Matt here with your weekly Subscription Prescription 💊

I talk to a lot of brand founders who are building subscription products. Some of the advice I give them is how to think about subscriptions from the very beginning. In this dose, I unpack that a little more by diving into proving the product works early on, how to stack value over time and building an experience around the product.

This week’s dose is also a podcast episode, where I dive into more examples of how this works, so listen in or watch on your favorite platform:

💊 What’s Your Subscription’s Secret Sauce?

This week, we’re talking about something most brands completely overlook: how to make your subscription special. Not how to discount your way into more subscribers. Not how to gamify churn prevention. But how do you actually make your subscription feel like something people want to be part of — and stick with?

If you’re thinking long-term, this is the stuff that matters. Great LTV and loyalty come from more than just a working product. It comes from the experience you wrap around that product. So, let’s talk about how to make yours more memorable, more valuable, and more sticky.

1. Prove It Works — Early and Visibly

Most products don’t sell themselves — especially if the benefits are subtle, cumulative, or take time to kick in. If you're not helping subscribers feel the impact of your product right away, you're leaving their “maybe I’ll cancel” button way too close.

What’s worked really well is actually building a “proof plan” into the first product experience. Invite customers to test, track, and validate the results for themselves. That might mean suggesting a before-and-after challenge, or providing a framework that helps them measure the benefit in week one. The goal is simple: create a moment early in the journey where they think, “Whoa, this is working.”

When that happens, you shift the entire mindset. They’re not trying your product anymore — they’re trusting it.

If your product isn’t something that has an immediate impact, then you need to invest more in setting the table for the wait. Use UGC and customer stories that talk about the time and process. Lay out what they’ll feel or experience over time so they know what to expect.

2. Stack Value Over Time, Not Just at Checkout

Too many brands put everything into the acquisition moment — flashy offer, free gift, big savings — and then go quiet. But what happens next? Retention happens next. And that means you need a reason for customers to stay beyond that first month.

A smart move is to build a visible roadmap of value. Tell subscribers exactly what’s coming in months two, three, and beyond. Gifts, exclusive content, perks, new product drops — whatever makes sense for your margin. The idea is to turn your subscription from a “set it and forget it” into something people look forward to. You’re not just a vendor anymore — you’re part of their routine.

And the best part? When churn risk hits, you’ve already planted reasons to stay.

3. Don’t Just Sell Products. Build an Experience Around Them.

The brands that are winning in subscriptions aren’t just selling great stuff. They’re surrounding that stuff with education, community, and content that makes customers feel like they’re part of something. That might look like tutorial videos, deep-dive emails, private communities, or a content engine that actually teaches customers how to get more value from what they buy.

You don’t have to produce a Netflix docuseries. But you do have to think about keeping the relationship between boxes alive. If someone’s using your product regularly, great — how are you making that experience richer? If someone’s ghosted, what’s your subtle way to re-engage them without relying on a discount?

That kind of system thinking is how you transform subscribers from buyers into brand believers.

Final Dose

Subscription success doesn’t come from one silver bullet. It comes from stacking small, thoughtful experiences that make your offer feel like more than just a box in the mail.

So ask yourself:

• How are you proving your product works fast?

• How are you showing customers that month three is better than month one?

• How are you making your subscription a system, not just a shipment?

When you’ve got those answers dialed, you’ve got something your competitors can’t copy with a promo code.

Until next Tuesday, that’s your Subscription Prescription. 💊

 - Matt Holman 🩺

The Subscription Doc