Maybe I'm not the only one who jumps into product development right away.

But what if we created a sales funnel first? We collect subscribers and can still help them by offering a product without making one ourselves. That way, we can test different offers and messages until we find the right one.

This is the 3-step product development process I learned from Tiny Little Business.

Instead of building a product, focus on building a funnel first, so you have a working funnel, customers, and insights to bring your solution to market later.

1. Build a marketing funnel first.

2. Sell affiliate products in that funnel.

3. Replace or extend the affiliate product with your own.

Start with a funnel

If you build a marketing funnel first, you can focus on the customer's needs without getting into product development while gathering real insights that you can use later.

You can test different messages to see what works and doesn't while also giving you time to listen to customers and adjust accordingly.

Sell partner products in the funnel

To measure your sales funnel, you need to sell something.

You're not testing their products. You test your funnel by selling an associated product without actually having one, so you don't have to worry about support or other issues.

The goal is to generate enough revenue to cover the cost of your sales funnels.

Replace or expand the affiliate product later

Once you have a complete funnel, you can develop and sell products.

The most important thing is to build your business around your customers. If you know your customers well, you can develop a product they'll want to buy.

• You have a working funnel.

• You have an email list of interested and buying customers.

• And you have the insight you need to develop your solution.