First-open instructions
- Choose one live decision: build, keep, kill, price, package, or channel.
- Pick the matching test card.
- Run the action in 20 minutes or less.
- Write a decision receipt before you move on.
The 40 Tests
01
Pain-in-one-sentence test
Use when: If the pain cannot be said in one plain sentence, the offer is not ready for more building.
20-minute action: Write: “This helps [person] when [specific problem] causes [specific cost].” Remove every vague word.
Decision rule: Keep only if a stranger in the target group understands it in 10 seconds.
02
Buyer clock test
Use when: A product with no urgent moment becomes a nice idea, not a purchase.
20-minute action: List the three times a buyer would search for this this month. Pick the strongest one.
Decision rule: Build only for the strongest clock.
03
Manual delivery rehearsal
Use when: Before automating, prove the result can be delivered by hand.
20-minute action: Deliver the promise once using docs, email, or a checklist. Track friction.
Decision rule: Automate after one manual win.
04
Promise shrink test
Use when: Small clear promises beat heroic vague ones.
20-minute action: Cut the promise until it can be completed in one sitting.
Decision rule: Use the smallest version people still value.
05
No-demo sales page test
Use when: A digital download must explain itself without a guided tour.
20-minute action: Show the headline, cover, and bullets to one person for 30 seconds. Ask what they think they get.
Decision rule: Revise if their answer misses the core outcome.
06
Refund reason prewrite
Use when: Imagined refunds reveal hidden overpromises.
20-minute action: Write three fair reasons a buyer might ask for help or a refund.
Decision rule: Fix the listing before launch.
07
Two-word category test
Use when: If the buyer cannot file it mentally, they delay.
20-minute action: Name the category in two words: pricing workbook, lesson planner, repair checklist.
Decision rule: Use the clearest category in the subtitle.
08
Wrong-buyer filter
Use when: Good products repel bad-fit buyers.
20-minute action: Add one “not for you if…” line.
Decision rule: Keep it honest and specific.
09
One-week usage proof
Use when: A product worth keeping creates one repeat use.
20-minute action: Ask: what would the buyer reopen within seven days?
Decision rule: Add a tracker, checklist, or template if nothing exists.
10
Maintenance tax check
Use when: Every product creates future chores.
20-minute action: List update, support, platform, and compatibility chores. Score 1–5.
Decision rule: Kill or simplify if tax exceeds expected signal.
11
Shelf-life scan
Use when: Evergreen beats fragile when solo capacity is tight.
20-minute action: Mark each claim as timeless, seasonal, or volatile.
Decision rule: Remove volatile claims unless citation/update workflow exists.
12
Support drag score
Use when: Support load can erase profit.
20-minute action: Predict the top five support questions.
Decision rule: Package answers into README before launch.
13
Asset reuse ladder
Use when: One product should create reusable assets.
20-minute action: List five derivative assets: post, checklist, email, slide, bundle.
Decision rule: Prioritise products with reusable pieces.
14
Dependency break test
Use when: Products relying on one tool can break overnight.
20-minute action: Ask what happens if the named app changes pricing or UI.
Decision rule: Write tool-agnostic steps where possible.
15
Feature obituary
Use when: If a feature died tomorrow, would buyers care?
20-minute action: Write a one-sentence obituary for the feature.
Decision rule: Delete it if the obituary sounds unimportant.
16
Keep-because audit
Use when: “Because I built it” is not a strategy.
20-minute action: Finish: keep this because it produces ___ evidence.
Decision rule: Archive if the blank is ego, not evidence.
17
Price-floor reality check
Use when: A low price still needs a reason to exist.
20-minute action: Calculate minimum acceptable price from time, support, and platform fees.
Decision rule: Do not sell below the floor for vanity.
18
Three-bundle ladder
Use when: Bundles clarify value tiers.
20-minute action: Create starter, complete, and operator versions on paper.
Decision rule: Ship one tier first; save the ladder for roadmap.
19
Instant value page
Use when: The first page should create relief.
20-minute action: Design page one as a decision, checklist, or script the buyer can use immediately.
Decision rule: Move theory after action.
