294. Why 'Must Be Nice' Is the Most Dangerous Thing You Can Say to Yourself

Everyone keeps coming up to me like they're attending my business's funeral. "How are things?" And I'm standing there like... everything's actually great? My business keeps growing. But I get it. There's no shortage of people online saying digital products are dead, courses are dead, the whole thing is over.Here's the thing: the market has changed. A lot. And if you have a digital product or course, you've probably felt it. Buyers are taking longer to make decisions, coming in with their guard up, asking more questions. But "harder" is not the same as "dead." After 10 years in this industry and $9M in digital product sales, I want to give you my honest take on what's actually happening, what's changed, and exactly what it takes to build and sell a digital product that still works in 2026 and beyond.In this episode, you'll hear…Why buyer skepticism is at an all-time high and what actually caused itHow the 2020-2021 online business boom (and AI) flooded the market with low-quality productsThe real reason information-only products are struggling, and what to do insteadSix things your digital product must do to succeed in today's economyWhy cold-audience funnels are suffering the most right nowWhat "long game trust" actually looks like, and why it's your biggest competitive advantageThe honest truth about how much work building a successful digital product takesClick here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.EPISODE RESOURCES:Grab Sam's Book When I Start My Business, I'll Be HappyGrab The Ultimate Bundle® on sale through Friday, June 26th.Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's SidebarIf you have a question you’d like Sam to answer on a future podcast episode, you can submit it here.Click here to be notified when new episodes of On Your Terms® come outCONNECT:Get Sam's weekly newsletter, Sam's SidebarFollow Sam on InstagramFollow Sam on YouTubeSubscribe to Sam's Substack, Beyond BusinessTake Sam's free legal workshop "5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business"DISCLAIMER