How to Escape Your 9-to-5 by Creating & Selling Simple Digital Products

???? Join 6000+ Subscribers on "Escape the Cubicle Substack"

If you're looking to create and sell digital products this year, you'll want to check out my Substack. I've written a post on "How to Create Your Digital Product in a Weekend" where I break it all down.

My story in a nutshell: I've grown my Substack to 6000+ subscribers in a little over 6 months. I share how I'm generating a consistent $5K to $10K+ per month across LinkedIn & Substack mostly from simple, low-ticket digital products. I'd love for you to give it a read:

>> Read "How to Create Your Digital Product in a Weekend" on Substack <<

This morning, I woke up to four Stan Store sale notifications on my phone. $400+ while I slept. What's cool is while I slept, someone all the way in Australia bought my Digital Product Masterclass & template bundle for $97. And three more sales came in from Europe.

My "little" digital product business now brings in more than my regular day job. This is something I never expected to happen, but I'm so grateful it has.

This wasn't luck or an overnight success. It was the culmination of a deliberate strategy that transformed my expertise into digital assets that sell 24/7—eventually allowing me to walk away from my corporate position altogether.

The Digital Product Revolution Hiding in Plain Sight

While headlines focus on tech layoffs and return-to-office mandates, thousands of professionals are quietly building digital product businesses that make their 9-to-5 jobs optional.

What's changed? Three critical factors have converged:

1. The tools have become ridiculously accessible. Creating, hosting, and selling digital products once required technical skills and significant investment. Today, platforms like Gumroad, Podia, and Kajabi have eliminated these barriers.
2. Niche expertise is more valuable than ever. As information overload intensifies, people gladly pay for curated, actionable knowledge that solves specific problems.
3. The credibility threshold has lowered. You don't need to be the world's foremost expert—you just need to be a few steps ahead of your buyer and willing to share your process honestly.

The Digital Products Hidden in Your Experience

The most common mistake I see professionals make is assuming they don't have expertise worth packaging. The reality? Your daily work likely contains numerous digital product opportunities.

Consider these surprisingly profitable digital products created by people with no previous "creator" experience:

• A project manager's client onboarding template sells for $49
• An executive assistant's email organization system sells for $29
• A graphic designer's Canva template collection sells for $79
• A financial analyst's budget spreadsheet sells for $39
• A marketer's swipe file of high-converting emails sells for $59

These aren't complex courses or membership sites. They're simple digital assets that solve specific problems and save people time.

The Profit Potential of "Boring" Expertise

The most profitable digital products often come from the expertise you take for granted—the workflows, systems, and frameworks you've developed through years of professional experience.

What makes these products particularly valuable:

• They solve expensive problems. Time saved, mistakes avoided, and learning curves shortened translate directly to ROI.
• They require minimal support. Unlike service businesses, well-designed digital products scale without consuming more of your time.
• They compound over time. Each product becomes an asset that can sell for years with occasional updates.

This creates the foundation for what I call "escape velocity"—the point where your digital product income provides the financial runway to leave your job.

The Counterintuitive Approach to Creating Your First Product

Most professionals overthink their first digital product, falling into the trap of complexity. The most successful approach is counter to conventional wisdom:

1. Start with a problem, not a product idea. Identify a specific challenge your ideal customer faces that you can help solve.
2. Create the minimum viable solution. Focus on delivering one clear outcome rather than covering everything.
3. Sell before you create. Test your concept with a pre-sale or beta offer to validate demand before investing significant time.
4. Launch imperfectly. A 70% perfect product that exists will outperform a 100% perfect product that never launches.
5. Iterate based on feedback. Let customer questions and challenges guide your product evolution.

This approach dramatically reduces creation time and increases the likelihood of market fit.

The Reality Check Most Won't Share

Creating digital products that replace your salary isn't about passive income fantasies. It requires strategic product development, consistent marketing, and customer-centric evolution.

The professionals who successfully escape their 9-to-5 through digital products typically:

• Dedicate 5-10 hours weekly to product development and marketing
• Reinvest initial revenue into strategic promotion
• Continuously collect and apply customer feedback
• View their digital product business as a professional asset, not a hobby

This commitment eventually creates the freedom to design your ideal work life—whether that's replacing your current job, creating leverage for a career transition, or building wealth beyond salary limitations.

Ready for the Complete Blueprint?

I've been documenting my digital product journey over on my Substack: Escape the Cubicle. I'm breaking down all the good, the bad, wins and losses, etc. I'd love for you to check it out and give it a read. If you're looking to create digital products this year, join 6000+ readers on my Substack who are all "escaping the cubicle" together ??

???? Join 6000+ Subscribers on "Escape the Cubicle Substack"

If you're looking to create and sell digital products this year, you'll want to check out my Substack. I've written a post on "How to Create Your Digital Product in a Weekend" where I break it all down.

My story in a nutshell: I've grown my Substack to 6000+ subscribers in a little over 6 months. I share how I'm generating a consistent $5K to $10K+ per month across LinkedIn & Substack mostly from simple, low-ticket digital products. I'd love for you to give it a read:

>> Read "How to Create Your Digital Product in a Weekend" on Substack <<