What I Would Do in My First Week if I Started Over With Nothing

Last year someone asked me a question that actually made me sit down and think: "If everything disappeared tomorrow — your email list, your products, your audience — what would you do in the first seven days?"

I've been in this space long enough that I actually know the answer now. I didn't three years ago.

Here's what I'd do. Specific, tactical, day by day.

Day 1: Pick the One Thing

I'd spend day one — not a week, not a month, one day — identifying the specific intersection of: who I'm helping, what problem they have, and what I know that helps them solve it.

I'd search Reddit and Quora for repeating questions in two or three topic areas I know. I'd look for posts where someone says "I've tried X but still struggling with Y" — because that format tells me both the problem and the existing solution gap.

By end of day 1, I'd have a specific niche (one sentence: "I help [specific person] solve [specific problem]") and a rough idea of what my first product would be.

I wouldn't second-guess this choice for longer than one day. Done is better than perfect-in-theory.

Day 2: Build the Product

Not perfectly. Fast.

A 20–30 page PDF guide, a template pack, a checklist collection — something that takes two to eight hours to build and directly solves the problem I identified on day 1.

My tools: Google Docs for writing, Canva for making it look professional enough. Both free.

I'd price it between $27 and $47. Not lower — underpricing creates a perception problem. Not higher — I haven't proven the market yet.

By end of day 2: I have a product file ready.

Day 3: Set Up the Storefront

I'd create a MadeThis account and set up my storefront. The reason I'd go here first: it's the fastest path from "I have a product file" to "people can buy this." No transaction fees, clean checkout, handles file delivery automatically.

My storefront tasks on day 3:

• Upload the product
• Write the product description (problem → solution → what's included → who it's for)
• Set the price
• Publish

That's it. The storefront is live by end of day 3.

I'd also set up a free email account (Mailchimp or ConvertKit, both have free tiers) and connect it to MadeThis so every buyer automatically gets added to a list.

Day 4: Create the Lead Magnet

A lead magnet is a free version of what I'm selling — something useful enough that the right person would give me their email address for it.

On day 4, I'd create a stripped-down version: one template from the pack, or the first section of the guide. Fast to make, directly related to the paid product.

I'd create a simple opt-in page using whatever MadeThis gives me (or a Google Form if needed). Link the lead magnet file. Done.

Day 5: Set Up the Email Welcome Sequence

Three emails, sent over five days after someone opts in:

1. Welcome + deliver the lead magnet
2. My story — who I am, why I built this, what problem I've personally solved
3. The paid product introduction — not a hard sell, just "I built something for people who want to go deeper — here's the link"

Three emails is enough for day one. I'd improve this later.

Day 6: Publish the First Piece of Content

I'd pick one channel — probably Pinterest or Reddit/Quora for a complete beginner — and publish the first piece of content that links to my lead magnet.

On Pinterest, that's a Canva-designed pin about the problem I solve. On Reddit/Quora, that's a genuinely helpful answer to a question someone asked, with my lead magnet link at the bottom.

One piece of content. Good quality. One channel.

Day 7: Do It Again

Same channel. Another piece of content. Another helpful answer.

The work in week one isn't going to generate revenue. It's going to generate the foundation that generates revenue in month two and three. The sooner you accept that the beginning is slow, the less likely you are to quit when day 14 looks exactly like day 7.

What I Would Not Do in the First Week

I wouldn't spend money on ads. You don't have a proven product yet.

I wouldn't build a website from scratch. MadeThis handles the storefront. A website adds complexity and time with zero upside at week one.

I wouldn't spend three days picking the perfect niche. One day, done, move on.

I wouldn't wait until the product is "ready." The first product is always imperfect. It will get better. Ship it.

I've covered the longer path in my 90-day roadmap from $0 to $1,000. And if you're worried about whether this is actually possible starting with nothing, this post is a direct answer to that question.

The Honest Note at the End

The reason most people don't do any of this isn't lack of knowledge. It's the gap between reading about it and actually doing it.

If you're going to do one thing after reading this, do it today: create a MadeThis account, decide what you're selling, and upload the product. Even if it's rough. Even if you're not sure.

That one action separates the people who eventually build something from the people who stay in research mode indefinitely.

Day 1 starts today.