What do you think?
Rate this book
Launch: An Internet Millionaire's Secret Formula to Sell Almost Anything Online, Build a Business You Love, and Live the Life of Your Dreams
Launch will build your business fast. Whether you've already got a business or you're itching to start one, this is a recipe for getting more traction.
Think about it: what if you could launch like Apple or the big Hollywood studios? What if your prospects eagerly counted down the days until they could buy your product? What if you could create such powerful positioning in your market that you all but eliminated your competition? And you could do all that no matter how humble your business or budget?
Since 1996 Jeff Walker has been creating hugely successful online launches. After bootstrapping his first Internet business from his basement, he quickly developed an underground process for launching new products and businesses with unprecedented success.
But the success-train was just getting started; once he started teaching his formula to other entrepreneurs, the results were simply breathtaking. Tiny, home-based businesses started doing launches that sold tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions of dollars in sales with their launches.
Launch is the treasure map into that world; an almost secret world of digital entrepreneurs who create cash-on-demand paydays with their product launches and business launches.
Whether you have an existing business, or you have a service-based business and want to develop your own products so you can leverage your time and your impact, or you're still in the planning phase, this is how you start fast. This formula is how you engineer massive success.
Now the question is this : are you going to start slow, and fade away from there? Or are you ready for a launch that will change the future of your business and your life?
Think about it: what if you could launch like Apple or the big Hollywood studios? What if your prospects eagerly counted down the days until they could buy your product? What if you could create such powerful positioning in your market that you all but eliminated your competition? And you could do all that no matter how humble your business or budget?
Since 1996 Jeff Walker has been creating hugely successful online launches. After bootstrapping his first Internet business from his basement, he quickly developed an underground process for launching new products and businesses with unprecedented success.
But the success-train was just getting started; once he started teaching his formula to other entrepreneurs, the results were simply breathtaking. Tiny, home-based businesses started doing launches that sold tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions of dollars in sales with their launches.
Launch is the treasure map into that world; an almost secret world of digital entrepreneurs who create cash-on-demand paydays with their product launches and business launches.
Whether you have an existing business, or you have a service-based business and want to develop your own products so you can leverage your time and your impact, or you're still in the planning phase, this is how you start fast. This formula is how you engineer massive success.
Now the question is this : are you going to start slow, and fade away from there? Or are you ready for a launch that will change the future of your business and your life?
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2014
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews
July 22, 2014
Hype or Real?
If you’re hoping to become an instant millionaire, you’re in for a rude awakening. You’re not going to become rich just by reading this book.
The Proof is in the Pudding
Okay, the book title tantalized and teased...so I bought Launch a few days before its release. Jeff Walker had already turned on his Internet marketing machinery long before the book was on the shelf. It started to drive sales using the methods he teaches. The fact that it climbed to the #1 spot in The NY Times Bestselling List within the first couple of weeks did not surprise me.
What did I learn?
For starters, there’s no shortcut to success. You have to work smart and work hard to succeed. Jeff Walker shows you how to promote your product, but you still have to get down in the trenches. And speaking of product, you need one to sell one—he’ll even give you ideas for that. I have to admit that I found it incredible what some people sell…and the same goes for what some people buy.
The book entertains while you learn—success stories that keep you turning the pages. Jeff Walker’s methods are credible and doable if you are serious about starting an Internet business. After reading the book and watching him speak a few times on video, I believe him. He’s not the sleazy salesman or marketer who turns you off with his pitch.
Conclusion
Does the book give you the license to print money? NO. Go do the work and learn some marketing tricks along the way to promote your product or service. There’s no reason why you can’t have fun doing it. Read Launch, and get some actionable ideas.
If you’re hoping to become an instant millionaire, you’re in for a rude awakening. You’re not going to become rich just by reading this book.
The Proof is in the Pudding
Okay, the book title tantalized and teased...so I bought Launch a few days before its release. Jeff Walker had already turned on his Internet marketing machinery long before the book was on the shelf. It started to drive sales using the methods he teaches. The fact that it climbed to the #1 spot in The NY Times Bestselling List within the first couple of weeks did not surprise me.
What did I learn?
For starters, there’s no shortcut to success. You have to work smart and work hard to succeed. Jeff Walker shows you how to promote your product, but you still have to get down in the trenches. And speaking of product, you need one to sell one—he’ll even give you ideas for that. I have to admit that I found it incredible what some people sell…and the same goes for what some people buy.
The book entertains while you learn—success stories that keep you turning the pages. Jeff Walker’s methods are credible and doable if you are serious about starting an Internet business. After reading the book and watching him speak a few times on video, I believe him. He’s not the sleazy salesman or marketer who turns you off with his pitch.
