Business Model Mastery

Launch a Micro-SaaS

Elective — SaaS model. 10 paying subscribers (not trialists, not freemium users) on a self-serve product with documented MRR as proof. Micro-SaaS is defined by solo or tiny-team operation.

3 milestones

1. 1Identify the problem and build in public
2. 2Ship the product — 10 paying customers
3. 3Reach $500 MRR — describe the churn rate and next growth lever

Build a Subscription Business

Elective — subscription model (non-SaaS). 100 active subscribers with documented monthly churn under 5%. Proof: subscriber count, MRR, and churn rate from your billing platform.

3 milestones

1. 1Define the subscription value proposition and pricing model
2. 2Launch and reach 25 paying subscribers with payment evidence
3. 3Month 3 retention — cohort analysis and what it reveals

Build an E-Commerce Store

Elective — e-commerce model. $5,000 in first-month revenue from a public storefront. Shopify / Stripe / WooCommerce dashboard screenshot with order count and revenue is the proof.

3 milestones

1. 1Choose a product and validate demand before building the store
2. 2Launch the store and reach the first 10 paying customers
3. 3Month 2 metrics — repeat customers and unit economics

Launch a Marketplace

Elective — marketplace model. 10 active suppliers and 50 active buyers with documented GMV in the first 30 days. Two-sided liquidity is the proof bar — not just supplier supply.

3 milestones

1. 1Define both sides of the market — solve the cold-start problem on one side
2. 2First transaction — buyer meets seller
3. 310 transactions — describe the take rate and liquidity metric

Launch a Freelance Agency

Elective — services model. 3 paying clients with a documented delivery process — proposal template, scope of work, and invoices. Proof is client contracts, not just revenue.

3 milestones

1. 1Define the service, rate, and first client acquisition plan
2. 2Close the first paid contract
3. 3Reach £3K/month in contracted revenue — delivery and testimonial

Close a Consulting Contract

Elective — consulting model. A single $5,000+ consulting contract with a signed scope of work and documented deliverables. The scoping and close process is what makes this a proof.

3 milestones

1. 1Define the service and identify 10 specific potential clients
2. 2Complete outreach and secure discovery calls with at least 3 prospects
3. 3Close a paid consulting contract — signed agreement and first payment

Build a Content-Led Business

Elective — content-led model. A business where organic content drives revenue: newsletter with paid tier, course, community, or sponsorship. Documented revenue from content (not ads) is the proof.

3 milestones

1. 1Content engine built
2. 210,000 monthly readers
3. 3First attribution sale