The ability to make something simple is more valuable than expertise

Whenever I sit down with creatives to help unpack their superpower into a business model, they always bemoan two things.

Firstly, they’re not an expert on the topic, so why would anyone listen to them?

Secondly, all of this information is already available on the internet, so why would anyone pay for it?

Both of these complaints are true.

In answer to both, I provide the same example – cookbooks.

Non experts have been writing cookbooks and delivering successful cooking shows for years.

The Naked Chef Jamie Oliver was immensely popular because of his personality, his style of cooking and his unusual target audience.

Not because of his expertise.

All of the recipes anyone has ever put into a cookbook can be found on the internet for free. What cookbook authors do is provide order and organisation to an overwhelming topic, and people are willing to pay for that.

There are far too many recipes for shepherds pie on the internet. I don’t know which one to choose, but if Jamie Oliver puts his shepherds pie recipe in a cookbook, I will trust that his version will work because I know, like, and trust him.

Jamie chooses the recipe, breaks down the steps and delivers a solid result. People buy his cookbooks because of the order and organisation he brings to an overwhelming topic, not because he’s the only one in the world who can make shepherds pie.

What overwhelming topic can you bring order and organisation to?

How can you make this topic simple and entertaining for your audience?