“What should I make first?” is one of the most common questions new digital-product sellers ask, and the honest answer is that it depends on what you can finish. A product that ships beats a perfect one that stays in a folder. This guide compares three common first products so you can choose with open eyes.
The Three Candidates
An Ebook or Guide
A short, focused guide is the classic first product. It needs writing, simple layout and a cover, and it can be exported as a PDF. The upside is that you already know the process: outline, draft, edit, format. The downside is that readers can find free articles on nearly any topic, so your guide has to save them time or organize things better than what they can find on their own. Aim narrow: one problem for one kind of reader.
A Template or Printable
Templates, planners, checklists and spreadsheets sell a finished result rather than information. They are often quicker to produce than a book because there is less prose, but they take design care: clear layout, readable fonts and instructions that make them usable in the first five minutes. Test the file in the app your buyers will use, whether that is a PDF reader, Google Sheets, Notion or Canva.
A Mini-Course
A mini-course (a few short lessons by video, audio or email) can feel more valuable, and platforms are built to host them. It is also the most work for a first product: scripting, recording, editing and supporting buyers who have questions. If you have never made a product before, a course is a stretch goal rather than a safe first step.
A Simple Scorecard
Rate each option from 1 to 5 on these questions, then add them up:
- Can I finish it in four to six weeks of evenings? Be realistic about your hours.
- Do I know one specific person who has this problem? Real conversations beat guesses. See our guide to validating a digital product idea.
- Can I explain the result in one sentence? “A one-page weekly planner for shift workers” is clear; “a productivity system” is not.
- Can I support it alone? More complex products usually mean more questions.
A tie is a good sign to choose the smaller product. You can always expand it into a bundle or course later, once real buyers tell you what they want.
Common First-Product Mistakes
- Making it too big. A 150-page book or a twelve-module course is a months-long commitment. A tight 15-page guide or a single template can be listed in weeks.
- Skipping the buyer. Describe the product to two or three people who match your reader and ask what they would expect inside. Their answers often change the title and the outline.
- Waiting for polish. Fix obvious errors and make sure the file opens everywhere, then publish. Your first buyers will tell you what to improve, and you can release an updated version.
- Forgetting the instructions. A one-page quick start that tells the buyer what to do first prevents most support emails.
Notice that none of these are about talent. They are about scope, and scope is something you control. Pick the version of your idea that fits the hours you actually have each week, not the hours you wish you had.
Where You Can Sell It
Gumroad’s pricing page, as of October 2026, lists digital products, ebooks, courses, tutorials and memberships as things you can sell. It charges no monthly fee; direct sales carry a fee of 10% plus $0.50 per transaction, and sales that come through its Discover marketplace carry 30%. Other platforms have different fees and rules, so compare current pricing pages before you commit. Our Gumroad setup walkthrough covers the mechanics, and pricing your first product will help with the number.
A realistic expectation: most first products earn little at first, and results vary widely. Treat the first product as the way you learn what customers want, not as a paycheck.
Do this today
Write your three candidate products on a sheet of paper and score each one with the four questions above. Circle the winner and write one sentence describing who it is for and what result they get. Thirty minutes is plenty.
More on Totally Relentless
- How to Validate a Digital Product Idea Before You Build It
- How to Price Your First Digital Product Without Guessing
- How to Write a Digital Product Page That Answers Buyers’ Questions
