Hey, y’all,
In this issue we’re talking about the $2 Million Dollar Designer.
How his agency works
Why it works well for him
Why it might work well for you
Why it might not work for you at all
What you should take away from his success
Let’s go…
Let’s talk about Brett from Designjoy, who singlehandedly makes nearly $2 million dollars a year in annual recurring revenue.
No employees, no meetings.
When I explained his business model to my very online rancher friend Jon, he said, “Damn, that’s elegant.” And I agree. It blew me away to think about selling in this way.
Brett sells two things:
His design work as a productized service: a standard package, scalable way of selling a service. (The book E-Myth Revisited explains this concept well.)
An online course about creating your own productized service. The course includes all the details about how to set up the system he uses with his clients to work for you. I took it, it’s great.
As I am writing this, the design service brings in $1.3M annually and the course brings in $540K annually. 🤯
How Designjoy’s subscription works:
Client picks a subscription tier, pays, and is immediately onboarded to a Trello board. They can put in all their requests in the Trello board (with written design brief or link to a video), in order of priority.
Brett works one request at a time, and guarantees turnaround within 48 hours or less. So, you could be a SaaS company with no designer, and a pressing design need and have a design in hand within 48 hours.
The client can then request revisions in the Trello board, and each request is completed within 2 business days. Clients can make unlimited revisions.
Why it works well for him:
Brett designed his system to work for him, in the ways he likes to work. His particular system is super interesting and also not for everyone.
His system is designed to eliminate meetings, bids and proposals, and chasing down payments from clients who haven’t ponied up.
His system also eliminates needy or indecisive clients who need 3 options and 20 rounds of approvals to move on a design.
He is clear about who he helps (SaaS companies and startups).
His offering has a super clear value to his customer. Hiring a senior designer like Brett full-time would be $120K annual salary. With benefits and employee perks, that cost comes closer to $200K a year. $60K for an on-demand designer is a no-brainer when a company doesn’t have that much design work yet.
He is clear about what he does do (product and graphic design) and clear about what he doesn’t do (video and illustration).
Brett is a fast and prolific designer.
It could work for you if:
You provide a service that you’re good at, and all you want to do is that thing.
You want recurring revenue without the fuss.
You are energized by a list of tasks and a quick deadline.
It won’t work for you if:
You don’t thrive under time pressure. This agency model is super interesting and innovative but even the thought of his stacked Trello board makes me want to pull my hair out. The pace seems too intense for someone like me (or maybe you), who needs more space to think and work well.
You want a better work-life balance. I heard in an interview with Brett where he spilled the beans on his initial overdoing it and how his family life suffered. I’m a full-time Mom and homesteader, so this just isn’t a fit for my needs.
What I took away:
Brett’s success inspired me to think in new ways about my offering design. I don’t have to accept a traditional freelancing or contracting model. I can create an offer that is even more streamlined and energizing to me.
I asked myself:
What parts of my services are annoying or draining to me?
What are the parts I am best at? What parts are most valuable on the market?
What is the unique transformation I offer?
What are my strengths that I can double down on and create leverage?
What are my weaknesses that I can eliminate or delegate?
Where are there gaps in the market? Are particular clients underserved? Are there parts of their journey that don’t have a lot of support?
I recommend you actually answer these questions for yourself, in writing. And keep a lookout for more resources to help you sort through designing an offer that works for you and sells itself.
Anywho, I hope that opened your eyes to a new way of thinking about how to make online as a digital creator.
Let me know if you have any topics you want me to cover in the future.
Warmly,
Elise