The most successful thought leaders in 2026 aren't selling more of their time.
They're building tools that scale their expertise infinitely—without adding a single call to their calendar.
Mark Manson built an app. So did Hank Green. Brendon Burchard added an AI version of himself to GrowthDay. One of YouTube's biggest course creators shut down their 8-figure course library to rebuild it as sequential nano-SaaS tools.
They see where this is going. The question is: are you ready to build it?
The Opportunity: Own Your Automation
Your clients don't need more of your time. They need your methodology, available instantly, whenever they need it.
Think about it: How many times have you answered the same strategic question? Walked someone through the same framework? Given the same advice in slightly different contexts?
What if that knowledge worked for people automatically?
Not through a chatbot that might hallucinate your framework. Not through a GPT that gives different answers every time. Through purpose-built tools that apply your exact methodology, consistently, at scale.
This is the infrastructure layer that thought leadership has been missing. And you can build it yourself.
What Sequential Nano-SaaS Actually Looks Like
Instead of courses or coaching, you build a series of focused micro-tools. Each one solves a specific problem using your methodology.
Real examples from Solo School:
Pricing Calculator → Members input their business metrics, get a recommended rate structure using our proven formula. What used to take 2-3 coaching calls now takes 5 minutes.
Package Architecture Tool → Answers strategic questions, outputs a complete offer structure aligned with our framework. Ready to use immediately, not ready to workshop for weeks.
Marketing Message Generator → Analyzes their business, creates positioning statements using our methodology. Sharp, specific, usable today.
Each tool builds on the previous one. Your entire methodology becomes executable software, not just teachable content.
The results? Our members get decisions and direction in minutes instead of days. Better outcomes, instant implementation, zero wait time.
Why This Scales Better Than What You're Doing Now
You're already successful. Your courses sell. Your coaching fills up. Your expertise is proven.
But you're hitting the ceiling of what personal delivery can scale to.
Solo School has over a dozen nano-SaaS tools now. When people use them, they get better results faster than when they learned the same material from our courses—and we were using cutting-edge adult education strategies.
Because here's what we discovered: Your clients don't have a learning problem. They have an implementation and access problem.
They know they need better pricing. They don't need to become pricing experts. They need your formula, applied to their numbers, right now.
They know they need a content strategy. They don't want another masterclass. They want your framework to output a strategy they can execute this week.
When you build tools, your expertise works 24/7. Your methodology scales without you.
This Isn't Custom GPTs (It's Actually Better)
You might be thinking: "I could just build a GPT, right?"
GPTs are great for exploration and brainstorming. They're unreliable for implementation.
A GPT might give different pricing advice every time someone asks. Your pricing calculator applies your exact formula consistently, every single time.
A GPT might skip steps in your framework. Your assessment tool follows your methodology precisely, with no deviation.
A GPT might leak your IP or misrepresent your work. Your nano-SaaS tools keep your methodology proprietary while making it accessible.
Nano-SaaS is focused, reliable, and creates consistent results. No hallucinations. No variance. Just your expertise, automated and scalable.
The Infrastructure Shift Is Already Happening
This isn't speculative. The biggest names are already rebuilding:
- 8-figure course creator → Shut down entire course library, rebuilt as sequential nano-SaaS
- Mark Manson → Launched dedicated app
- Hank Green → Built his own app platform
- Brendon Burchard → Added AI to GrowthDay
- Jay Shetty, Tim Ferriss, Tony Robbins → Built AI versions of themselves on Delphi
We're 12-18 months out from this being standard infrastructure for successful thought leaders.
You can build it now and own it, or license it from someone else later.
"I'm Not Technical" (Neither Am I—That's The Point)
I was raised by a CS professor. Built 2/3 of the PCs in my house. Been doing nerdy projects since I was a teenager.
I was never a developer. I dabbled enough to understand the concepts, but I can't sit down and code from scratch.
That's exactly why I can teach you this. I know how to translate between your strategic thinking and what the technology needs to do.
You already know product thinking—you've been solving client problems for years. You know what your methodology needs to accomplish and why.
The coding part? That's what Claude does, once you have:
- Templates and frameworks (I'm giving you all of mine)
- Security guardrails (so you don't have to become a security expert)
- Clear specifications (which you'll learn to create in weeks 3-4)
You bring the expertise. Claude writes the code. I translate between the two and make sure nothing breaks.
