kai-product-maker

Ship a Gumroad-ready digital product following the same process used for The Algorithm Engine (TikTok ebook), The Approval Engine (Notion card deck), and The Comment Connor Playbook (HTML flipbook + PDF). Three examples, one process.

When to use

• User has a topic + an audience and wants a polished, sellable product ($7-$97 range)
• User has research or content drafts but no structure, images, or sales page
• User wants to turn a TikTok hit / blog post / consulting framework into a paid deliverable

When NOT to use

• User wants a free lead magnet only → /kai-write or /kai-landing-page
• User already has a finished PDF and just needs a sales page → /kai-write (press/sales copy)
• User wants a SaaS-level product (not information) — this skill is for static digital goods

Examples to read

Before planning, skim these three completed products — they're the ground truth for what "done" looks like:

Example	Format	Price	Location
Algorithm Engine	9-chapter PDF ebook + system prompt	$47-67	E:\Dev2\DigitalProduct\AlgoProduct\
Approval Engine	Mobile-first Notion card deck (30 cards)	$37	E:\Dev2\DigitalProduct\ApprovalEngine\
Comment Connor Playbook	HTML flipbook + PDF (20 workflows)	$37	E:\Dev2\DigitalProduct\CommentConnorPlaybook\

Each has the same scaffolding: numbered content/*.md, images/, PRODUCT_BRIEF.md, BUILD_PROMPT.md, build script, sales copy, production checklist.

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Phase 0: Load Product Context

Check MARKETING.md in project root for voice, audience, positioning. If absent, run /kai-start or get from user: what you sell, ICP, brand voice, distribution channels.

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Phase 1: Product Concept (one short discovery pass)

Ask only what isn't already answerable from MARKETING.md / prior context:

1. Working title + subtitle (can change at the end)
2. One-sentence promise — what changes for the reader after they finish?
3. Format — pick one primary:
   • PDF ebook — linear read, 30-80 pages (ref: Algorithm Engine)
   • HTML flipbook + PDF — illustrated, page-by-page, designed (ref: Comment Connor)
   • Notion card deck — mobile-first, scannable snippets, 20-50 cards (ref: Approval Engine)
   • Template pack — fill-in worksheets / prompts (usually a bolt-on, not standalone)
4. Price point — $7 / $17 / $27 / $37 / $47 / $67 / $97 — higher price means more production polish, not more pages
5. Unit count — chapters / workflows / cards / templates (affects scope everywhere downstream)
6. Source material — TikTok script / blog series / consulting framework / research doc — where does the content come from?

Output: one-paragraph concept in user's voice. Get approval before moving on.

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Phase 2: Folder Scaffold

Create at E:\Dev2\DigitalProduct\<ProductName>\ with this shape:

<ProductName>/
├── PRODUCT_BRIEF.md              # design + spec (Phase 3)
├── BUILD_PROMPT.md               # how to assemble deliverables (Phase 6)
├── content/                      # numbered source files (Phase 4)
│   ├── 00_cover_intro.md
│   ├── 01_<topic>.md
│   └── ...
├── images/                       # cover, dividers, per-item art (Phase 5)
│   ├── character_reference.png   # if illustrated
│   ├── cover.png
│   └── ...
├── Research/                     # source notes (optional)
├── GUMROAD_SALES_COPY.md         # Phase 7
├── EMAIL_BLAST.md                # Phase 7
├── PRODUCTION_CHECKLIST.md       # Phase 8
└── VIDEO_SCRIPTS.md              # launch content (optional)

Naming convention: 00_ prefix for front matter, 01_-NN_ for items in reading order. Zero-pad so files sort correctly.

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Phase 3: PRODUCT_BRIEF.md (design spec — do this BEFORE content)

Lock design choices up front so every asset is consistent. Copy the structure from E:\Dev2\DigitalProduct\CommentConnorPlaybook\PRODUCT_BRIEF.md. Minimum sections:

1. What you're building — one paragraph, tone matches the product (tactical manual / corporate tool / field guide)
2. Aesthetic direction — one named mood ("Tactical Field Manual", "Corporate Cool", "Academic Textbook", "Zine") + 3-5 mood references
3. Color palette — bg / surface / border / primary text / dim text / accent / danger / success. 6-8 hex codes
4. Typography — headline font, body font, code/prompt font (use Google Fonts for HTML; pair with system-font fallbacks). Italics, stamps, letter-spacing rules
5. Page/card layout — what goes where on a typical page/card. Include per-page element list
6. Page sequence — full doc outline front-to-back (cover → inside cover → TOC → sections → back cover)
7. Image specs — character reference, cover dimensions, per-item style, consistency rules
8. Distribution formats — which files get shipped (PDF, HTML, Notion, CSV, zip bundle)

Get user approval on the brief before producing content. Design inconsistency is the #1 reason products feel cheap.

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Phase 4: Content Production (the actual product)

One markdown file per unit (chapter / workflow / card). Structure every file the same way — consistency is the signal of quality.

For an ebook-style chapter, use:

• ## Chapter Title (H2)
• One-paragraph setup
• Numbered or bulleted body
• "Watch out for" / "What NOT to do" callout
• "Why this works" callout
• Links forward to next chapter

For a card/workflow (Approval Engine / Comment Connor pattern):

• ## Situation — when to reach for this
• ## Goal — what success looks like
• ## What NOT to say — anti-pattern
• ## Use this instead — the actual script/prompt (in code block)
• ## Why this works — one-sentence rationale
• Tags / category at the end

Content rules:

• Every piece of content must live in content/*.md. The build is downstream of content — never edit assembled HTML/PDF directly
• Keep each file self-contained (reader can land on it cold)
• Ship examples, not theory — real screenshots, real numbers, real scripts
• If facts matter (statistics, patent numbers, quotes), put a Research/ folder beside content/ and cite sources

Quality gate: after every 5 items produced, run /kai-gate for a Four U's score (target 12+/16). Pause to fix before producing more.