Conclusion
Does the book give you the license to print money? NO. Go do the work and learn some marketing tricks along the way to promote your product or service. There’s no reason why you can’t have fun doing it. Read Launch, and get some actionable ideas.
September 19, 2014
The book contains good instructions to online marketing in a mix of stories, theory and concrete examples.
My key takeaways:
- E-mail list is your biggest asset. Focus on list-building!
- Get a rid of "hope marketing" or just hoping that your product sells.
- Your market is conversation. Open a dialogue with your potential customers and learn from them.
- Product launch is about creating value to your customers. Always exceed your customers' expectations.
- Product launch is actually sequence of messages instead of single message.
- Product launch contains multiple phases: prepre-launch, pre-launch, the launch, post-launch.
- You need to tell a story. Stories are memorable.
- Use mental triggers.
- Define your avatar, create opt-in ethical bribe and use squeeze page.
- Use sideways sales letter instead of sales letter.
- Don't worry about giving away too much good stuff on pre-launch (reciprocity).
- Sell them: Opportunity - Transform - Ownership experience
- Be a living person and avoid corporate talk
There are similarities to Lean Startup methodology.
My key takeaways:
- E-mail list is your biggest asset. Focus on list-building!
- Get a rid of "hope marketing" or just hoping that your product sells.
- Your market is conversation. Open a dialogue with your potential customers and learn from them.
- Product launch is about creating value to your customers. Always exceed your customers' expectations.
- Product launch is actually sequence of messages instead of single message.
- Product launch contains multiple phases: prepre-launch, pre-launch, the launch, post-launch.
- You need to tell a story. Stories are memorable.
- Use mental triggers.
- Define your avatar, create opt-in ethical bribe and use squeeze page.
- Use sideways sales letter instead of sales letter.
- Don't worry about giving away too much good stuff on pre-launch (reciprocity).
- Sell them: Opportunity - Transform - Ownership experience
- Be a living person and avoid corporate talk
There are similarities to Lean Startup methodology.
March 5, 2015
This book was so bad as a book. Buried within it were some very practical online product launch tips, but most of it was a puff piece about how much money he mad and then selling subsidiary products and services. The good parts would have made up about 15-20 pages (a booklet worth buying!). The problem is that the whole thing was 10 times that long. It read like a get rich quick scheme with some practical wisdom lost in the garbage.
June 30, 2020
Great book on selling and launching your brand.
I learned a lot from this tome. I would recommend this book to all entrepreneurs. My main takeaways are the mental triggers that the author brilliantly discloses. Great read!
I learned a lot from this tome. I would recommend this book to all entrepreneurs. My main takeaways are the mental triggers that the author brilliantly discloses. Great read!
September 17, 2015
I'm torn on how I want to rate this book, so I'm holding off on the rating for now.
On the one hand, the book comes off as super-smarmy. And also like he's using it as a book-long pitch to go sign up for his (multi-thousand dollar?) Product Launch Formula course.
On the other hand, he really does have examples as checklists for how to have a launch in there.
Back to the first hand, I'd probably have stopped reading this and called it "trashy used-car-salesman stuff" if I hadn't heard the author interviewed on the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast. On that podcast he told two of the exact same stories/case-studies as are in this book. On the podcast, they sounded interesting, exciting, and like something I'd want to know more about. In the book, they sounded like unrealistic salesy stuff.
So, I'm willing to believe the guy just writes like an unscrupulous smarm-monster. He's the first to admit (in that podcast) that he's not good at writing, which is why he prefers videos. (But maybe his editor or a ghost writer could have helped with the tone?)
In order to decide if this is a great book smothered by unfortunate writing, or just a piece of grrr, I'm doing an experiment. I have a modest product launch coming up in October, and I'm going to use his system (with all the checklists in the book) to run it. If I do better, then I'm going to give this book 4 stars for content. If I do the same, I'm giving it 2. If I do worse than the last time I launched (e.g., losing mailing list subscribers), then he gets a 1 star.
Sounds like a fair experiment to me!
UPDATED: two stars. Sigh. I was so hopeful this method, at least as laid out in the book, would be successful.
On the one hand, the book comes off as super-smarmy. And also like he's using it as a book-long pitch to go sign up for his (multi-thousand dollar?) Product Launch Formula course.
On the other hand, he really does have examples as checklists for how to have a launch in there.
Back to the first hand, I'd probably have stopped reading this and called it "trashy used-car-salesman stuff" if I hadn't heard the author interviewed on the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast. On that podcast he told two of the exact same stories/case-studies as are in this book. On the podcast, they sounded interesting, exciting, and like something I'd want to know more about. In the book, they sounded like unrealistic salesy stuff.
