How to Create a Digital Product in 2 Hours or Less

Most people who try to create a digital product never finish one.

Not because they lack ideas. Not because they lack knowledge. Because they make the product too big, spend weeks on it, and eventually abandon it under its own weight.

Jason Fladlien solved this problem in 2007 with a 7-page ebook he wrote in a single afternoon. It sold 268 copies in less than 24 hours at $4 each. That product launched a business that has now generated over $100 million in sales.

The method he used is called the 1-1-1 Formula. This guide walks you through exactly how to apply it — from choosing your topic to having a finished, sellable product ready to go today.

What is a Digital Product?

A digital product is anything you can create once and sell forever — no inventory, no shipping, no manufacturing. The most common formats are:

• PDF ebooks and guides
• Audio recordings
• Video tutorials
• Online courses
• Templates and checklists

The beauty of digital products is that they cost almost nothing to create, have near 100% profit margins, never run out of stock, and can be sold to anyone in the world at any time of day without you being present.

The e-learning industry — which is built almost entirely on digital products — is projected to reach $645 billion by 2030. The opportunity is real and it is growing.

The Biggest Mistake Most People Make

Before getting into the how, it is worth understanding why most people who try to create digital products never finish them.

The answer is almost always the same: they try to create something too big.

They plan a comprehensive course. A definitive guide. A complete system. They spend weeks outlining, researching, writing, and revising — and eventually the project collapses under its own weight. The product never gets finished. No product means no sales.

The solution is not better planning or more discipline. The solution is to make the product small enough to finish in one sitting.

The 1-1-1 Formula

Jason Fladlien’s 1-1-1 Formula is the antidote to this problem. It works like this:

• One Problem — focus on a single, specific problem your audience has
• One Solution — provide one clear, actionable solution to that problem
• One Sitting — create the product from start to finish without stopping

That is it. The constraint of one sitting forces you to keep the product small and focused. Small and focused products are easier to create, easier to sell, and often more valuable to the buyer than comprehensive ones.

Jason’s first product using this formula was a 7-page ebook called “How to Write an Article in 7 Minutes or Less.” It took him under two hours to create and sold 268 copies in less than 24 hours at $4 each. That single product launched a business that now generates eight figures annually.

Still not sure it’s possible? Watch it put to the test:

Step 1 — Find a Topic Worth a Damn

Your topic needs to be specific enough to solve in one sitting and valuable enough that someone will pay for it. Here is how to find one:

Look for problems people are paying to solve right now

Go to Amazon and look at the best-selling books in any category you are interested in. Read the one-star reviews — not to find out what is wrong with the book, but to find out what problem the reader still has after reading it. That unresolved problem is your product idea.

Go hyper-specific

The more specific your topic, the easier it is to sell. “How to lose weight” is not a product topic. But consider this: ukulele players who cannot read music are a passionate, fast-growing, and chronically underserved audience. A short PDF called “How to write and arrange songs for the ukulele without reading a single note of sheet music” would find buyers within hours of going live — because it speaks directly to exactly the right person’s exact problem. The reader sees it and thinks: that was written for me. The more specific you get, the more invisible your competition becomes.

Not sure where to start? Read our full guide on how to find a profitable niche for your digital product first.

Focus on pain, not gain

People act faster and spend more to relieve existing pain than to achieve future gains. A product that stops something hurting right now will always outsell a product that promises something better in six months. Look for problems people want solved today.

Step 2 — Outline It in 10 Minutes (Yes, Really)

Once you have your topic, spend 10 minutes writing a simple outline. Do not overthink this. Your outline is just a list of the steps someone needs to take to go from having the problem to having it solved.

A simple structure that works for almost any topic:

• Introduction — what the product covers and what the reader will be able to do after reading it
• Step 1 — the first thing to do
• Step 2 — the second thing to do
• Step 3 — the third thing to do
• Conclusion — a brief summary and next steps

Three to five steps is enough for a beginner product. Remember — you are not writing an encyclopedia. You are solving one specific problem as efficiently as possible.

Step 3 — Create It in One Sitting. No Excuses.

This is the non-negotiable part. Sit down, open a Google Doc, and do not get up until the product is finished.

A few rules for the sitting:

• No research during the sitting — you should already know enough to solve the problem, or have done your research beforehand
• No editing during the sitting — write first, edit after
• No distractions — phone off, notifications off
• Done is better than perfect — a finished 10-page guide beats an unfinished 50-page masterpiece every time

For most beginner products, the writing itself should take between one and two hours. If you find yourself going much longer than that, your topic is probably too broad — narrow it down.

Step 4 — Turn It Into an Actual Product

Once the content is written, turn it into a product:

• In Google Docs, go to File → Download → PDF Document
• Give it a clear, specific title that describes the outcome — “How to [achieve specific result] in [timeframe]” works well
• Add a simple cover page with the title and your name
• That is your product

You do not need design software. You do not need a professional cover. You do not need anything other than a finished Google Doc saved as a PDF.

Step 5 — Set Up a Way to Sell It

The simplest options for selling a digital product as a beginner:

• Gumroad — free to sign up, upload your PDF, set a price, share the link. Takes about 10 minutes to set up.
• Payhip — similar to Gumroad, also free to start
• Etsy — larger built-in audience, good for certain niches

Start with Gumroad. It is the fastest path from finished product to live sales page. You can always move to a more sophisticated setup later.

Step 6 — Price It Low. Seriously.

This is counterintuitive but important. Jason Fladlien is specific about this in his teaching — start with a low price. His first product was $4. Low pricing:

• Removes the buyer’s risk entirely
• Gets you your first sale quickly
• Gives you proof of concept before you invest more time
• Builds a customer base you can sell more to later

Somewhere between $7 and $27 is a good starting range for a beginner product. You can raise the price once you have reviews and proof that it sells.

What to Do After Your First Sale

Your first sale will feel small. It isn’t. It proves the model works — and once you have one sale, the only question is how many more you want. Each product you create compounds on the last.

The real money in the information product business is not in constantly finding new customers — it is in what you sell to existing customers. A buyer who trusted you enough to spend $9 on your first product is far more likely to spend $97, $297, or more on something more comprehensive. That is the backend profit model that turns small products into a real business.

Want to Learn the Complete System?

This guide covers the basics of getting started. Jason Fladlien’s Product eClass V5.0 goes considerably deeper — covering the complete journey from creating your first product all the way through to scaling to six, seven, and eight figures. It includes seven sessions, seven bonuses, and a 200% double your money back guarantee.

The free training below covers the 1-1-1 Formula in Jason’s own words, with his examples and his specific techniques. It runs approximately 90 minutes and is the best starting point before committing to anything.