How to start a productized service fast

In the world of productized services, the route from idea to customer is often littered with overplanning and underdoing. While navigating between stories of markers making $100k MRR it’s easy to want to copy them and end up doing nothing because it’s “never good enough” or "as good as them".

I created breeew.com (a tool to create productized services) and liberto.dev (a productized service), I've navigated these waters and have seen many get lost in the details. Here's a more straightforward, practical approach to launching your productized service and get in your first clients (or subscribers!).

Getting started

The biggest issue isn't building the service; it's getting stalled in the preparation. From my experience with various agencies, the most common delay comes from fixating on the setup – perfecting the non-essentials before even understanding what your customers want. The golden rule? Test your idea fast. It's the exact same strategy that applies to startups and indie hackers: iterate quickly, adapt, and improve.

Would you spend 1 month building an MVP without talking or trying to selling your idea to a single user? (I hope you said no in your head)

So, test your idea fast, grab a name, make a quick landing page (or use breeew.com’s auto generated one) and talk to your users fast.

This approach frees you up to focus on refining your service and engaging with potential subscribers.

Get going

Visibility is the lifeline of your service. My mantra is simple: whatever you do, do it in public. Use platforms like X to build in public, showcasing your journey, struggles, and triumphs.

This not only builds your brand but also creates a community around your service.

This has been the strategy behind baked.design by Nick and Alex, both incredible talented designers… I truly believe that building in public was for both of them THE defining factor of their success.

Get good

In a sea of similar services, specialisation is your beacon.

Don't just be another design joy copycat.

For instance, by focusing on specialized areas like enhancing SaaS user interfaces or experiences, you create a unique value proposition.

It’s about identifying a gap and positioning yourself as the go-to expert in that space.

Embracing failure is crucial. Every setback is a learning opportunity, guiding you to refine your service until it resonates with your audience.

This iterative process is what eventually leads to a service that sticks and that people would pay a lot for.

I hope this was somehow helpful to someone, ultimately a productized service is like a startup and needs a well defined and rounded position in your specific niche to be successful!