How Do I Make People Pay?

Originally written on Nov 28, 2019.

With a good product presented with honesty, you won't need to. People stand in lines to eat great food. They look for days in libraries to read great books. They research for hours to buy great phones. They stand in concerts for hours to listen to great singers. They wait in lines to ask questions when they meet great teachers. It is no secret that people love great products and services. Can they be deceived and manipulated? Yes. Do you have to do that? No.

Work hard. Just make a good product. You can also think of these questions to ensure you are delivering a valuable product -

1. Are you saving anyone's money?

2. Are you increasing their profits?

3. Are you improving their reputation?

4. Are you making their employees happier?

5. Are you making their process faster?

6. Are you making them more productive?

The list is definitely not exhaustive. There are many other ways you can benefit people. In addition, don't focus solely on delivering value. Some things you create unintentionally can also be valuable. Why do people listen to Taylor Swift? Why do they buy paintings? Surprize surprize! People admire a job well done.

Thus, work hard. Make a good product. Don't worry about making people pay you more than you need to stay afloat and continue doing what you do best. Produce your best work.

Background story - I was encouraging a connection on LinkedIn to leave the 9-5 lifestyle and pursue self-employment. He was skillful but he did not know how to make people pay.