So, I'm willing to believe the guy just writes like an unscrupulous smarm-monster. He's the first to admit (in that podcast) that he's not good at writing, which is why he prefers videos. (But maybe his editor or a ghost writer could have helped with the tone?)
In order to decide if this is a great book smothered by unfortunate writing, or just a piece of grrr, I'm doing an experiment. I have a modest product launch coming up in October, and I'm going to use his system (with all the checklists in the book) to run it. If I do better, then I'm going to give this book 4 stars for content. If I do the same, I'm giving it 2. If I do worse than the last time I launched (e.g., losing mailing list subscribers), then he gets a 1 star.
Sounds like a fair experiment to me!
UPDATED: two stars. Sigh. I was so hopeful this method, at least as laid out in the book, would be successful.
November 30, 2014
The subtitle of this book should be: "I built a business teaching people how to build businesses while I was learning to build a business teaching people stock trading, which I knew nothing about."
Run-on sentence for absurdity.
Now, I know the stuff Mr Walker talks about works. He has created a solid formula if you're launching products online. But this book is more sales letter than content. It's a lot of fluff. A lot of "this is what I'm going to teach you" and not enough actual teaching. It boils down to this: Launch by Jeff Walker is a not-so-sly way to get you into his expensive coaching, which he mentions often.
Mr Walker built his first big business -- the business the tactics in Launch are based on -- teaching people stock trading. He was making so little money trading stocks at the time that he couldn't afford web hosting.
Direct quote from the book: "In fact, back then I couldn't even afford to buy a domain name or web site hosting, so my site was hosted on a free server."
He mentions how poor he was when starting this "how to make money in the stock market" business quite a few times, with pride. He didn't go so far as to say, "I never traded stocks in my life before teaching people how to trade stocks," but it was implied.
(Lack of) Ethics are strong on this one.
Run-on sentence for absurdity.
Now, I know the stuff Mr Walker talks about works. He has created a solid formula if you're launching products online. But this book is more sales letter than content. It's a lot of fluff. A lot of "this is what I'm going to teach you" and not enough actual teaching. It boils down to this: Launch by Jeff Walker is a not-so-sly way to get you into his expensive coaching, which he mentions often.
Mr Walker built his first big business -- the business the tactics in Launch are based on -- teaching people stock trading. He was making so little money trading stocks at the time that he couldn't afford web hosting.
Direct quote from the book: "In fact, back then I couldn't even afford to buy a domain name or web site hosting, so my site was hosted on a free server."
He mentions how poor he was when starting this "how to make money in the stock market" business quite a few times, with pride. He didn't go so far as to say, "I never traded stocks in my life before teaching people how to trade stocks," but it was implied.
(Lack of) Ethics are strong on this one.
May 9, 2018
This is a book about launching products, marketing, and growing businesses. Author introduces Product Launch Formula(PLF). PLF is a system to get your market to engaged with your product or business. In this approach, instead of relying on a single communication to make your point, you use a sequence of communications that build upon each other. PLF use a series of sequences – pre-prelaunch, the prelaunch, the launch, and the post-launch.
This book is good for running and marketing small businesses, not big companies.
This book is good for running and marketing small businesses, not big companies.
September 2, 2014
While not exactly what I needed, this book did provide me with some great ideas and examples. I think if you have a service to market, however, you could do worse. His suggestions seem really simple and possible, but he at least admits to some failures and some duds. The tone is one of cheerleading, but he believes, so what else would he sound like. All in all, a good business book.
August 5, 2020
A must-read for beginners. PLF is legit. This book could've been about half the length, though. Good exercise in speed reading. Aside from that, my highlighter got a decent amount of use, along with some notes.
September 3, 2014
Lots of info for the newbie & the experienced internet entrepreneur. I came away with lots of notes and ideas - just ignore the over salesy bits and dig through to the gold.
March 29, 2022
Learning from internet billionaires is never a bad idea, especially when you want to follow in their footsteps and build an empire of your own. As an online entrepreneur, this book taught me a lot. It also gave me insights into the launch formula followed by my favorite creators online.
A successful launch can look like magic. After all, who doesn't want to make $100,000+ in just 7 days by selling something you know?
But if you do a deep dive, there's a formula that's common in almost all the successful launches you might have seen across platforms. And in this book, Jeff Walker dissects that formula and gives us practical examples using which we can scale our business and achieve similar mind-boggling results.
