What Is “The Product Launch Formula”?
Product Launch Formula is a course by Jeff Walker which teaches you how to sell anything online using a launch formula. The course is applicable to any business, although it really only works best with ecommerce products or courses. Walker teaches you how to get a business off the ground with a strong launch. Part of this includes building hype, creating momentum, and even utilizing controversy to your advantage. Ultimately, the course shows you many ways to create a content blitz before you even open up shop.
Who Is Jeff Walker?
Jeff Walker was one of the pioneers of online business. He started in 1996, and kept experimenting and readjusting his “formula” in order to generate a successful product launch. He started out by creating an email newsletter based around stocks. From there, he leveraged his email list of 200 into various offers. He started many different online businesses, some were successful, but most weren’t. However, through it all he learned that his true talent was in product launches, and not within the product themselves. Today, Jeff has worked closely with million dollar brands solely for the purposes of launching new collections or products.
How Much Does The Product Launch Formula Cost?
Product Launch Formula practices what it preaches, because it only opens up once a year.
Yup, you read that right. Jeff Walker proves he knows how to build hype because he only sells the formula for a couple of weeks each year. If you are interested, you have to be put on a “waiting list” until it re-opens. It’s misleading because there’s not actually a limited amount of slots, it’s just one of the few illusions Walker casts to create demand for the course.
Interestingly enough, it works. Walker has reportedly made $30 million from Product Launch Formula, and he shows no sign of stopping. The course costs $997, and because of its annual launch schedule, there’s never any price reductions or sales. It comes with bonus courses that delves into specific aspects of a product launch, such as:
- Picking your niche
- Book selection
- Case studies
- Product creation
- Swipe files
- JV partnerships
What Does The Product Launch Formula Cover?
Overview
The course is divided by topic, as each module will focus on one specific aspect of a product launch. It’s meant to be taken step by step, teaching you the basic understandings of a product launch before diving into the more advanced aspect of it. The course comes with a vast amount of content. The bulk of the course contains the following modules. Each of these are just short descriptions, as each module contains hours of videos and detail.
- Quick Start Guide- Basic tutorial on the products, how to view them, and what the course will cover. There’s not that much information and is overall quite skippable.
- Fundamentals #1- Before you even begin to launch, Walker shows you how to get yourself into the right mindset, along with the basic principles and tools a launch requires.
- Fundamentals #2- This is a basic overview of a product launch. Walker takes a step back and shows you a map of your launch in order to help you visualize the bigger picture.
- Pre-Launch Sequence #1- Develop research before you start your launch as Walker guides you through utilizing surveys, interactions and the “Testimonial Cruncher”.
- Pre-Launch Sequence #2- Build anticipation for your launch by using “The Objection Crusher”, various marketing methods, and then transition that into the launch.
- Launch Sequence- Jeff explains the “Tsunami Moment” of a launch, where the hype begins to build itself. This is the main goal of any launch, and Walker shows you how to use social proof, scarcity, “The Consumption Video” and deadlines to achieve this.
Launch Strategies
From there, Walker lets you decide which type of launch strategy you want to take. He breaks it down into four different types of launches:
- The Quick Launch- This is for anyone who already has a product, such as a clothing line, that’s just releasing a new batch of products or content. Walker teaches you how to compress the formula into a four day process.
- The Underground Launch- This launch takes more time, but makes your launch cheaper and possibly bigger. The underground launch teaches you how to utilize blogging, social proof, and scarcity to create a launch free of expensive advertisements.
- Compressed Launch- Three different “compressed” launches, as each teaches you how to save time and money but shortening the process. Similar to the “quick launch”, the compressed launch also teaches you how to re-launch any product after the fact.
- Joint Venture Launches- This launch is a little specific, as it’s geared towards anyone who’s launching alongside another brand or company. The joint venture launch teaches you how to use a partnership to your advantage, different challenges and obstacles, and even how to launch without a product.
Interviews
After learning the launch formula, Walker provides many interviews with different business owners. Each person has a different story, obstacle, product, and brand, as a means to show you how to apply the launch formula into your own business. Launch Formula contains interviews with:
- John Reese- Reese was able to pull off a successful launch by strategically leaking information in order to build anticipation without having to ever purchase an ad. Reese talks about misconceptions, building your “story”, and using launches as a long term marketing solution. Your main goal is to get “rabid customers”, or people that will consume anything you throw at them, customers who want information leaked. IN order to get those, you have to give away content, compress the launch cycle, and constantly be testing and tracking your giveaway.
- Jim Edwards- By sticking to hard deadlines and time frames, Edwards was able to pull off a very successful launch for his brand. Edwards explains the importance of pre-announcement strategies, quantity countdowns, and even restructuring your price points. Jim is a “stick to the books” type of guy, and he shows you how that mentality can result in direct success.
- Jason Potash- Jason really emphasises two points: partnerships and security. During the interview, Potash explains how to kickstart your partners, and also how to address their concerns. Potash is one of the few that address the details of a partnership with a launch. Additionally, he also talks about how controversy, deceptive scarcity, and fake testimonials can hurt your brand and your launch.
