I just listened to Lesson 2 in Jeff Walker’s Launch Masterclass, and here’s my step-by-step notes from the training on how to run a Seed Launch.
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If you’ve ever dreamed of launching your own online product but felt stuck with no list, no product, no idea where to start, a Seed Launch is your perfect starting point.
This approach is simple, fast, and proven. It’s how Jeff Walker first taught his Product Launch Formula, and it turned six paying clients into the foundation of an entire business empire.
It’s important to pause here and discuss our core philosophy:
People don’t buy products. They buy better version of themselves.
This is SO IMPORTANT I’d like you to find a PostIt Note or open a new Text document, then write it down and put it somewhere you will see it every day.
We need to remember that people buy better versions of themselves at every stage of creating our product and our offer so we don’t get bogged down by describing the deliverables. People do NOT buy deliverables. They buy that personal transformation.
Our focus must be on how our customers are going to become better versions of themselves because they purchased and used our product.
With that in mind, here’s a step-by-step breakdown you can follow.
Step 1: Build Your Seed Launch List
Every launch starts with an audience. For a Seed Launch, you don’t need thousands of people. Aim for just 100–300 subscribers.
If you already have a list, great. If not, start with social media. Share short content around your topic—tips, mistakes to avoid, quick wins—and offer a simple free resource (a one-page PDF, checklist, or short video). Use a basic opt-in page made with tools like Leadpages or ClickFunnels to capture email addresses.
A small list works better than you think: new subscribers are fresh and engaged, and in a small community people feel closer to you. Both factors drive responsiveness.
Step 2: Use a Simple Sideways Sales Letter
Your pre-launch doesn’t need fancy videos. Keep it simple. Send a few short emails or do a live broadcast, structured around a “sideways sales letter”—a narrative spread out over messages that:
- Highlight a problem or desire.
- Share a few teaching points.
- Lead naturally into your offer.
Think clarity, not complexity. The goal is to get your audience curious and excited.
Step 3: Make Your Offer
Here’s where the magic happens: instead of offering a finished course, you invite people into live group coaching sessions.
Example: if you’re teaching guitar, your message might be:
“Ever since I shared tips online, people have asked for a bootcamp. I’ve decided to run five live, interactive training sessions where I’ll walk you step-by-step through my system for learning guitar from scratch.”
This type of live offer is attractive because:
- It’s interactive.
- It feels personal.
- People know you’ll adapt based on their needs.
Price points vary. Some Seed Launches are priced at $197, others $3,000. The right level depends on your niche and promise. But remember, you only need 5–20 buyers to succeed.
Step 4: Deliver the Program Live
Run your sessions over Zoom or a similar tool. A good rule of thumb is five calls, one for each core topic area.
Before each session, send a short survey to your buyers asking: “What are your biggest questions on this topic?” Their answers become your outline. You don’t have to guess what to teach. They’ll tell you.
This makes the training hyper-relevant. You can also use AI tools like ChatGPT to help structure lessons, but the real gold is in your clients’ feedback.
Step 5: Record and Repurpose Your Seed Launch Content
Zoom and other platforms automatically record your sessions. By the end, you’ll have:
- Video recordings
- Audio recordings
- Written transcripts (easily created with transcription tools)
From just five hours of live calls, you’ll often end up with 60–90 pages of written material. With light editing, that’s your finished product. You can now sell it as a self-study course, bonus package, or the foundation of your next launch.
Step 6: Leverage the Results
The Seed Launch doesn’t aim to make you rich immediately. The first goal is validation. Proving people will pay for your idea. But you also walk away with:
- Paying clients
- A complete product
- Testimonials and success stories
- A responsive email list
- Confidence that your idea works
That’s a powerful foundation to scale into bigger launches.
The Secret Ingredient
Yes, you can use AI to speed up content creation, but the true power of a Seed Launch is the human interaction. The questions, struggles, and stories from your first buyers will shape a product far better than anything you could create in isolation.
Start small. Deliver live. Record everything. The Seed Launch will help you break free from perfectionism and finally get your product out into the world.
In Lesson 2 of Jeff Walker’s Launch Masterclass, he goes into much more detail on how to run your Seed Launch, including the exact AI prompts you can use to get ChatGPT to do most of the work for you.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Warm regards,
Rocky Tapscott