I absolutely agree Adam. I don't think the hobbyist mentality is limited to just WF and it certainly doesn't apply to everybody there as most of the big names of IM have accounts there (many with decent activity) but the hobbyist vs business mentality is a very critical difference in mindset. Many people get into IM with the one goal of making $X per day. They want the money and have little desire to create an actual business, to establish sustainability of their efforts, and to provide value. They are blinded by the idea of earning easy money. Unfortunately most of these people never get anywhere.

The people who gain momentum in IM are the people with the business mindset. They have business plans, they invest capital and time into growing a sustainable business. They understand the need to provide value to earn money. They most likely have a formal business registered, even if they haven't made money yet. They are more interested in working hard and doing things right than just making a quick buck.

When I started in IM, I wrote a business plan from the very beginning and gave myself 6 months. I told myself that at the 6 month mark I would decide if I wanted to continue plugging away at it or not, but I would never quit before I hit that 6 month mark...even if it was 5 months in and I was still losing money. I registered an LLC before I even knew how to put a campaign together. It's little things like this that make a huge difference. Have a business mindset, don't just try and make a quick buck as a hobbyist.

And Rob, you are spot on. I try and tell people all the time, it's better to let the market tell you what they want and how they want something positioned than for you to try and blindly push something onto the market. If they want a purple bird, I'll give them some sort of purple bird, I'm not going to create an orange one because I like orange better and try and force them to like orange. And to know they want a purple bird, you have to do your research and have to INCENTIVIZE them to give you their honest input. Whether it's giving your product away for free (which isn't terrible since digital product don't have variable costs) or holding a free webinar (an hour of your time) it's well worth it. Put in the extra work, approach this as a business, see what the market wants, and then deliver value!