How to Pivot When Your Digital Product Falls Flat
3 ways to get valuable feedback when no one responds
Have you ever spent weeks perfecting a dish of Swedish meatballs, only to bring it to a potluck and watch everyone head straight for the store-bought chips and salsa?
That’s exactly how I felt when I launched my first digital product. I’d poured my soul into crafting it, convinced it was exactly what people needed.
But when I finally hit ‘publish,’ it felt like crickets. Just a trickle of views, a few sales, and a whole lot of self-doubt.
I realized I wasn’t alone in this. Every creator goes through it—the initial excitement, the big dreams of impact and sales, followed by the harsh reality of a slow start.
It’s like setting up a lemonade stand in the middle of winter, hoping someone’s still thirsty.
The excitement of the launch
I thought I’d cracked the secret code. I spent weeks diving into data from 18,984 stories written by the top 30 Medium authors. We’re talking over 2.18 million followers, 28 million claps, and 330,000 responses. I built over 30 different views to dissect their success—crazy, right?
But I was determined to figure out what they were doing differently. And I did. I uncovered a simple strategy that I believed could be a game-changer for writers early in their journey, just like myself.
With that in hand, I built a digital product on Gumroad, eager to share my discovery with fellow creators.
I wasn’t just selling data; I was offering them a way to grow their audience, to finally get their voices heard.
I priced it at $0 because I wanted everyone to have access.
I pictured hundreds of writers grabbing it, a flood of downloads, and feedback pouring in. I imagined the messages I’d get from people who’d used my insights to boost their stories and find new readers. I felt like I was about to change the game for a lot of people.
Reality check
But reality has a way of humbling even the best-laid plans. After weeks of anticipation, my product garnered just 55 views and 20 downloads.
Even though I’d priced it at zero, only a handful of people took the leap.
I did earn $12, thanks to a generous tip from a fellow engineer, which was a bright spot—but still, far from the flood of interest I’d imagined.
It’s tough not to feel a sting of disappointment.
I started questioning everything:
Was my product not as valuable as I thought?
Did I misjudge what my fellow creators needed?
I began spiraling, thinking maybe all those hours of work were for nothing. It felt like I’d thrown a party, and only a few friends showed up—supportive, but the room was emptier than I’d hoped. Self-doubt crept in, whispering that maybe I wasn’t cut out for this.
How to gain traction?
One of the biggest challenges for me—and probably for most creators starting out—is the limited audience. When you’re new, the only people who know and trust you are a small circle.
It’s like trying to host a grand opening for a restaurant in a hidden alleyway. No matter how amazing your food is, people must know it exists first.
And even when they do, life is busy. Most people juggle a million things at once, so trying out a new tool might not be their top priority.
I’ve been on the other side, too. I remember launching new Alexa skills back in 2016, pouring days and weeks into development, only to watch them sit unnoticed. It felt like shouting into a void, waiting for anyone to give it a shot. It took over a year to gain any real traction, but then users found my skills, usage grew very fast, and these days I have thousands of unique users every month, and well over 1.8 million sessions served.
With my digital product, it’s been the same story. I know there’s value in what I’ve created, but reaching people and convincing them to take a chance on it is another game altogether. It’s a dilemma every creator faces: you believe in your work, but how do you get others to believe in it, too?
The importance of the feedback loop
I’ve tried everything to get feedback on my product. I added prompts for writers, encouraging them to suggest new authors, and even sent reminder emails.
I contacted a few creators who left comments, hoping they’d share their thoughts. But for the most part, my efforts felt like tossing a message in a bottle into the ocean—rarely getting a response.
I know the product isn’t perfect. It doesn’t tick all the boxes—ease of use, easy installation, and instant insights from your data. Without any actionable feedback, I started to question whether I was even on the right path.
It’s like cooking a dish without ever tasting it or knowing if anyone likes it.
The one thing that did work was having a real conversation with an author, Attila VĂ¡gĂ³. We went back and forth in near real-time on Reddit, and I could offer immediate insights tailored to his specific needs. That dialogue felt like a breakthrough—a chance to see my product in action and understand what was truly helpful.
