for example, if and when I produce a product, I’d now want it to be based on the boatload of marketing
books I read, which is sort of an “unfair advantage” since it takes a lot of time to read that many marketing books + summarize them.
-And, in our business of content creation it is most likely going to be without retailers, sold directly through email even without Ben’s advice.
Monetization Comes Last, Say John and Joe [Excuse validated? =/]
-Besides the 2 above suggestions,
below are 3 more factors we should determine before making a product (and how Ben recommends we do it).
Now, because monetization should come as the last step for us content creators according to some influencers including John Sonmez(Sec 4:08 – 1000 subs) and Joe Pulizzi(Monetization is 6th) – I decided to wait with product launch. Judging by John’s measure, my 180 email subs are not yet enough (no-product excuse – validated), if you’re subbed hope you’re gettin’ value by the way 🙂
Nonetheless, if I had a 1000 and were to launch today, I’d determine the 3 factors as stated below (taking Ben’s framework into account).
3 Factors To Determine Before Product Launch
1. Target Audience
Which category should your audience be in? Governments, Institutions, Businesses or Consumers?
?
Ben recommends: Consumers, because they don’t require face-to face meetings in contrast to government, business and institutions.
I’d pick: Consumers, because of the above.
Your Answer: ________________________________
2. Who should develop the product?
Product development by: You or someone else?
Ben recommends: This doesn’t matter, because although going into area of expertise is better, you may also hire an expert to do the content and just do the marketing while sharing the profits/flat fee. What does matter is to sell information products because they’re easy to produce and have little regulation by government.
I’d pick: Me, because I am the person who nerded out on those marketing books 😉
Your Answer: ________________________________
3. What is your monetary goal?
Depending on your goals, how much money will you need to make?
Ben recommends: Up to us and our goals. In regards to taxes, in the U.S ben suggests registering a Subchapter S corp, because, as he explained in chapter 2, all profits go once to the owner and get taxed once instead of going through the company and getting taxed twice.
My answer: I’d like to make 2000 € on average monthly, so if I were to launch a product for 100€ for an email list of 1000, I’d need to do a launch every 2 months or so (Assuming 40 people buy the product). [See Sec 4:08 – 1000 subs]
I assume taxes will be minimal at this sum, nonetheless, I should check if there’s a Subchapter S entity parallel in the country I’ll be at the moment.
Your Answer: ________________________________
What are your answers? I’ve made this FILLABLE workbook especially for you to give you an organized place to deepen what you’ve learned here. It’s available below if you… STOPPED HERE 17:52 30.01. See you in the next posts, cheers!
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The Lazy Mans Way to Riches – 4 Takeaways
