Hey Reader,

Before we jump into this week's topic, could you do me a huge favor? A few weeks ago, I mentioned the new podcast I am co-hosting. I would be so appreciative if you could leave a 5-star rating on Spotify and/or Apple Podcasts. It helps us get more visibility for the podcast and therefore help more entrepreneurs like you. Thank you in advance!

• ​Rate & review on Apple Podcasts​
• ​Rate on Spotify​

If you do decide to leave a rating and/or review, please hit 'reply' and let me know so I can thank you, because I truly do appreciate it.

Ok, now let's get into it...

I've seen a lot of talented people start businesses, and I've unfortunately seen a lot of talented people not make it far in business.

One of the most common reasons is because of a lack of patience. I've written about that a lot, so today I want to focus on another very common reason...because what they're selling sucks.

The truth is, in the rush to try and make money, a lot of entrepreneurs go right to focusing on marketing, sales, and branding.

Don't get me wrong, these are all important elements, but there’s one fundamental truth that too many people overlook when it comes to building a successful business: Your product has to be good.

It sounds obvious, right? But you’d be surprised how many entrepreneurs jump into business without truly testing their product. They spend months (or years) crafting the perfect marketing strategy, building an audience, and piecing together strong sales funnels, only to realize that their customers aren’t sticking around.

Having a quality product or service isn’t just important—it’s everything when it comes to long-term success.

Short-Term Success vs. Long-Term Sustainability

Let’s be real: if you’re great at sales, you can make money selling just about anything—even a crappy product. Plenty of businesses thrive in the short term simply because they have strong marketing, compelling content, or aggressive sales strategies. But here’s the problem: bad products don’t create repeat customers.

Marketing might get people in the door, to your website, or even to purchase, but it’s product quality that keeps them coming back. If what you’re selling doesn’t truly deliver value, people will eventually stop buying. And in today’s world, where online reviews and word-of-mouth spread like wildfire, you can’t afford to sell something that doesn’t live up to its promise.

I once heard someone say, "You can trick someone into buying once, but you can’t trick them into buying again."

So, how do you make sure your product is actually worth selling?

You test it.

Business isn’t built in a vacuum. You might think you have the perfect offer, but until real customers use it and give feedback, you’re just guessing.

✅ Put it in front of real people. Let them use it, engage with it, and tell you what works (and what doesn’t).
✅ Listen to feedback. Don’t take criticism personally. Use it to improve.
✅ Make adjustments. If your product isn’t delivering results, tweak it. Refinement is part of the process.

A great product isn’t just about having the right features; it’s about solving a real problem and providing clear value to the customer.

Marketing Matters—But It’s Not the Foundation

Branding, storytelling, email marketing, and content creation are all powerful tools for growth. But they can’t make up for a weak product.

Think of it like this: marketing is the vehicle that gets people to your store, but if what’s inside isn’t worth buying, they’ll leave and never return.

Long-term success starts with making sure your product is something people actually want—and want to tell others about.

Build for the Long Term

The goal isn’t just to sell something. Our goal should be to build a business that lasts.

This means:

✅ Prioritizing product quality before pouring money into ads or content marketing.
✅ Gathering feedback and making improvements based on real customer experiences.
✅ Creating something that delivers value beyond the first purchase.

When you do this, your customers become your best marketers. Word-of-mouth, organic referrals, and repeat buyers will fuel your business in ways that no social media following, viral video, email newsletter, or ad campaign can.

The Bottom Line

If you’re launching or growing a business, ask yourself: Will my product actually bring true value to people?

If the answer is “I think so,” it’s time to test, tweak, and refine until you know it is. Because in the end, the most sustainable business strategy isn’t better marketing—it’s better products.

​

So, have you tested your product with real users yet? What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from feedback? I'd love to know. Hit 'reply' and let me know.

I hope this helps

~ Jeff

*Keep scrolling for I’m listening to, links to check out, and a content creation idea! I appreciate you. Jeff Gargas COO / Co-Founder, Teach Better Team ​​​​​ P.S. When you're ready, here's how I can help: 🤝 Need accountability and 1-on-1 coaching? Let's connect and see if there's a fit. Click here to book a free 30-minute call.​ 💚 Looking for support, collaboration, and exclusive resources? Join the EDUcreator Club+ Community. Click here to save with special Founder's pricing.​

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🎧 What I'm listening to:

• ​Smart Passive Income #855: A Framework to Save you From Failing at Business​

⚡️Things to Check Out

📸 Instagram Link in Bio Examples on How to Drive Traffic & Sales in 2025

• Instagram gives all users a way to add a clickable link to their profile via their Instagram bio.
• Or, as The Atlantic refers to it, “one of the most coveted pieces of real estate on Instagram.”
• But did you know you can turn this single link into a home for all your important links?
• Enter: Instagram link in bio tools.
• 👉 Read the article here.​

🤖 Investigating Chat GPT: Insights from 80 Million Clickstream Records

• A recent Statista and Semrush .Trends report indicates that the generative AI market was valued at $67 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow annually by 24.4% through 2030.
• This growth is making waves in the search engine sector, where platforms like ChatGPT enable more conversational and context-aware search experiences.
• Though traditional search engines like Google still receive the bulk of search traffic, ChatGPT introduces a fresh approach to searching for information.
• 👉 Read the article here.​

👀 Death Of The Keyword: Why Aggregate Organic Traffic Is A Better Metric

• Since January 20, Google has required JavaScript for Search.
• Now, with JavaScript as a hard requirement, rank tracking needs more RAM, which increases the cost of every data point.
• The result is that the cost of doing SEO is rising.
• But rank tracking lost its value long before Google switched to JavaScript crawling.
• 👉 Read the article.​

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The EDUcreator Club+ Membership gives you access to a community of educators who create content, products, and services to help others increase their impact. The EDUcreator Club+ Membership was built to provide a space for learning, growing, and supporting each other.

Creating & building can get lonely sometimes. Don't do it alone.

What's included:

• Private Community: An active community with hundreds of posts and conversations where educators come together to request feedback, collaborate on new ideas, and support each other as we all work to create and share content that provides value to others.
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💡CONTENT CREATION IDEA

Flipping the Script

Sometimes, the best content ideas come from challenging common beliefs in your niche. Instead of sharing the usual advice, try flipping the script and offering a fresh perspective.

Ask yourself:

• What’s a popular piece of advice in my niche that I don’t fully agree with?
• Is there a “rule” people follow that I think holds them back?
• What’s something people overcomplicate that could actually be simple?
• Have I ever succeeded by doing the opposite of what’s considered “best practice”?

For example:​
❌ "You need a huge audience to make money online."
✅ Flip it: "You only need a highly engaged audience, even if it’s small."

❌ "You should be on every social media platform."
✅ Flip it: "Pick one or two platforms and go all in."

This kind of content grabs attention, sparks conversation, and positions you as someone with unique insights.

ENJOYING THIS NEWSLETTER?

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(click the answer that best fits)

• ​The stories and ideas you share in each.​
• ​What you're listening to.​
• ​Things to Check Out​
• ​Content Creation Ideas​

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