- Mike Long- Mike focuses on smaller niches, and explains how niches that are more specific can actually be better for sales. He talks about using product launch strategies designed for small niches, selling a “continuity service”, building your email list. From there, he goes off to various points like utilizing ebay or implicit/explicit marketing, but all of what he says can definitely help anyone looking to grow.
- David Frey- A close look on how Frey took a standard product into an existing product with massive amounts of success.
Workbooks
The course comes with two workbooks:
- Volume 1
- Product launch planner
- JV partner planner
- Fulfillment planner
- Merchant account strategies
- Checklists
- Mind Maps
- Resources
- Swipe Files
- Volume 2
- Interview transcripts for John Reese, Jim Edwards, Jason Potash, Mike Long, and David Frey
- Additional support material
The Launch Formula’s Course Quality
Jeff Walker teaches with pleasant design quality. It’s filmed with him in front of a whiteboard, in which he frequently writes on as he teaches. Think of it like a teacher giving a lecture, only instead of it being boring, Walker’s enthusiasm and explanations make it enjoyable. Jeff is engaging and teaches in a way that will captivate you.
The bonuses can vary. Some of them are nice quality, others are just a powerpoint presentation with shaky audio on top of it. None of it is so bad that it stalls and learning, but it does feel like something made years ago.
Does Jeff Walker Deliver?
Jeff absolutely delivers on his course. He teaches you everything to do with product launches, and even covers areas that no other course does. It’s a lot of details to little parts, like strategically leaking information or utilizing controversy. You won’t feel like he’s holding out on information or purposely leaving some out for a separate course.
He also includes lots of resources. From interview transcripts to email templates, Walker provides a wide array of resources in order for you to succeed. The templates are extensive, and shows you an in-depth look at how to use a string of emails together. The workbook is useful, and all of his inclusions feel like they’re part of the course, not slapped on top of it.
Who Is The Launch Formula Best For?
The course is best for anyone who has business and technical experience. Let me explain…
Product Launch Formula teaches you anything and everything about making a successful launch. However, it leaves out many sides of a launch that you need to succeed, such as:
- Email marketing software
- Inventory management
- PPC Ads
- Social media marketing
- Shopify / web development
- Dropshipping
- Outsourcing
- Financial management
- Video editing
- Graphic design
The list goes on. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. Many courses are a jack of all trades, but a master of none. They leave out important details as a result of general coverage for another topic. One of the best things about Launch Formula is that it doesn’t deviate from its objective. It teaches you one thing: product launches. And it does a fine job of that.
Is Walker’s Course Worth The Money?
This answer all depends on you. If you have no product, no business experience, this course may not be right for you. Product launching is a specific and advanced part of business. Do not try to pull off a large product launch if you do not have the skills to handle the business you get. And, more importantly, do not do a launch if you do not have a product or business set up. $997 is a lot of money, and in terms of startup funding, can be vital to any new business. You’re better off spending that money on a more beginner-oriented course than Product Launch Formula.
Now, let’s say you have an apparel line that you started and it’s doing okay. Not too many sales, but enough to show that your business works. If you have a business already and have validated it, this course is worth the money. It is pricey, and there’s no getting around that. However, Walker teaches you how to position your product in a way that will generate well over $1,000 if you do it right.
The Launch Formula Alternatives
Product launches are a very specific part of business. The amount of good launching courses are very limited. However, here are a few viable solutions:
- Product Launch Success (Udemy)- If you have a good idea what you’re doing, this is a good alternative. The course provides good information, but it doesn’t delve into nearly any of the detail Walker does. If you just need a basic course to show you the outline of a launch, this course is a good option.
- Launch (Jeff Walker)- The only other thing that can teach you a launch like Jeff Walker is, well, Jeff Walker. He wrote Launch as a mini overview of Product Launch Formula. It’s relatively cheap, as all you have to pay is shipping. Now, he only uses the book as a way to leverage his course, but for the price it does contain a good amount of information. At least with this, you’re able to see if what Walker writes is something you’re interested in before you buy the course.
That’s pretty much it. There’s barely any courses that cover product launches exclusively, and none that cover it to the extent that Walker does.
Our Final Verdict
Jeff Walker produces an extensive and immersive course that cannot be replicated elsewhere. It does carry a heavy price, but Walker does deliver on this. He teaches advanced strategies and details not found in any other course. This course covers a very important aspect of online business, but it’s advised that you only take it if you have a validated business that you can implement these strategies to. Overall, The Product Launch Formula is filled with valuable content that will surely improve your next product launch.
Pros
- Very comprehensible- Walker explains everything thoroughly and speaks in a way that makes you listen.
- Extensive Detail- The Product Launch formula proves to be an advanced course.
- Sole Focus- The course focuses only on product launch, and doesn’t spread itself thin.
- Universally Applicable- The information can be used to a wide array of industries.
Cons
- Expensive- The course charges $997, and never goes on sale.
- Inconvenient- The annual exclusive launch makes it unnecessarily difficult for people to buy.
- Weak Bonuses- The bonuses seem as though they should be part of the course itself. Walker doesn’t include any other eye-catching bonuses.
