Selling digital products as a creative sounded like the dream: passive income, creative freedom, and the ability to scale without burning out. And while there is a lot of truth to that, I’ve also learned the hard way that it’s not always as straightforward as it looks from the outside.

There are so many things I would’ve done differently if I could go back, especially when it comes to launching your first product, figuring out what people actually want, and building a sustainable system around it. So if you’re a creative thinking of putting a pause on everything to go into the world of digital products, here are the things I wish someone had told me from the start.

Start With a Product, Not Just an Audience

When I first created my Instagram, I was already a year and a half into freelancing. I had experience, case studies, and client wins. The kind of stuff I could’ve easily turned into a digital product or resource.

But instead, I spent months (honestly, years) just building an audience without anything to offer them. Looking back, I really wish I had launched my account with a product in place. Something small, helpful, and aligned with the kind of content I was already sharing.

Because the truth is: it’s easier to sell when your audience sees you as someone who already offers things. If you wait too long, it becomes harder to introduce your first product without it feeling out of nowhere.

If you’re starting now, even if you don’t have a big following yet, think about what you can create today. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to exist.

A “Solo Launch” Is Way More Work Than You Think

I spent months working on my first launch—researching, designing, refining. I poured everything into it. And then launch week came… and I sold two copies.

I’ve sold only one more since, and the product is now discontinued for several reasons.

And it hurt.

Not because the product was bad (I still believe in it), but because I was doing it all alone and I completely misjudged what my audience was actually ready for.

Here’s what I’ve learned: launching by yourself is hard. Not just because of the workload (although that’s a lot too), but because it’s easy to lose perspective when you’re creating in a vacuum. If your product doesn’t directly connect with what you’ve been warming your audience up to—if the messaging feels even a little bit off—people just won’t buy.

Now I plan slower, test ideas with free content first, and make sure I’ve talked about the problem I’m solving long before I ever mention a product.

MVPs > Perfection Every Time

After that first failed launch, I learned to fall in love with messy action.

Your first version of a product does not have to be perfect. It just needs to be good enough to get out there. Let people buy it and give you feedback. Update it, refine it, and build it with your audience instead of for them in secret.

I still improve products post-launch. I update templates. I add things. I make things cleaner and better as I go. The pressure to make version 1 look like version 5 will keep you stuck forever.

So just launch the MVP (minimum viable product). You’ll learn so much more from real users than from hours of second-guessing.

You Don’t Have to Follow Anyone’s Formula

There are so many “proven formulas” out there. The ones that say you have to launch with a webinar, or your freebie must lead to a tripwire, or your product should be a Notion template because everyone’s selling those right now.

But you don’t have to do any of that.

And in fact, a lot of those formats are so saturated now that people scroll past them without even realizing it. Especially with AI content floating around, the market is flooded with products that look the same and feel generic.

That’s never who I want to be.

I want to create products that are intentional and useful, not just things that exist for the sake of having a link in my bio. So I’ve started ignoring the formulas and building things that actually feel aligned with my style, voice, and people.

Too Many Bonuses Can Hurt Your Launch

Another mistake I made in my first launch: I added way too many bonuses.

I thought I was making the offer more valuable, but in reality, I was just confusing people. When you add too much to one offer, it’s easy for the main message to get lost. People don’t know what they’re really buying.

Now, I try to keep things simple. If the product solves one clear problem and delivers on that well, it’s enough. More isn’t always more, and in digital products, clarity sells better than quantity.

Sometimes Earning Less Pays Off

I sell most of my digital products through Gumroad, which does take a higher cut than some other platforms. But Gumroad has promoted my products to people I’ve never even reached.

I have Notion templates on there that I’ve never even advertised, and they’ve sold. That reach alone is worth the higher fee, in my opinion.

And that’s why I believe in being on multiple platforms when possible. Let them work for you. But also, don’t forget to consistently share your products on your own channels. I’ve learned that it’s not annoying—it’s just how people remember you sell things.

If you want to check out the digital products I currently offer, you can find them here on my Gumroad page.

And if you’d like to be an affiliate, send me an email at hi@mayara.design and I’ll get you all set up.

Selling digital products can be a huge win for your creative business, but it takes trial, error, and a lot of unlearning. If you’re in the middle of it or thinking about starting, I hope this post helps you feel a little less alone in the process.