Proof of work

November 10, 2024
Technology & Tools

Every tech job I’ve ever landed stemmed from the experience I showcased to prove I could do the work first.

That experience came in the form of outputs, which largely meant products.

I built blogs, directories, and simple web tools—and that was all before the advent of AI.

Now, with AI tools to explain how to do things, there are even fewer excuses not to dive into building your own products.

All my life I demonstrated my skills by continuously launching new things…but not once did I build 100% of the entire product.

Don’t start from scratch

Anyone with an internet connection can start an online business with nothing but a laptop.

This is true but daunting. Where do I even start?

First off, the business aspect doesn’t have to be unique or one of a kind. It just has to provide value to a very specific subset of people who have a problem.

That problem could be that they have a question that needs answering step-by-step (e.g., an info product or course),

that they need something done (e.g., a simple tool that converts PDFs into Word docs),

that they need to grow their audience (e.g., a social media scheduler or post templates),

or that they need help with their content (e.g., an AI copywriting tool).

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, Yeah, that’s great and all, but I can’t build those things.

Good news—you don’t have to.

There are thousands of people who have already built them and are willing to sell you their work for very little money.

Invest in others to invest in yourself

The internet brims with generous developers and designers who share their work under perpetual licenses for minimal fees.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can buy these resources, customise them, and use them as proof of their capabilities to secure work.

It sounds straightforward, but in reality, most people simply don’t know where to start.

They know the internet offers opportunities to make money (a known).

They know what skills they generally want to develop (a known unknown).

But they don’t realise they can immediately leverage those skills, building upon them to start charging or showcasing their worth (the unknown unknown).

The best resources

Here are my go-to destinations for digital products.

Spend time exploring these marketplaces.

Look at what formats the files are in, explore the programs necessary for editing them, and try to find some that are in a good price range that you can employ on your behalf.

Try to come up with ways you can claim ownership and market these.

Distribution is everything

I’m always shocked when I talk to even really talented designers and developers that they don’t know about these marketplaces and resources.

They seem obvious, but let me tell you—they’re not…unless you’re specifically looking for them!

You may also like

Startup building 101

Stop asking your users if they want more

Learn to love the things you can’t avoid

Don’t fear money

Newsletter