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How I made $1 million with NO product
Ben Collinge
October 30, 2025
How I made $1 million with NO product
Welcome to DreamMail, a newsletter where you can keep up to date with the dreamers you see in my content, as well as actionable advice to help you build your own dream.
If you’re enjoying these updates, you can also grab my latest book to teach kids business.
The Two Engineers
Two of the world’s top engineers were competing to build the first flying car.
Both were brilliant. Both convinced they’d change history.
And although they didn’t know each other’s secrets…
They were working from the exact same blueprint.
The first started immediately.
He built a lab, hired mechanics, and ordered expensive parts on credit.
He told everyone, “Once it’s finished, investors will come running.”
Every day, he posted progress online: new wings, new engines, new tests.
People admired his courage, but each month he was burning through cash.
The second engineer did something odd.
Instead of building first, he sold the dream.
He mocked up designs, filmed a concept video, and told customers:
“Reserve yours now by paying 50% upfront.”
The other inventor thought he was insane.
“Who would pay for something that doesn’t exist?”
But the orders came in. Thousands of them.
Each deposit gave him cash to build the next prototype, without debt and without investors who bring even more problems.
A year later, the first engineer had a half-built car and no funding. He was pitching to investors who kept telling him how he should build it.
The second had a fully built car. He hadn’t needed investors or savings.
He used his customers’ money.
Lesson: This works in almost every business.
Take clothing, for example; you may not have the money for manufacturing costs but all you need are the designs for people to pay.
How to Get Paid Before You Build (and Never Run Out of Cash Again)
Every founder should understand this:
If you blame money for not achieving your dream, you have a creativity problem.
The myth that you need money to make money is what keeps people trapped.
The inventor with deposits didn’t just have more cash or a better product. He had a better system.
If I had no money and wanted to launch a product tomorrow, here’s what I’d do.
⸻
1. Sell the Vision Before You Build the Product
People don’t actually buy products. They buy belief and the future the product gives them.
Think about it, people buy nice clothes because they believe they’ll look better and feel higher status. It’s rare someone runs out of clothes and buys more because they need them.
If I started a business with no money, I’d begin by showing the designs, prototypes, or sketches before production. I’d build hype first, and if people want it badly enough, they’ll pay to reserve it.
It’s also a test. If I were to post these and no-one agrees to pay 50% upfront. It means the product or marketing is weak. At least this way, I’d find that out before spending thousands on a product no one wants.
How to apply:
Create three mock-ups of your product. Be it a hoodie, coffee, or SaaS interface using Canva or Figma.
Post them with:
“Which one would you buy? Pre-orders open this week on a limited run.”Offer exclusive bonuses for those that pre-order - “First to try” or “ A free hat!” Cap it at a small number (scarcity builds trust).
Be honest. Many will pay just to support you. Tell the world this is your dream and that taking a 50% deposit helps you make it real.
⸻
2. Use Deposits to Fund Production
Never use your own savings when your customer can fund your growth.
Example:
I made my first million by charging a brand upfront. It was a coaster-ad business. I told brands it would cost $2 million, but whoever paid 50% upfront would get six months’ exclusivity. British Airways paid. I used the $1 million deposit to buy the product, pay my team, and distribute. I kept the other $1 million as profit.
How to apply:
Collect 50% upfront before ordering materials.
Use the funds to buy only what you need to deliver, not what looks good.
⸻
3. Keep customers warm and excited
Update customers regularly. Post content, add them to your email list, and send simple progress notes. Make them feel part of the journey.
Get feedback and build a community. A customer buys once; a community buys for life. Host quick prototype walkthroughs (even on Zoom), answer questions, reply to comments and DMs.
How to apply:
Send a weekly build update with a photo or 20-second clip.
Share one behind-the-scenes decision you made and why.
Shout out early supporters by name and invite questions for the next update.
⸻
4. Create a 3-Step Cashflow Launch Formula
Here’s how you turn this principle into an engine:
Step | Action | How |
|---|---|---|
Test Demand | Share three designs and ask which people prefer. | Post on every channel. DM engaged followers and ask for their pick. |
Collect Deposits | Open pre-orders with a small bonus for early birds. | Everyone who interacts gets a DM with the bonus offer. Take the deposit and ask if they’d like email updates. |
Deliver Fast + Document | Ship as quickly as your timeline allows, and document delivery. | Capture testimonials and unboxings. They’ll power your next launch. |
5. Protect yourself and your customer
Follow the rules. Have a privacy policy and clear consent for emails. Make it explicit that customers are paying a 50% deposit towards a product in production, with estimated timelines and refund terms if something goes wrong. Check out the below 👇
Why do all the really important things seem boring.
Like security. It’s obviously crucial, but man…
I hate doing it.
Still, I know big companies won’t work with me unless they trust me and I know customers won’t buy from me either
Poor security puts that trust in jeopardy, so that’s why I get someone else to handle it for me.
Vanta automates your security and compliance, flags risks when they happen…
And (the part that actually excites me). It shows big clients that you can be trusted.
If your security and compliance are solid, it proves you know what you’re doing and that you don’t cut corners.
Security and compliance isn’t a “later” problem. If it’s not built into your foundation, it can snowball into massive problems later on.
Just look at this… 👇
UK construction giant Interserve thought they were fine without proper security. Hackers broke in, disabled antivirus tools, and spread ransomware across 283 computers.
Personal data was exposed, £11 million in damages, and a £4.4 million fine.
I hate security and compliance too, but I don’t want to pay £15 million and I doubt you do too.
👉 You can get Vanta’s free guide on how 10,000+ companies built trust through better security here
Less than five months ago, I met Abby.
Her dream was to build an online fitness brand, but she wasn’t even posting on social media!
So I challenged her: post every day for 365 days.
She didn’t quite do it… but she did start posting a lot more and
And that changed everything.
Since then, Abby’s been posting more than ever. She’s landed sponsorships, gained thousands of followers, and is now being paid to live her dream.
She told me recently:
“Thanks to the traffic that video brought me back then, I’ve become more confident in going after the things I really want to do.”
All I gave Abby was belief.
She already had the skills, the ideas, the tools, she just needed a push.
And that’s true for 99% of people reading this.
You already have everything you need.
I can give you advice, I can give you belief…
But it’s up to you to start.
Have you started yet?
See you next week!
- Simon Squibb
P.S - Next week we have an extremely special guest joining us to share his knowledge to DreamMail, can you guess who?