Side Project Launch Playbook
Most side projects die before they make a single dollar.
The problem is not your idea or your ability to build - it is that nobody taught you the order of operations.
This is not a list of startup advice you have already read on Medium.
This is a step-by-step field guide with every template, script, pricing formula, and checklist you need to go from idea to paying customers in 60 days.
What You Get
The 48-Hour Validation Sprint
A two-day process for confirming whether people will actually pay for your idea before you write any code. Includes the exact DM script to send to strangers and the five questions to ask in a customer conversation that tell you whether to build or move on.
The 60-Day Build Timeline
A week-by-week schedule for building your MVP part-time at 10-15 hours per week. Covers what to build in each phase, when to integrate payments (earlier than you think), and how to run a beta test that gives you useful feedback instead of polite encouragement.
The Idea Scoring Matrix
A five-dimension scoring system that lets you compare ideas objectively and cut the ones not worth your time. Score your idea in 10 minutes and know whether to pursue it or drop it.
The $500 Budget Allocation Table
A line-by-line breakdown of where to spend your money and what to skip entirely until you have revenue. Most MVPs cost under $170 to launch using this allocation.
The 6-Section Landing Page Formula
The exact structure for a landing page that converts, including a headline format you fill in with your product details. No design skills required - this works on Carrd, Framer, or a plain HTML page.
The Pitch Deck Template (10 Slides)
A slide-by-slide breakdown for pitching to accelerators or angel investors, including what goes on each slide and what the slide is supposed to accomplish. Includes the bottom-up market size math that investors actually find credible.
Milestone Checklists for Every Phase
Four checklists covering pre-build, build, pre-launch, and the first 30 days post-launch. Never wonder what you should be doing next.
The Onboarding Email Sequence
Three fill-in-the-blank emails to send in your customer's first week. These emails are the difference between customers who stick around and customers who sign up and disappear.
The Conversion Audit Framework
If your launch gets traffic but no sales, this diagnostic tells you exactly where the breakdown is and what to fix first. Covers every failure point from headline to checkout to churn.
The 90-Day Revenue Goal Framework
A table that maps your pricing to the customer count you need to hit $500, $1,000, $3,000, or $10,000. Work backwards from your goal to know exactly what you are aiming for.
Why This Pays for Itself
- Avoiding one failed 6-month build saves you roughly 200 hours of wasted evenings - the validation sprint alone is worth the price
- You get the customer interview script and DM templates that experienced indie hackers spent years learning through failure
- The conversion audit eliminates the guesswork of "why is nobody buying" - a question that has killed more side projects than bad code ever has
Perfect For
- Freelance developers who want to generate income outside of client work
- Indie hackers who have shipped products before but never got past the first 10 customers
- Side-hustlers with strong technical skills who keep getting stuck at the "how do I sell this" stage
- Anyone who has had an idea for 6 months and has not started because they do not know where to begin
What's Included
- Instant digital download
- PDF and Markdown formats
- Lifetime access - yours to keep
- Works with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and any other AI model