But without more of these interactions, I still feel like I’m navigating in the dark, unsure if I’m heading in the right direction.
Iteration and growth
Waiting around for new top authors’ data felt like watching paint dry. I have an automated process get the data, but haven’t invested in building a fully automated pipeline yet, as I’m not sure how much value that would add.
So, I switched gears and started working on Chrome extensions that let writers download their data directly into a CSV file. That way, they could dive into their numbers whenever they wanted, without the delay.
And guess what? These plugins took off!
It turns out I wasn’t the only one frustrated with Medium’s Analytics. Writers wanted to see their data in a clearer, more usable format.
Digital innovators, like
even started uploading it to ChatGPT for deeper analysis.
Once again,
opened my eyes. I realized there’s a growing demand for better tools to understand engagement and growth.So now, I’m diving into a new area: researching a personalized AI coach that can analyze your story titles, topics, engagement metrics, and publications, and then offer actionable suggestions on how to improve.
Imagine having a personal writing coach who not only knows all your existing work but can also pinpoint areas where you can grow.
To test this idea I uploaded my own CSV data file to ChatGPT along with the following simple prompt:
Analyze the attached data and focus on top three proposals to gain rapid increase of new readers and make money?
ChatGPT ran an analysis on the CSV file. It created a Python script to extract relevant details for the next analysis step:
ChatGPT used the data to calculate engagement insights, publication impact, and my top performing stories. Then it spit out the requested three proposals:
How did ChatGPT figure all this out from the CSV file that contains the data from my stories?
I can see how this could be useful for new creators, like myself. This is not some generic advice, but very specific ideas based on the Medium metrics data I uploaded.
Also, it is pretty remarkable that it closely resembles the ideas that I came up all by myself - see the lesson learned section of this story.
Lessons Learned
If I could give advice to a friend in the same situation, it’d be this: Don’t be afraid to pivot. Listen to what your users are struggling with and find creative ways to solve those problems.
And above all, stay curious. What seems like a small tweak could turn into your next big breakthrough.
Finding your tribe - building a support network
I’ve come to realize that community is the lifeline of any creative journey. Connecting with others—whether it’s top authors, fellow creators, or supportive friends—has been crucial in keeping me motivated and on track.
I didn’t just analyze stories and metrics from top authors; I reached out to them, too.
I asked questions in Substack Notes and Chats, and people like Michael Lim responded with valuable insights about my offerings—what resonated, what was missing.
Those conversations were eye-opening. They reminded me that I’m not creating in a vacuum; there’s a whole community out there, willing to share their wisdom and experiences.
These connections have fueled my drive to keep pushing forward. Whenever I’ve felt stuck or uncertain, reaching out to others has helped me see new perspectives and find solutions I hadn’t considered.
It’s also shown me the value of sharing my own journey, the highs and lows alike. Because when you’re open about your process, you’re not just building a product—you’re building relationships.
And that, I’ve learned, is where true growth happens.
Final Thoughts
So here we are at the end of this journey of ups and downs. If there’s one thing I want you to take away, it’s this: don’t give up on your dreams, no matter how many road bumps you encounter. Every success story you admire starts with a dream and is built through countless small steps.
Remember, the growth path is rarely a straight line. It’s full of twists, turns, and unexpected detours. But each stumble brings you closer to the clarity and understanding you need to move forward.
Embrace the challenges—they shape you into the creator you are meant to be.
So, keep creating, keep reaching out, and keep learning. The world needs your voice and your unique perspective. Take that next small step today, and trust that you’re on the journey toward something remarkable
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Great article! As a non-techie, it's a bit overwhelming for me, but I love how insightful both AI and conversations with others can be in helping us figure out what's missing in our content when it comes to it resonating with others.
As someone new to putting their work out for the world, your article was fascinating in the most terrifying way. Hopefully one day I can come back to read this and understand the other 2/3rds!
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