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Phase 5: Images (do these LAST among production assets)

Images are expensive in tokens and iteration time — lock content and brief first.

Minimum set (varies by format):

Asset	Purpose	Notes
character_reference.png	Consistency sheet	If using a character/mascot. Not shipped, just for prompt consistency
cover.png	Gumroad thumbnail + product cover	1600×900 for Gumroad; 2:3 portrait for PDF cover
cat_<name>.png × N	Category dividers	One per section cluster
01_<slug>.png × N	Per-item illustration	Same character/style across all
Product_Thumbnail.png	Gumroad square	400×400

Generation: prompt the image model with the character reference and the aesthetic from PRODUCT_BRIEF.md. Batch-generate, then review for consistency — kill any drift before moving on. Reference Comment Connor's generate_images.py for a batch script pattern.

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Phase 6: BUILD_PROMPT.md + Build

Write BUILD_PROMPT.md — a self-contained prompt a fresh Claude Code session can follow to produce the final deliverables from content/ + images/ + PRODUCT_BRIEF.md. Structure (copy from CommentConnorPlaybook/BUILD_PROMPT.md):

1. What exists — list content/images/brief files the build must read
2. What to build — one section per deliverable
3. Do not regenerate — warn off redoing completed work

Then run the build. Format-specific scripts:

Format	Tool	Reference
PDF ebook	pandoc + xelatex, or merge-pdfs from per-section PDFs	AlgoProduct/merge_pdfs.py + AlgoProduct/HOW_TO_COMBINE_PDFS.md
HTML flipbook	Self-contained HTML file, images as base64, keyboard + touch nav	CommentConnorPlaybook/build_html.py
HTML print version	Same HTML but @page + print CSS, browser-to-PDF export	CommentConnorPlaybook/build.py
Notion card deck	setup_notion.py + CSV import	ApprovalEngine/setup_notion.py + NOTION_IMPORT.csv

Verify the build by opening the deliverable yourself (or via /browse) before moving on.

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Phase 7: Sales + Launch Assets

Four files to write, in this order:

1. GUMROAD_SALES_COPY.md — full sales page. Structure from AlgoProduct/GUMROAD_SALES_COPY.md:

   • Headline + subheadline
   • Section 1: The hook (problem framed painfully)
   • Section 2: The reveal (what you found / built)
   • Section 3: Proof (screenshots, numbers, case study)
   • Section 4: What's inside (bullet list)
   • Section 5: Who this is for / NOT for
   • Section 6: Price anchor + CTA
   • Guarantee + PS

2. EMAIL_BLAST.md — 3-email launch sequence (tease → launch → last-call). Mirror the sales page hook.

3. COVER_IMAGE_PROMPT.md — the exact image-model prompt you used. Saves regenerating later.

4. VIDEO_SCRIPTS.md — 1-2 short video scripts for TikTok/Reels launch (hook-first, 30-60s). Compose with /kai-video for this step.

Final sales-copy gate: run /kai-gate against the sales copy with the "sales" profile. Pass Four U's, no banned words, clear CTA.

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Phase 8: Package + Launch Checklist

Create the customer-facing zip at <ProductName>/<ProductName>_Package/ with exactly what the buyer downloads. Pattern from AlgoProduct/CUSTOMER_PACKAGE_STRUCTURE.md:

<ProductName>_Package/
├── START_HERE.txt              # First thing the customer reads
├── <ProductName>_MAIN.pdf      # The core deliverable
├── <bonus files>               # System prompts, templates, checklists
└── README.md                   # What's inside + how to use

Then ship PRODUCTION_CHECKLIST.md with CRITICAL / IMPORTANT / NICE-TO-HAVE tasks. Copy structure from AlgoProduct/PRODUCTION_CHECKLIST.md — it already has the right shape (🔴🟡🟢 priority, time estimates, tool names, "why this matters" per item).

Final launch gate:

• Brief matches finished product (no design drift)
• All content files referenced in build are in content/
• Images consistent with character reference
• PDF renders cleanly end-to-end (TOC links work, no widow/orphan disasters)
• Sales copy scored 12+/16 on Four U's
• Zip package contains only customer-facing files (no source research, no old drafts)
• Gumroad product draft created with thumbnail + sales copy + file upload
• 3 launch emails queued
• 1 launch video scripted

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Composition with other kai skills

Step	Composes with
Define voice before writing	/kai-brand
Write any single content file	/kai-write
Score content quality	/kai-gate
Launch video scripts	/kai-video / /kai-video-production
Launch email sequence	/kai-email-system
Turn one product into 15+ social assets	/kai-repurpose
Find who else has bought similar products	/kai-competitors

Red flags

• Content inconsistency between items — each file should have the same structure. If they drift, the product feels amateur
• Image drift — character/style slips across illustrations. Fix by pinning character reference in every image prompt
• Scope creep mid-production — resist adding a 10th chapter when 9 was the plan. Ship, then release 1.1
• Writing the sales copy before content is done — you don't know what you're selling yet. Sales copy comes last
• Shipping without a launch video — no video = no traffic = dead Gumroad listing