I might not apply everything I learned in this book, but it definitely gave me a lot of insight into how I go about building my business when I am ready for it. A must read for all aspiring online business owners. If you want to see digital products or courses, this book will help you 100x your game.
A successful launch can look like magic. After all, who doesn't want to make $100,000+ in just 7 days by selling something you know?
But if you do a deep dive, there's a formula that's common in almost all the successful launches you might have seen across platforms. And in this book, Jeff Walker dissects that formula and gives us practical examples using which we can scale our business and achieve similar mind-boggling results.
I might not apply everything I learned in this book, but it definitely gave me a lot of insight into how I go about building my business when I am ready for it. A must read for all aspiring online business owners. If you want to see digital products or courses, this book will help you 100x your game.
February 18, 2021
I bought this book during his big launch for it... and now I’m finally reading it, what, seven years later? By now it’s basically a classic, and I’ve seen so many knockoffs and rehashes, it all feels old. But I want the solid theory, and the way to get that is to go to the source.
—
Ok, I’ve read it! This was a quick read, partly because I’ve already heard almost everything in here, and partly because I didn’t make myself read every word of the fluff parts. Including: I brazenly skipped the entire chapter of the author’s hero’s journey/success story! (I usually make myself slog through those, but f it. We all know Jeff Walker anyway, and I’m so over all this Robert Cialdini influence stuff. Just get to the point, man. (This is why I’m nobody’s ideal prospect. Just so sick of it.))
It does feel to me like there’s a lot of filler in this book, but it’s probably useful to people who are less jaded on marketing. On the other hand, I would have loved to see more detail about how to craft the prelaunch content. I feel like there could have been a lot more depth there.
Overall though, this is a worthy read. I’m glad I finally have it under my belt.
Notes
P. 76 pre-prelaunch: just ask for their input on the thing you’re about to release—even if it’s already just about done. Example email and landing page in book. (Ex. What are your two biggest questions about [topic of your product]?)
This is what he refers to as the “shot across the bow.”
P. 89 Prelaunch content #1: the opportunity/journey
Lead with the outcome/transformation you offer—“the why”
Include substantial content
Outline on p. 91
P. 92 PLC #2: “the what” —what is the transformation and how will it change their lives? Teach 5-10 minute thing that will make an impact or shift their thinking right away.
Goal: have the prospect see themselves having the transformation.
Outline on p. 92
P. 93 PLC #3: “the how”—how they’ll experience this transformation themselves. The answer to that is your product, but don’t sell it yet. Deliver more value first. Then end with a pivot to foreshadowing the offer, which is coming in the next video.
Outline on p. 94
P. 96 Timing possibilities:
Day 1: Release PLC #1
Day 3: Release PLC #2
Day 5: Release PLC #3
Day 7: Open Cart
Or
Day 1: Release PLC #1
Day 5: Release PLC #2
Day 8: Release PLC #3
Day 10: Open Cart
Then the launch lasts 4-7 days. He recommends 5 days for beginners. (See p. 105.)
P. 108 Email sequence during the launch
Day 1: cart is open!
— 4 hours later: something about how it’s all working/success/yay
Day 2: social proof (talk about great response to launch)
Day 3: FAQ
Day 4: Scarcity—doors closing in 24 hours
Day 5: 1. Today is last day
2. (6-8 hours before close) another message about closing the cart
3. (Optional) last chance
P. 111 Post launch
Build more goodwill! Send extra, unadvertised bonus(es) to your buyers. Send more valuable content to those who didn’t buy.
P. 122 more detail on the pre-pre emails
P. 147 run 2-4 launches per year
Cycle: idea -> seed launch to build product -> internal launch of finished product -> JV launch of same product -> all this will give you more ideas for more products to launch
—
Ok, I’ve read it! This was a quick read, partly because I’ve already heard almost everything in here, and partly because I didn’t make myself read every word of the fluff parts. Including: I brazenly skipped the entire chapter of the author’s hero’s journey/success story! (I usually make myself slog through those, but f it. We all know Jeff Walker anyway, and I’m so over all this Robert Cialdini influence stuff. Just get to the point, man. (This is why I’m nobody’s ideal prospect. Just so sick of it.))
It does feel to me like there’s a lot of filler in this book, but it’s probably useful to people who are less jaded on marketing. On the other hand, I would have loved to see more detail about how to craft the prelaunch content. I feel like there could have been a lot more depth there.
Overall though, this is a worthy read. I’m glad I finally have it under my belt.
Notes
P. 76 pre-prelaunch: just ask for their input on the thing you’re about to release—even if it’s already just about done. Example email and landing page in book. (Ex. What are your two biggest questions about [topic of your product]?)
This is what he refers to as the “shot across the bow.”
