Productized Service

Every engagement is a new scope. You propose, they negotiate, you deliver something slightly different each time. A productized service is a standardized offering with defined scope, pricing, and delivery timeline. Unlike custom projects, productized services scale: you sell the same thing, deliver the same way, and add capacity to that process instead of reinventing each engagement.

Same work, different package. A consultant who does "custom strategy" re-scopes every time. One who offers "Launch audit + 90-day roadmap—$15k, 3 weeks" has a productized service. The client knows what they get; the consultant knows what they deliver; the price is fixed. A coach who sells "clarity sessions" ad hoc switches to "12-session clarity program: intake, 12 calls, wrap doc—$2,400." Productized services remove scope creep and re-sell fatigue. They're the output of productization—the act of turning your work into a repeatable offer.

How to create one

1. Name the outcome. What does the client get at the end? Not "strategy support" but "a one-page positioning doc and a 90-day launch plan." The deliverable is specific enough to fix scope.

2. Define the steps. How do you get from start to outcome? Discovery, then X, then Y, then delivery. This becomes your SOP and enables service standardization. When the steps are clear, you can delegate parts or run two in parallel.

3. Set the price. Tie it to the outcome (value pricing), not the hours. "Positioning sprint: $12k." The client buys the result; you manage the process. When you change the offer, you change the price—clean boundaries.

What breaks

Scope creep. "Just one more call" or "can you also…" undermines the product. The answer is: that's a different outcome (and we can price it separately) or it's not in scope. Hold the boundary.

Productizing too late. If you're drowning in custom work, you'll be tempted to rush the definition. Start with your best repeatable project and turn that into the first productized offer.

Where to go next