DFY, DWY, DIY: The Only 3 Offers That Matter
The DWY/DFY Revolution That’s Replacing Traditional E-Learning
One of the most important things I’ve learned over the years as an entrepreneur and digital mentor is that what you sell is just as important as how you deliver it. Most people obsess over marketing tactics, lead generation tricks, or conversion funnels - but they don’t spend enough time thinking about the core offer itself.
If your offer isn't clear, compelling, and scalable - you’re building your business on shaky ground.
So today, I want to take you deep into the different types of offers, how to package them, how to price them, and how to scale them without losing your sanity.
Let’s dive in.
Products vs Services vs Productized Services
When someone asks me what to sell, my answer is always the same: it depends on your goals.
But broadly, your offer will fall into one of three categories:
1. Product
A product is tangible, repeatable, and less customized. Think of a pen, a packet of instant noodles, or even a self-paced online course. Once created, it doesn’t require your active involvement in delivery. That’s why it scales well.
The downside? It’s usually perceived as lower value. If you’re selling an eBook or a video course, people expect it to be cheaper - because they know you’re not doing anything “live” for them.
2. Service
A service is personalized, time-intensive, and harder to scale. Think coaching, consulting, or custom design work.
Because of the personal involvement, people perceive services as high-value - but you pay for that with your time. If you stop working, the income stops too.
3. Productized Service
This is where the magic happens.
A productized service is a hybrid: it looks like a service to the customer (they get results, support, and interaction), but internally it runs like a product. It's repeatable, structured, and often delivered by a team.
For example, my internship program in the early batches was very service-oriented. I did live classes, answered questions myself, and sent certificates manually. Later, I productized it. I used recorded videos, systematized the onboarding, trained mentors to do Q&A, and automated certificates.
This allowed me to scale massively without burning out - and customers still felt they were getting personal attention.
Servicizing the Product, Productizing the Service
Once you understand the spectrum, you realize that it’s not about choosing either a product or a service. You can actually blend the two strategically based on what your business needs.
Let’s break it down.
Servicizing the Product
This means taking a basic product (like a recorded course) and adding layers of service on top of it to increase the perceived value.
Examples:
Live Q&A calls
Assignments and feedback
Access to a private community
Certificates and rewards
1-on-1 mentorship
When you “servicize” your product, your customers feel like they’re not just buying information - they’re buying transformation. That’s where the value lies.
Productizing the Service
This is the opposite approach. If you’re offering a customized service and it’s becoming unscalable, you need to create systems, SOPs, and templates to make it repeatable.
Examples:
A logo design service with fixed packages and timelines
A consulting offer with pre-recorded modules + structured calls
A done-for-you marketing package with a checklist and delivery team
The key is to reduce decision fatigue, both for you and the customer. You move from “custom everything” to “this is how we do it here.”
If you’re a freelancer, agency owner, or coach, this is how you scale.
The Offer Delivery Spectrum: DIY, DWY, DFY
Now let’s talk about how your offer is delivered - and how that affects the customer experience and your pricing power.
1. DIY – Do It Yourself
This is the most basic format. You give people the material and they go figure it out on their own.
Examples:
eBooks
Udemy-style recorded courses
Blog posts and newsletters
It’s low-touch, low-price, but also low success rate for the customer. Still, it has a place in your funnel - especially as a lead magnet or entry-level product.
2. DWY – Done With You
This is where most online coaches and mentors (including me) thrive.
You’re working alongside the customer. You provide content, but also structure, accountability, and interaction.
Examples:
Cohort-based courses
Masterminds
Group coaching programs
These can be priced much higher because they deliver community and guidance, not just content.
3. DFY – Done For You
Here, the customer outsources the outcome to you entirely. You (or your team) do the work for them.
Examples:
Digital marketing agency
Web development service
Sales team setup and training
This model commands the highest pricing - but it’s also the most operationally intense. And not every niche supports it. For example, I can’t lose weight for you - but I can build a landing page for you.
Think of it like this:
DIY = Map
DWY = Bus with a guide
DFY = Personal chauffeur
As you move from DIY to DFY, pricing and value increase - so choose your model wisely.
Pricing: It's All About Perceived Value
Let me share a truth that took me years to fully grasp: people don’t pay for effort - they pay for outcomes.
You could create a 50-hour course and price it at ₹500, and someone else could deliver the same core insight in 5 hours and charge ₹50,000 - and people will gladly pay if they perceive the value is high.
Here’s how perceived value increases:
Add service elements (live calls, feedback)
Personalize the experience (mentors, communities)
Package the outcome (instead of features, sell transformation)
The exact same content can be sold at different price points just by changing how it's positioned and delivered.
For example:
My recorded course on Facebook Ads might sell for ₹2,000 as a DIY product.
The same course bundled into a 4-week live cohort with Q&A and feedback? ₹20,000.
Add one-on-one support, certification, and community access? ₹50,000+.
You’re not changing the core knowledge - you’re changing the container.
What This Means for You as a Digital Mentor
If you want to build a profitable and scalable online business, you have to become a master of offers. Not just the content - but the structure, the delivery, and the perception.
Here’s how you can apply this today:
Start with a service (coaching, consulting) to understand your audience deeply.
Productize your service by documenting what you repeat often (make videos, SOPs, checklists).
Servicize your product by adding layers that increase value (community, support, accountability).
Test different delivery models: DIY, DWY, DFY - see what resonates.
Experiment with pricing tiers. Don’t be afraid to charge more if the transformation is real.
Final Thoughts
I know many of you reading this are trying to create your first course, or scale your freelancing work, or launch a coaching program. And I want to tell you this:
Don’t overcomplicate the offer. Start simple, but stay strategic.
Every successful creator or mentor you see online today has gone through this journey - starting with unscalable services, slowly building systems, packaging outcomes, and then scaling.
You can do it too.
Remember:
Products are scalable but less valued.
Services are valued but less scalable.
Productized services are the sweet spot.
Your job is to design offers that deliver outcomes - and then deliver them efficiently.
When you master this, scaling your business becomes inevitable.
Stay sharp,
– Digital Deepak