P. 89 Prelaunch content #1: the opportunity/journey
Lead with the outcome/transformation you offer—“the why”
Include substantial content
Outline on p. 91
P. 92 PLC #2: “the what” —what is the transformation and how will it change their lives? Teach 5-10 minute thing that will make an impact or shift their thinking right away.
Goal: have the prospect see themselves having the transformation.
Outline on p. 92
P. 93 PLC #3: “the how”—how they’ll experience this transformation themselves. The answer to that is your product, but don’t sell it yet. Deliver more value first. Then end with a pivot to foreshadowing the offer, which is coming in the next video.
Outline on p. 94
P. 96 Timing possibilities:
Day 1: Release PLC #1
Day 3: Release PLC #2
Day 5: Release PLC #3
Day 7: Open Cart
Or
Day 1: Release PLC #1
Day 5: Release PLC #2
Day 8: Release PLC #3
Day 10: Open Cart
Then the launch lasts 4-7 days. He recommends 5 days for beginners. (See p. 105.)
P. 108 Email sequence during the launch
Day 1: cart is open!
— 4 hours later: something about how it’s all working/success/yay
Day 2: social proof (talk about great response to launch)
Day 3: FAQ
Day 4: Scarcity—doors closing in 24 hours
Day 5: 1. Today is last day
2. (6-8 hours before close) another message about closing the cart
3. (Optional) last chance
P. 111 Post launch
Build more goodwill! Send extra, unadvertised bonus(es) to your buyers. Send more valuable content to those who didn’t buy.
P. 122 more detail on the pre-pre emails
P. 147 run 2-4 launches per year
Cycle: idea -> seed launch to build product -> internal launch of finished product -> JV launch of same product -> all this will give you more ideas for more products to launch
November 19, 2022
I really enjoyed this book and have pretty much highlighted 70% of it (kind of counterproductive lol) but it's a nice book to get started on online education and digital launches. I will use these strategies in my business.
December 27, 2021
I saw Walker give a keynote-style speech in 2013. I loved it. The original version of this book had just dropped, so I promised myself I’d read it and put it into practice. But then I got busy and forgot to actually pick it up.
Fast forward to 2021. I was looking for some new marketing ideas and decided to give this one another shot. So I grabbed it on audio and listened to it fairly quickly. I had some conflicting feelings.
I still loved that 2013 speech. And I have no doubt that Walker’s methods work wonders when implemented fully. There are countless case studies in the book to prove just that. But from a reader / listener’s perspective, I just don’t think this one translates super well into a book. It’s slow to develop at times and feels more like an infomercial than a how-to guide. It’s heavy on emotion and motivation but lacking on raw tactics.
Tough for me to write this review just given how much I know Walker helps and cares about his students / clients, but, if I’m being honest, I don’t think the content here really moves entrepreneurs forward enough. Yes, we should build our lists and run targeted launches, but do we need a nine-hour audiobook to tell us that? I’m not so sure.
I’ll still admire and follow Walker from afar, but I wouldn’t go back to this one, personally.
Fast forward to 2021. I was looking for some new marketing ideas and decided to give this one another shot. So I grabbed it on audio and listened to it fairly quickly. I had some conflicting feelings.
I still loved that 2013 speech. And I have no doubt that Walker’s methods work wonders when implemented fully. There are countless case studies in the book to prove just that. But from a reader / listener’s perspective, I just don’t think this one translates super well into a book. It’s slow to develop at times and feels more like an infomercial than a how-to guide. It’s heavy on emotion and motivation but lacking on raw tactics.
Tough for me to write this review just given how much I know Walker helps and cares about his students / clients, but, if I’m being honest, I don’t think the content here really moves entrepreneurs forward enough. Yes, we should build our lists and run targeted launches, but do we need a nine-hour audiobook to tell us that? I’m not so sure.
I’ll still admire and follow Walker from afar, but I wouldn’t go back to this one, personally.
January 10, 2020
This read too much like an infomercial for me to finish. And really, it doesn't apply to what I'm wanting to do. I read up to like page 40, then skimmed through sections I felt might have something different. Ultimately, the whole thing reads like a "get rich quick" scheme, even though right from the beginning it literally says that that's not what it is. lol. Just get yourself a real marketing book.
January 18, 2021
Very helpful information. My biggest takeaway is that my money was in my e-mail list. AND I need to keep my customers engaged.
August 19, 2021
When I launched my online business, I purchased a copy of Jeff Walker’s book “Launch” and it was instrumental in building my audience and expanding my sales. Walker has written an updated and expanded edition of “Launch” to include technology and ideas that weren’t widely available when he first wrote the book in 2014.
