The Build videos are up. Here's what's coming, and how to get the most out of it.
Welcome
If this is your first week.
First, welcome. I'm genuinely glad you're here. And if you've never written a line of code in your life, you are in exactly the right room.
Here's the truth: you already have the hard part. Your expertise. My job is to help you turn it into a subscription platform that people pay for, in about 30 days, without code.
How this works: the lessons unlock in phases, in the order that actually works, so you do the right things in the right order. Post your questions. Post your wins, big and small. I'm in here with you, and there's live support when you need it.
Before we go into Week 2
Tell me this.
Why did you decide to join this group? And what are you really looking to gain?
Drop it in the chat right now. I want to hear it, and it helps me help you.
Your first real job
Before you build anything, validate.
The biggest mistake people make is building the thing in their head before checking if anyone wants it.
Validate in 48 hours. From Noah Kagan's Million Dollar Weekend: try to get 3 people to pay or commit before you build.
Dropbox made a simple demo video before the product even existed. Tens of thousands joined a waitlist overnight. Proof first, build second.
Airbnb tested the whole idea by renting out air mattresses in their own apartment before building anything.
If you haven't validated yet, do the 5-Step Validation in Resources first. It's a lunchtime activity, don't camp there.
And you're not doing this alone. I'm in the community with you, and there's live support when you need it.
Week 1 was the setup: your accounts, your workspace, your first live page, your database, and your login. If anything's going to trip you up, it's usually here.
Go to the videos first. Most answers are already in there.
Then the community. Half the time I'll answer you fast, often with a quick video reply, and you're unstuck.
Live support is there too, but save it for the serious stuff. Don't book just to book.
The big idea for Week 2
Build from information, not from your head.
Most people start with a solution they dreamed up and go build it. You're going to start with a problem someone will pay to solve, then build.
Don't build "a platform." Solve one problem, better than anyone, for one specific person.
Sometimes the hard part is naming that problem. So let me show you how I think about it, using my own product.
My example first
ChatifyIT: who am I really up against?
I'm in the link-in-bio world. But look, each player there solves a different problem:
Linktree— "I can only put one link in my bio, but I have a lot to share."
Stan Store— "I want to sell my digital products straight from my bio, no website."
ChatifyIT (me)— "People visit my link and leave. I'm not capturing them, converting them, or talking to them."
My angle: Linktree gives you a link. Stan lets you sell. ChatifyIT does it in a conversation. It's a chatbot, so it captures the person, hands them what they came for right away, and can close the sale on the spot, all while it keeps talking with them. Same lane, but I solve the whole problem, and I solve it big.
One you already know
Even Netflix has competitors.
They're all "streaming," but not one of them solves the exact same problem:
Netflix— "I want to watch what I want, when I want, huge library and originals."
Hulu— "I want to keep up with shows airing on TV right now."
Disney+— "I want family-safe content and all the franchises in one place."
Max— "I want the premium, prestige shows and big movies."
Each one picked a specific problem for a specific person. That's your job too. Find your set, then be sharper than all of them for one person.
Now you
Find your own set.
Who are the main players you're watching? What problem does each of them solve? And what's the one you'll solve better? You're not inventing from thin air, you're finding proven demand and getting sharper.
The videos show you exactly where to look: the marketplaces (TrustMRR and others) where you can see which problems are actually making money.
New tool this week
SkillUI.
Think of it like a GitHub tool you add in as a skill. Once it's in, you point it at any website you love, and it makes a markdown file, a plain-text version of that site's design.
Markdown is just the format AI reads best
It uses way fewer tokens than screenshots, so it's cheaper and cleaner for Claude to build from
You end up building your look from the best parts of a few sites, not copying any one
What's in the Week 2 videos
Here's what's waiting for you.
Decide what you're buildingCompetitors, SkillUI, platform type, your angle, then write a spec and build it.
What great platforms do to keep people coming backThe moves the best platforms use, so you can borrow them.
Brand it and make it legitLogo, favicon, and your legal pages, terms, privacy, cookies.
By the end of this week, you'll have a real platform on your screen, branded and legal.
FAQ
Just getting started? Read these.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Claude is your coding partner. If you can describe what you want in plain words, you can build it.
I'm not techy. Is that a problem?
No. It's not hard, it's new. That's a different thing. Follow one step at a time and it works.
What do I actually have to pay for?
Your Claude subscription. Most of the other tools are free to start.
I don't have my idea yet. What do I do?
Start with the 5-Step Validation in Resources. Don't build until you know the one problem you're solving.
How long until I have something live?
Week 1 gets your first page live on the internet. Most people launch a real platform in about 30 days.
Do I need an audience or an email list already?
No. You start from wherever you are and build your list as you go.
Mac or Windows, does it matter?
Either works. The steps are nearly identical, and Claude handles the differences for you.
What if I get stuck?
Go to the videos first, most answers are there. Then the community, I'll often answer fast with a quick video. Live support is there for the serious stuff, at erinjacques.com/live_support.