Build Your First Sequential Nano-SaaS in 12 Weeks
This is a hands-on build cohort. You'll finish with a working tool that's already making sales.
Weeks 1-4: Foundation and Strategy
- Week 1: Demystify the tech stack (simpler than you think—I'll show you)
- Week 2: Identify which part of your methodology to build first + validate with real prospects
- Week 3: Map your expertise into product specs (think like a product manager)
- Week 4: Create your build file (instructions that Claude will use to write your tool)
Weeks 5-8: Build and Polish
- Week 5: Flex week for catching up + live coworking (I'll be building my own tool alongside you)
- Week 6: Build your working MVP (functional beats pretty at this stage)
- Week 7: Design pass to make it beautiful and on-brand (still no manual coding from you)
- Week 8: Security lockdown (protect your users' data properly)
Weeks 9-12: Launch and Scale
- Week 9: Alpha testing with the cohort (intentional breaking before customers see it)
- Week 10: Bug fixes + embed in your platform + pricing strategy
- Week 11: Soft launch to your audience (we're targeting cash-in-hand before week 12)
- Week 12: Public pitch fest to entire Solo School community (pre-recorded demos, live Q&A)
I'm building a new tool alongside you so you see exactly how to implement this in real-time, not just in theory.
What You Could Build
For established coaches:
- Signature assessment that qualifies and segments leads automatically
- Framework application tool that clients use between sessions
- Progress dashboard that visualizes client wins in your methodology's language
For consultants with proven processes:
- Diagnostic tool that analyzes businesses and outputs your standard audit
- ROI calculator that quantifies value of your solutions
- Strategy generator that applies your frameworks to client-specific situations
For course creators scaling beyond courses:
- Readiness diagnostic that routes people to the right program
- Implementation tracker that turns your lessons into executable tasks
- Results calculator that shows potential outcomes using your methods
For service providers productizing expertise:
- Scope and pricing calculator using your delivery model
- Project roadmap generator based on your process
- Client onboarding system that gathers info and sets expectations
Each tool can be sold standalone ($97-$497+), used as a high-converting lead magnet, embedded in memberships for retention, or offered as session prep for 1:1 work.
What You Get: Premium Infrastructure for Scale
Solo School membership at $360/month includes:
✅ Complete 12-week build program with every template, framework, and tool I've developed
✅ Weekly 6-hour open office (Tuesdays 10am-4pm Pacific) for technical, strategic, and marketing questions
✅ Access to our full tool library so you see what "done" looks like before you start building
✅ Marketing and business resource library (positioning, sales, offers, systems)
✅ Marketing collective (launching Q1) that amplifies your content reach
Premium Add-Ons for Serious Builders:
Personal Code Review ($500): I review your entire tool and provide Claude-ready instructions to fix any issues
Custom Messaging Document ($500): 2+ pages of positioning, value proposition, and launch copy tailored to your tool
Complete Launch Bundle ($750): Both code review and messaging (save $250)
Comparable micro-SaaS bootcamps run $5K-$10K. You're getting personalized guidance, proven templates, and ongoing support for a fraction of that.
This Is About Leverage and Ownership
You've already proven your expertise works. You've already built a successful business around it.
Now it's time to build infrastructure that scales it.
Near-infinite MRR without calendar dependency. Your methodology working for clients 24/7. Revenue that compounds instead of trading time.
The thought leaders building this infrastructure now will own their markets in 2026-2027. The ones who wait will be licensing tools from someone else or competing against automated versions of their own expertise.
The Market Is Moving—Move With It
Consumer behavior has fundamentally shifted. People are comfortable having technology apply expertise for them. They're paying for tools that create results, not just information.
This isn't going backward. Even if AI hype cycles cool, the expectation for instant, automated application of expertise is permanent.
The question isn't whether thought leadership will include this infrastructure layer. It's whether you'll build it yourself or buy it from someone else.
Build What Comes Next
You're already ahead of most thought leaders—you see where this is going.
The most successful people in any transition aren't the ones who resist change. They're the ones who see it coming and position themselves to own it.
Join us in January. Build your first nano-SaaS tool in 12 weeks. Launch with cash in hand.
You'll be prompted to create your account immediately, and I'll activate you inside of the community within one business day. We start the first week of January with your orientation which will go live on January 5, 2026!
Current members, you can click here to get the Code Review + Messaging add-on bundle. If you only want one or the other, just reach out and I'll get you a link!
It's time for the expert economy to evolve and change with the times. I hope you'll come with us.