I’m glad I read the second edition.
“Launch” is based on Walker’s course, “Project Launch Formula.” While he admits the course is expensive, the book explains his successful strategies in depth. While the course might be helpful for hard-core entrepreneurs, I found plenty in the book to grow my business.
Does the system work? Walker used the formula to earn $1 million in a single hour. (I haven’t gotten there yet).
The basic philosophy of “Launch” is to get your target audience engaged and excited about your product. He stresses the importance of scarcity and developing a strong mailing list.
Your mailings should only go to those individuals who have asked to receive them so that you are not perceived as a spammer. This means you need to have a clear understanding of who is your potential customer and product niche. The next step is to build a ‘squeeze page’ on your website that offers a high-quality opt-in offer in exchange for a person’s email address.
Once you have your list in place, you can begin the actual launch. which is an online system of emails and videos that replaces the old snail mail requests for business. For example, Walker suggests you stage your product (or business launch) into four sequences:
1. Pre-prelaunch: This is how you build anticipation among the members of your email list.
2. Prelaunch: During this stage, you release multiple pieces of high-quality content to demonstrate and educate the value of your product to potential customers.
3. Launch: As the title suggests, this is the day you send your product or service out and start taking orders.
4. Post-launch: This phase is aimed at building a sense of goodwill with your new customers and reaching out to those that haven’t purchased.
Walker gives many examples and case studies of how each phase works. He also includes cases studies to show how the phases are implemented by real entrepreneurs.
As I said, the book offers sample language triggers for your email offers. It stresses using mental triggers such as Authority, Reciprocity, Trust, Anticipation, Likeability, Events and Ritual, Community, Scarcity, and Social Proof.
Walker writes that using his “Launch” system, you are not seen as a huckster, rather you are showing how you can help someone solve a problem they are experiencing.
I am normally very leery of people who tell me they have a ‘system’ for ‘success.’ What I like about Walker's book is that he admits that this is not a get rich quick scheme. Success requires hard work and the ability to create high-quality content. The good thing about “Launch” is that it gives the reader a head start on their pathway to entrepreneurship.
I’m glad I read the second edition.
“Launch” is based on Walker’s course, “Project Launch Formula.” While he admits the course is expensive, the book explains his successful strategies in depth. While the course might be helpful for hard-core entrepreneurs, I found plenty in the book to grow my business.
Does the system work? Walker used the formula to earn $1 million in a single hour. (I haven’t gotten there yet).
The basic philosophy of “Launch” is to get your target audience engaged and excited about your product. He stresses the importance of scarcity and developing a strong mailing list.
Your mailings should only go to those individuals who have asked to receive them so that you are not perceived as a spammer. This means you need to have a clear understanding of who is your potential customer and product niche. The next step is to build a ‘squeeze page’ on your website that offers a high-quality opt-in offer in exchange for a person’s email address.
Once you have your list in place, you can begin the actual launch. which is an online system of emails and videos that replaces the old snail mail requests for business. For example, Walker suggests you stage your product (or business launch) into four sequences:
1. Pre-prelaunch: This is how you build anticipation among the members of your email list.
2. Prelaunch: During this stage, you release multiple pieces of high-quality content to demonstrate and educate the value of your product to potential customers.
3. Launch: As the title suggests, this is the day you send your product or service out and start taking orders.
4. Post-launch: This phase is aimed at building a sense of goodwill with your new customers and reaching out to those that haven’t purchased.
Walker gives many examples and case studies of how each phase works. He also includes cases studies to show how the phases are implemented by real entrepreneurs.
As I said, the book offers sample language triggers for your email offers. It stresses using mental triggers such as Authority, Reciprocity, Trust, Anticipation, Likeability, Events and Ritual, Community, Scarcity, and Social Proof.
Walker writes that using his “Launch” system, you are not seen as a huckster, rather you are showing how you can help someone solve a problem they are experiencing.
I am normally very leery of people who tell me they have a ‘system’ for ‘success.’ What I like about Walker's book is that he admits that this is not a get rich quick scheme. Success requires hard work and the ability to create high-quality content. The good thing about “Launch” is that it gives the reader a head start on their pathway to entrepreneurship.
