01
SaaS
A software tool for a specific, recurring business problem.
THE TRADEOFF
You need coding ability or a technical cofounder, plus a problem people keep having.
A field guide for your first business
Choose a model.
Meet reality.
Choose a business model, then test it against reality. Compare six paths and use the workbook to check the one that fits before you go all in.
↳ Start with what you can learn, not what sounds impressive.
FIELD NOTE No. 01THE STARTING POINT
Every model
has a first test.
has a first test.
0106
SaaSMarketplaceDigital productsE-commerceContentProductized service
01 Who has the problem?02 Does it happen again?03 Would they pay to fix it?
TEST
SMALL
SMALL
SIXWAY / 01
A useful idea gets
specific quickly
specific quickly
LESS GUESSING, MORE LEARNINGCOMPARE CHOOSE VALIDATE
SIX ROUTES, DIFFERENT TRADEOFFS
There isn’t one right
way to start.
The best model depends on the people you can reach, the problem you understand, and the constraints you’re willing to work with.
02
Marketplace
A place that connects buyers and sellers in a focused niche.
THE TRADEOFF
You have to attract both sides and make the first exchange work.
03
Digital products & courses
Templates, software kits, or teaching for a well-defined audience.
THE TRADEOFF
You usually need to build an audience before the product can travel.
04
E-commerce brand
A differentiated physical product, ideally one customers buy again.
THE TRADEOFF
Advertising costs and inventory can put real pressure on cash.
05
Content & audience
A newsletter, channel, or niche publication built around a subject.
THE TRADEOFF
It takes time to earn attention before reliable monetization is likely.
06
Productized service
A standardized service with a clear scope and fixed price.
THE TRADEOFF
Revenue can depend on your time unless you systematize or hire.
Compare each model in more detailOpen the six-model guide
THE REALITY CHECK
Before the logo.
Before the launch.
Get close to a real buyer and a problem that keeps coming back. Then look for evidence that solving it is worth paying for.
Start your field notes01
A buyer you can name
Who has the problem—and how could you talk to them?
02
A problem that returns
When does it happen, and what does the person do today?
03
A reason to pay
What would count as real evidence of willingness to pay?
A hypothesis
is a beginning,
not a verdict.
is a beginning,
not a verdict.
A SMALLER FIRST MOVE
From broad idea
to focused next step.
See the tradeoffs.
Get a clear view of what each model asks of you—time, technical skill, capital, or an audience.
Pick a specific niche.
Move from “an app for teams” to a group of people with a problem you can actually investigate.
Make the next test count.
Use the workbook to write down the buyer, recurring problem, and what payment evidence you need.
SWNOTES
THE FIELDWORK, ON PAPER
Download the workbook Bring the idea out of your head.
A fillable workbook for turning a model and niche into questions you can take into the world.
YOUR NEXT MOVEPick a path to
Pick a path to
investigate.
Start with the guide. Keep what fits, question what doesn’t, and carry one clear test forward.
Open Sixway Fieldbook