How a brutal AI suggestions session revealed the hole that’s costing creators hundreds (and the teaching that modified my outcomes)
I’ll always remember the climate that cool, sunny day.
That’s the day I lastly acquired trustworthy about why my books, web sites and merchandise have been genius, lovely and likewise… failures.
I used to be sitting in my house workplace, gazing my first Gumroad product that had generated precisely $0 in a number of months.
Stable product. Unshakable Efficiency Stats. Skilled design.
And no gross sales.
I’d been having somewhat success with the identical technique for years so it was pure to cause:
“If I simply create extra merchandise, the cash will comply with.”
However that day, one thing snapped.
Because the editor for a quick rising AI publication on Medium, I examine the statistics from over 200 totally different authors. In August of 2025 I used to be liable for effectively over 400 particular person articles.
This 12 months, my editorial desk has seen over 3000 totally different articles about earning money on-line with AI.
And as reviewed stats on that cool, sunny morning, my very own frustration boiled over as I noticed one other new writer begin and develop his readership sooner than I’ve, after years of labor.
I used to be so envious that I opened ChatGPT and did one thing I’d by no means accomplished earlier than.
As a substitute of asking AI to assist me create content material, I requested it to destroy what I’d already constructed.
“Right here’s my product web page,” I typed. “Inform me why it’s not promoting. Be brutal.”
What got here again made my jaw drop. 👈
I put down my espresso cup and cleaned my glasses.
The AI didn’t maintain again.
It advised me my copy was boring.That my product solved an issue no one cared about.That I used to be speaking to myself as a substitute of my viewers.That my complete method was backwards.
However right here’s the half that modified all the pieces:
It didn’t simply tear me down.It confirmed me precisely what was lacking.
The Lightbulb Went On In My Thoughts
See, I’d been approaching product creation like a craftsman.
Construct one thing lovely, put it on the market, hope folks discover it.
However profitable creators? They don’t simply construct merchandise.
They construct anticipation.They create tales.They manufacture urgency.
They flip the launch itself into an occasion that individuals truly need to be a part of.
That brutal AI suggestions session led me down a rabbit gap that has lasted weeks… I’m nonetheless going deeper…
I began learning the masters:
Disney doesn’t simply launch motion pictures. They create 18-month anticipation campaigns that make opening night time really feel like a cultural occasion.Steve Jobs didn’t simply announce merchandise. He crafted actuality distortion fields that made folks camp outdoors shops for days.Jeff Walker didn’t simply promote programs. He perfected the artwork of turning product launches into psychological journeys.
And I’d been doing none of it.
I used to be the man exhibiting as much as a live performance with a guitar, taking part in within the parking zone, questioning why no one was listening when inside there was a full orchestra acting on stage.
The Check That Proved All the pieces
Lately, I made a decision to place this new thought to a last-minute take a look at.
As a substitute of simply launching one other product the outdated means, I’d mannequin the pre-launch methods of the greats and apply it to a easy GumRoad problem I used to be internet hosting inside my AI neighborhood.
However right here’s what I found that completely blew my thoughts:
Even Final-Minute: The framework labored.
$353 in ten days is an annual incomes potential of about $12,900!
From one single provide.