August 28, 2017
The book was good but it didn't meet my expectations, not for the price I paid anyway... First, the entire book had too much story-telling. Don't get me wrong, case studies are important and motivate you, but I don't want to read every case study in detail in every chapter. Also, I'm not interested to hear all the time how many people became millionaires. It's great that the formula brought so much success to people, but the reason I buy this book is not to read about them but for someone to tell me how I should do it. I missed the charts, the bullet points, the graphics... everything that should be included in a non-fiction book to an extend (I found a summary of the book on google I understood better than the book itself because the whole story-telling of other people's success distracted me from the main topic). Second, Jeff repeats all the time that you should ask questions in your emails so people get caught up in a conversation with you, but e.g. for my business (I'm a romance author) it's not that easy. I'm not solving problems with my products, I'm not selling things people need. I'm selling stories I create myself, not the readers (no matter how much I include them in the writing process). I can ask them what they like or didn't like after a launch, or about other books/authors, but it won't have an impact on the stories I sell (and even if it does, I couldn't change it anymore during the launch). Also, coaching & trainings always provide good income but not everyone is interested in doing this.
Anyway, I learned a few things from the book so it was definitely helpful, but it's too general to use it for every business and every person there is in the world.
Anyway, I learned a few things from the book so it was definitely helpful, but it's too general to use it for every business and every person there is in the world.
August 9, 2014
This book was recommended to me by one of my "authorpreneur" friends, in the context of making a business as a writer.
It's not half-bad. All of the tactics in the book resonated with me, from building an e-mail list, to giving away lots of free value, through the pre-pre-launch, pre-launch and launch processes. I will definitely be trying some of these techniques for my next book launch.
My only concern is that the book comes across as quite "over-the-top", particularly in the case studies and anecdotes, where people achieved millions of dollars in sales over a period of a few days, yada yada yada. Granted, the author does make a point of continually reminding people that you can't expect those kinds of results with your first launch, but it still feels very "evangelical".
I mentioned a while back, when I reviewed God for Today, that although I am a Christian, I seldom read Christian books. Well, it's kind of the same reason that I seldom read business and marketing books.
Still, the Product Launch Formula seems quite sound, and I think it's definitely the way we'll all be doing product and business launches in the 21st century.
It's not half-bad. All of the tactics in the book resonated with me, from building an e-mail list, to giving away lots of free value, through the pre-pre-launch, pre-launch and launch processes. I will definitely be trying some of these techniques for my next book launch.
My only concern is that the book comes across as quite "over-the-top", particularly in the case studies and anecdotes, where people achieved millions of dollars in sales over a period of a few days, yada yada yada. Granted, the author does make a point of continually reminding people that you can't expect those kinds of results with your first launch, but it still feels very "evangelical".
I mentioned a while back, when I reviewed God for Today, that although I am a Christian, I seldom read Christian books. Well, it's kind of the same reason that I seldom read business and marketing books.
Still, the Product Launch Formula seems quite sound, and I think it's definitely the way we'll all be doing product and business launches in the 21st century.
August 5, 2020
Purchased this book in paperback, then went back and bought it in audio to reread it to make sure I didn’t miss any points. This strategy should be tried by everyone wishing to launch a product.
August 20, 2014
Good work by Jeff. There is always value in hearing from someone who has done it. Many of the elements of Jeff's model make tons of sense and will provide desired results. I like the fact that he is realistic about the key elements to business success e.g. having a great product. You cannot but respect that he is not trying to lure you into thinking that everyone and every product will be a hit. With the increasing use of the internet to drive product success, it may be useful to add another layer of realism to the model, that of teasers (from the client side). Those are people who will take initial steps but never go further and I think with the fact that so many people are doing as Jeff is (internet launches and list building), the effectiveness of the model is likely to diminish with time. No doubt more refinement will be required to combat the spam tolerance levels as well as the saturation that comes from more people seeking to exploit their lists. Overall, a lot of great ideas, and anyone who reads the book will find enough value to drive their good product to reasonable success.
April 1, 2024
I love reading, writing, and music. And one of my dreams is to work for myself teaching people how to integrate what I’m good at into their own lives with great success. This book gives you the behind the scenes view on getting people to buy what you’re selling. Without the idea on where to begin or what to promote, however, you’d be skipping critical steps.
September 9, 2020
This is why I don’t read business books.
I had to read this one for work, and the experience was like reliving the time I was a writing tutor in college, helping business and seminary students (re)write their papers. Nearly every paper had so much fluff and repetition that I began to pity college professors, or whoever else ended up grading those papers.
I’m halfway embarrassed to even include it among the books I’ve read, although I can see how this book/author could be perfect for a different audience. A handful of the ideas were interesting and useful, and I considered giving the book 3 stars for that reason. But I have too strong of a distaste for fluff, sales talk, and clichés like “live the life of your dreams.”
Also, I wasn’t sure how many of the ideas were originally the author’s, since they resembled material from long-standing authors like Seth Godin. Maybe it’s a zeitgeist thing. Or maybe the author should’ve included a list of sources he’s used as inspiration.
