05/10/2025

ON SUNDAY October 5, 2025 II theSunday Special

Digital products are trending but not everyone wins BY DAYANA SOBRI T HE allure of making money online without ever having to deal with stock, shipping or even face-to-face interaction has made digital products one “Digital products remove barriers that traditional businesses face,” said business strategist Evie Mon. “You can start with minimal capital and reach a global audience instantly. That’s attractive, especially in today’s gig economy.”

“I bought a RM900 course on how to make money selling Notion templates,” said Nirman Juhanis, a digital content creator with 7,000 followers on TikTok. “Turns out, the whole course was just teaching me how to repackage and sell the same course to others. I didn’t feel like I was learning a skill – I was just becoming a cog in someone else’s funnel.” The illusion of passive income One of the most common selling points in the digital product world is the idea of passive income – where you do the work once, then sit back and earn money forever. While this is technically possible, it’s rarely that straightforward. “You might be spared from dealing with refunds since the nature of digital products makes them non-refundable, but you still need to market, update and engage with customers,” said Nirman. “It’s not passive unless you’ve already built a brand and a following.” Many digital entrepreneurs spend months or even years building their audi ence before seeing meaningful income. That nuance is often lost in the way digital success stories are presented online. “In Malaysia, people are drawn to the idea of escaping the 9-to-5 job. But they don’t always see the backend – the email campaigns, analytics, SEO and content creation. It’s a full-time job before it becomes passive,” said Mon. Who’s really making money? Platforms like TikTok, Instagram and 7HOHJUDP DUH QRZ ÀRRGHG ZLWK FUHDWRUV R̆ HULQJ ³LQVWDQW VLGH KXVWOHV´ WKDW FODLP to require no skill or time. These often involve reselling Private Label Rights content – such as e-books or templates that can be repackaged and sold as your own.

Digital products offer freedom and flexibility, but they are tools, not instant riches.”

of the most talked-about business models in recent years. From downloadable templates and e-books to online courses and AI prompts, many Malaysians are exploring the potential of selling digital goods as a side hustle or even a full-time income stream. B XW DV PRUH SHRSOH ÀRRG VRFLDO PHGLD SODWIRUPV ZLWK FODLPV RI ¿YH ¿JXUH SDV sive income, a new concern is emerging. Is this digital gold rush a genuine op portunity or just the latest version of a creative pyramid scheme? Low cost, high potential: Or low value, high pressure? At its core, selling digital products is a logical business move. After all, digital ¿OHV FDQ EH GXSOLFDWHG LQ¿QLWHO\ DW YLUWX ally no cost, creating a scalable model that doesn’t require physical inventory. The initial investment is often limited to time, VNLOOV DQG PDUNHWLQJ H̆ RUWV

Mon “It starts to feel like an MLM when the focus shifts from the product to recruiting others to sell the same product. You’re not selling value – you’re selling the idea of selling,” said digital marketing consultant Iman Mohd. What Iman was referring to are digital products that come with Master Reseller Rights, which allow you to sell the same item to another seller, who, in turn, re ceives the same rights to sell the same item to another seller. It goes on and on. In Malaysia, the Direct Selling Associa tion of Malaysia (DSAM) and the Ministry RI 'RPHVWLF 7UDGH KDYH VWULFW GH¿QLWLRQV for pyramid schemes. However, many digital business models operate in a grey area – technically legal, but ethically questionable.

Yet, Mon warned that what appears simple on the surface can quickly become complicated. “Some people assume they can just throw together a Canva template or an AI generated e-book and sell it for RM50. But without a real strategy or understanding of the market, it ends up being a race to the bottom.” Where the line starts to blur The rise of digital entrepreneurship has coincided with a boom in online coaching, mentorship and “make money while you sleep” courses – many of which cost hundreds or even thousands of ringgit. Frequently marketed through emotional appeals and lifestyle imagery, these FRXUVHV SURPLVH ¿QDQFLDO IUHHGRP EXW often deliver generic content that lacks real substance.