MIKE'S $15K LAUNCH: CREATING AND SELLING HIS FIRST DIGITAL COURSE
$15.2K
Launch Revenue
152
Students
6 Weeks
Creation Time
Mike was a project manager who had built a following sharing productivity tips on Instagram and his newsletter. He always wanted to create a course but thought he needed professional video equipment, a huge audience, and months of preparation. Turns out he needed none of that.
THE TIMELINE
Validation
Mike surveyed his 2,400 email subscribers and 8K Instagram followers. Asked what they struggled with most. 67% said 'creating a repeatable productivity system.' He pre-sold the course to 30 people at $49 (early bird) before creating a single module.
Course Creation
Created 6 modules with 24 video lessons using Loom (screen recordings) and his iPhone (talking head). Total recording time: 4.5 hours. Added worksheets, templates, and a private community as bonuses. Hosted on Teachable.
Pre-Launch
Ran a 5-day free email challenge ('5 Days to a Productive System') that attracted 800 new subscribers. Shared daily content on Instagram stories showing behind-the-scenes of course creation. Built a waitlist of 450 people.
Launch Week
Opened cart for 7 days. Priced at $149 with an early-bird $99 for first 48 hours. Sent 5 launch emails, went live on Instagram twice, posted daily testimonials from beta students. Result: 152 sales, $15,200 in revenue.
Evergreen
Converted to evergreen funnel with a webinar. Averages 20-30 sales/month at $149. Monthly revenue settled at $3,000-4,500 on autopilot. Added an upsell coaching tier at $499 (5 students/month).
KEY NUMBERS
$15,200
Launch Revenue
152
Launch Sales
3,200
Email List Size
$149
Course Price
$3-4.5K
Monthly Evergreen
6 Weeks
Time to Create
LAUNCH REVENUE BREAKDOWN
| Source | Sales | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Early Bird ($99) | 58 | $5,742 |
| Full Price ($149) | 94 | $9,458 |
| Total Launch | 152 | $15,200 |
LAUNCH EMAIL SEQUENCE
"It's here: The Productivity Blueprint"
Announcement + early bird pricing
"What Sarah achieved in just 2 weeks"
Social proof / testimonial
"The 3 systems inside the course"
Curriculum breakdown + value
"FAQ: Your questions answered"
Objection handling
"Last chance: Cart closes tonight"
Urgency / final call
TOTAL COSTS
LESSONS LEARNED
- +Pre-selling before creating saved weeks of wasted effort and validated real demand
- +The free email challenge was the biggest growth lever — 800 new subscribers in 5 days
- +Video quality matters less than content quality. iPhone + good audio is enough
- +Testimonials from beta students were the #1 conversion driver during launch week
- +An evergreen webinar funnel generates consistent revenue without repeated launches