20
Upgrade trigger note
Use when: Upsells should follow a real moment.
20-minute action: Write: when buyer has ___ problem, offer ___ next product.
Decision rule: Only build if trigger is natural.
21
Cheaper-than-confusion test
Use when: Buyers pay to reduce mental load.
20-minute action: Identify the confusion your product removes.
Decision rule: Make that phrase visible in listing copy.
22
Guarantee wording stress test
Use when: Support promises must be true under pressure.
20-minute action: Read every guarantee as if 100 buyers saw it.
Decision rule: Remove impossible promises.
23
Margin minute
Use when: Tiny offers still need margin discipline.
20-minute action: Estimate five minutes of support per sale. Is profit still okay?
Decision rule: Raise price or reduce support surface.
24
Anchor removal test
Use when: If the comparison disappears, does value remain?
20-minute action: Remove competitor/platform comparisons from the pitch.
Decision rule: If value collapses, rewrite around outcome.
25
Borrowed audience fit
Use when: Not every audience is worth borrowing.
20-minute action: Name one community where the problem is already discussed.
Decision rule: Do not spam; use it only for language research or approved posting.
26
Owned list seed
Use when: An owned channel starts with one useful reason to return.
20-minute action: Write the follow-up email subject a buyer would welcome.
Decision rule: If none exists, product may be too shallow.
27
Seven-message launch skeleton
Use when: Launches need sequence, not noise.
20-minute action: Draft seven plain messages: problem, proof, walkthrough, objection, example, reminder, close.
Decision rule: Use internally until approved for external channels.
28
Search phrase receipt
Use when: Search intent beats clever naming.
20-minute action: Write five buyer search phrases and match one feature to each.
Decision rule: Use plain phrases in title/tags.
29
Creator proof loop
Use when: Creators need proof assets, not only finished files.
20-minute action: Decide what proof you can show: screenshot, excerpt, checklist, before/after.
Decision rule: Include honest proof in gallery.
30
Cold page five-second test
Use when: Cold buyers decide fast.
20-minute action: Look at the product card for five seconds. Then hide it and name the product.
Decision rule: Fix if title or visual is muddy.
31
Partnership fit score
Use when: Partners share products that make them look helpful.
20-minute action: Score: audience fit, trust fit, margin fit, workload fit.
Decision rule: Proceed only above 14/20.
32
No-post launch rehearsal
Use when: A safe rehearsal catches weak assets before external posting.
20-minute action: Prepare the entire listing package without publishing anywhere else.
Decision rule: Use jack.boutique as source of truth.
33
Monday decision lock
Use when: A week with ten priorities has none.
20-minute action: Choose one build/keep/kill decision and write it at top of ledger.
Decision rule: Do not add a second decision until Friday.
34
Signal budget
Use when: Every experiment needs a stopping rule.
20-minute action: Define the signal count: views, clicks, replies, sales, saves.
Decision rule: Stop when budget expires.
35
Asset hourglass
Use when: Start wide, ship narrow.
20-minute action: Brainstorm ten assets, choose one buyer-facing asset and one proof asset.
Decision rule: Discard the rest for now.
36
Friction diary
Use when: Friction is product research.
20-minute action: During work, log every hesitation in one sentence.
Decision rule: Fix top three before polish.
37
Decision receipt
Use when: Future-you needs to know why you decided.
20-minute action: Record date, decision, evidence, rule, next review.
Decision rule: Store it with the product files.
38
Archive with dignity
Use when: Killing an idea is asset recovery.
20-minute action: Extract useful copy, templates, and lessons before hiding the product.
Decision rule: Archive, do not emotionally delete.
39
Review loop
Use when: No product is final after first signal.
20-minute action: Schedule a 14-day review with one question: what did buyers actually do?
Decision rule: Change one thing only.
40
Capacity truth
Use when: Solo capacity is a hard constraint, not a character flaw.
20-minute action: Write available hours for the next week. Cut scope to fit 60%.
Decision rule: Protect delivery over ambition.
Decision receipt template
Date: ____ Decision: ____ Evidence used: ____
Rule triggered: ____
Action by Friday: ____
Review date: ____