Anyway, he’s clearly found readers who connect with his style - I’m just not one of them.
I had to read this one for work, and the experience was like reliving the time I was a writing tutor in college, helping business and seminary students (re)write their papers. Nearly every paper had so much fluff and repetition that I began to pity college professors, or whoever else ended up grading those papers.
I’m halfway embarrassed to even include it among the books I’ve read, although I can see how this book/author could be perfect for a different audience. A handful of the ideas were interesting and useful, and I considered giving the book 3 stars for that reason. But I have too strong of a distaste for fluff, sales talk, and clichés like “live the life of your dreams.”
Also, I wasn’t sure how many of the ideas were originally the author’s, since they resembled material from long-standing authors like Seth Godin. Maybe it’s a zeitgeist thing. Or maybe the author should’ve included a list of sources he’s used as inspiration.
Anyway, he’s clearly found readers who connect with his style - I’m just not one of them.
August 12, 2014
I am glad that I read this book. It reads mildly like an infomercial at times, especially at the beginning. But don't let that put you off. (That sort of thing is generally a big turnoff for me, but I found it tolerable, with some skipping.) What's contained inside is still extremely useful, and can be adapted to a number of different purposes, with some imagination. If you're launching a product or business (or both), this book may give you many useful ideas, even if you don't follow what he lays out in every detail. Note that, especially if you aren't marketing exactly the type of product he's primarily writing for (selling information over the internet, such as in the form of video classes), you'll really want to keep your thinking cap on as you read, brainstorm and take notes. This isn't information you can absorb passively and then apply--you'll have to keep thinking on how this can be adapted for your particular situation.
February 7, 2022
It takes an incredible amount of energy to thrust a space shuttle into the atmosphere. There is a lot of work to be done to get out of the Earth's atmosphere. However, once it has pushed through, it takes little effort to move about the galaxy. Not only that, there are infinite possibilities as to where you can go!
When it comes to digitally marketing your business, Jeff Walker has refined a process he's labeled the Product Launch Formula. In his book "Launch", Jeff talks about the path he took to realize this formula. He also gives case studies as to how it worked for students of his.
The earnings are unlimited, but you have to be willing to put in the work, just like anything in life. If you are looking to create a digital business or you already have one and are looking for a way to market it in the most effective manner, get this book! The process and strategy will change your world!
When it comes to digitally marketing your business, Jeff Walker has refined a process he's labeled the Product Launch Formula. In his book "Launch", Jeff talks about the path he took to realize this formula. He also gives case studies as to how it worked for students of his.
The earnings are unlimited, but you have to be willing to put in the work, just like anything in life. If you are looking to create a digital business or you already have one and are looking for a way to market it in the most effective manner, get this book! The process and strategy will change your world!
March 23, 2017
This book discusses the key steps to building one's own online business, but most of the author's advice and recommendations can already be found in numerous blog posts and e-commerce books. One big letdown is the fact that the book barely touches on how to properly validate the potential market demand for one's product, which is undoubtedly critical to the success of any business. After all, the whole book's tips and methods would be useless without a product that enough people would actually pay for in the first place. The biggest problem with the book, however, lies in its irritatingly salesy tone, as readers are repeatedly reminded of either the author's own online product or his clients' success stories at virtually every other page. If stripped of these two parts, the book would probably be less than one-fourth of its length.
August 10, 2014
I know quite a few people who have successfully implemented Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula, so I was looking forward to understanding the secrets behind the process. I think the book lays the PLF process out clearly enough that you could put it into place with just this knowledge. However, you will need some understanding of technology and general marketing principles. There's also a lot of solid advice on entrepreneurship and creating a life you love. Good balance between specifics and general advice.
July 13, 2015
I really enjoyed this book! I've got a *bunch* of pages dogeared so I can come back and make my own list of things to do before my next launch. Jeff's writing style is like his speaking style in his videos - very engaging, transparent, honest, and helpful. I would recommend this to any writer looking to make their next book launch better (like me) and to anyone else who owns their own business and wants to share the news of their new products and services. Really helpful information!
August 17, 2020
Not a textbook nor a guide or teaching book at all. This is clearly a promotional book where the author describes all his successes and how much money people have made by going through his paid workshops. But he never really share any valuable insights from his secret formula. Real deception, I wonder how this book got a 4 stars ranking in the first place.
January 29, 2024
I felt like this book gave a great rundown of the strategies he has used to launch successful programs online! You could use it as a step by step guide. I do which he shared more struggles that happened along the way, and how we problem solved them instead of just successes. But overall it was very informational!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews