The Uninspiring Launch That Inspired Me - Where Bigger Than Pain really begins.
Something starts the gnaw at me - just beyond my ability to grasp it until it finally clicks. What people really need is ongoing guidance & personalisation. Still im pretty gutted about my launch. Maybe there wasn’t signal within the noise. I felt like I’d built this gigantic “cathedral” and forgotten to add a bloody front door. Maybe I should park this whole thing. But I couldn’t unsee what the real problem was…
March 2025. Im racing against time. Fully aware that with a twin pregnancy the risks are higher. They can arrive early, there can be complications. Thankfully so far so good. I use these potential early arrival and complications as motivation to keep moving.
The course content gets finished. FINALLY.
I plan an email sequence. Pick my announcement date and share the video. Its pretty well received.
This is it. Bigger Than Pain (new name - so much better) is gonna rock peoples worlds soon.
I start making content to support the launch.
Theres 168 hours in a week. You only get to see your therapist for maybe 1-2 hours a week if you’re lucky. How will you support yourself in the other 160+ hours every week?
Clever piece of content David. This launch is going to BOOM.
At this stage, Ai is everywhere. I simply couldn’t ignore it anymore. Large language models like Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini are popping up all over social media and even clients are talking about it during appointments . I start exploring them too.
I’ve paid for access to a resource that helps me plan out how I would build my own digital world for people with chronic pain. My own little corner of the internet. An intriguing concept and the idea has me hooked.
It mentions that one thing you must do is figure out how to personalise your world for each member. I immediately sit down.
My course. Its like a mini world on its own. Its HUGELY comprehensive.
Evidence based pain education, mindset work, self regulation content, specific mythbusting on every major part of the body, rehab plans…. It’s got the lot.
But. it. Doesn’t. Have. a. Personalised. Pathway. for. each. User.
How do I solve this problem?
I’m chatting with Claude Ai about this. I realise I can get Claude to build a personalisation system.
Assessment via Google form > Scoring logic > content mapping > personalised “start here” email
BINGO.
I get to work and this literally takes me ONE FULL MONTH to do.
I’m working on this every night after my wife goes to bed so that I can have it ready for my new members when the course launches. I complete this TWO NIGHTS before my course launches.
Launch date comes. I film the video, share it on social media and get ready to see email after email about course sign ups. We’re going annual pricing only.
Crickets…..
Then a few sign ups.
Then a few more.
I extend the launch out for a few weeks.
The realisation starts to dawn on me that I’ve announced and launched a monstrously big course with only 10 social media videos, a few emails and 3 weeks notice. Not exactly well planned!
I max it out at 13 sign ups.
I’m flattened if I’m honest.
I’ve built this thing for 3-4 years at this stage. The early, rough-as-a-pebbledash-wall version signed up almost 10X the people.
There’s a lesson here David. We’ll unpack that later.
Feedback starts to roll in. “This is incredible.”
“It makes so much sense and it actually answers fears and worries that I didn’t know I’ve been having”.
“The rehab plans are so good.”
But…
It’s massive.
How do I know what way to work through it all?
There it is again. Guidance. But in a different format. Now it’s crystal clear.
What’s missing here isn’t the content - it’s excellent. I’m confident about that.
I’ve even added guidance in different formats. From done for you rehab plans, to always on DM support.
What’s missing is PERSONALISATION. Thank god I’ve at least made the “Start here” personalisation email.
That was a definite step in the right direction. But it couldn’t solve what happens on a random Tuesday night when your pain flares and your heads gone astray....
Something starts to gnaw at me - just beyond my ability to grasp it until it finally clicks.
What people really need is ongoing guidance & personalisation.
Still im pretty gutted about my launch. Maybe there wasn’t signal within the noise.
I felt like I’d built this gigantic “cathedral” and forgotten to add a bloody front door.
Maybe I should park this whole thing.
But I couldn’t unsee what the real problem was…
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