Ep: 15 The Truth About DIY vs Done-For-You: Why Clients Still Want Experts
“Productization reshapes a manual, custom service into a predictable, repeatable method of providing a result.”
Emylee
So, a couple weeks ago I posted on Threads about this ridiculous-fun “slideshow birthday party” I went to — and yes, I made a presentation about syrups, sewer cats, side projects, and serial killers (as one does). But what I really want to circle back to is something that’s been popping up on Threads lately that hits close to home for every service provider I know: the rise (again!) of done-for-you services.
There’s this viral thread that simply said:
“Can we bring back DFY services, please? Sincerely, a girlie who doesn’t want to learn to do everything herself.”
And it exploded. 200+ comments later, we’ve got a full-blown debate on the state of service work — and surprise, surprise, it all ties back to productization, pricing, and how we structure our offers as service providers.
Let’s talk about what’s really going on here and how it affects you if you’re offering done-for-you work, thinking about pivoting, or feeling burnt out by the constant “teach everything” model.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
The Threads post that reignited the done-for-you conversation
Why DIY culture broke client expectations (and what to do about it)
The difference between clients making decisions with you versus for you
What photographers, stylists, and designers can learn from this
How productization saves you from burnout without a total business overhaul
The 15-degree “gentle pivot” that can fix your offer without starting over
A behind-the-scenes look at the Productization Framework webinar
Let’s Talk About This Threads Moment
When I saw that post blow up — “Can we bring back DFY services please?” — I felt so seen. Because this “I’ll just learn it myself” era of business has made so many service providers feel undervalued.
Here’s the truth:
Learning how to do something yourself is not the same as paying an expert to do it for you. And yet, for the last decade, the market has treated those two things like interchangeable offers. That’s where the burnout spiral starts — both for buyers and for providers.
Clients have been trained to think they should “DIY their business” to save money, while providers have been told to build passive offers and stop offering done-for-you because “it doesn’t scale.” Both sides lost.
The Problem Isn’t DFY. It’s the Lack of Productization.
When service providers say they’re burned out and can’t possibly take another client, what they really mean is that their delivery process is too manual, too custom, and too unpredictable.
That’s where productization comes in. It’s not about stripping the soul out of your service or making everything cookie-cutter. It’s about creating repeatable systems for the parts of your work that don’t need to be custom — so you can spend more of your time doing the parts that do.
You can productize your onboarding.
You can productize your delivery milestones.
You can even productize your revision process.
That’s how you make your service sustainable without burning down your business model.
The Gentle Pivot: Don’t Burn It All Down
If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t do this anymore,” I get it.
You’re tired. You’ve been running at full capacity, maybe even over capacity, and the internet is shouting that the only way out is to pivot — start a course, make a membership, build a digital product empire.
I call BS.
You don’t need a 180° flip. You need a 15° gentle pivot.
Instead of tearing everything down, identify what’s actually draining you — client communication, scope creep, revisions, the admin pile — and make that the thing you productize first.
Small tweaks (like a smarter onboarding form or clearer decision checkpoints) can completely change your client experience and your sanity.
Chapters
00:00 — The slideshow birthday party and why I shared my “Syrups, Sewer Cats, Side Projects, and Serial Killers” deck
03:06 — The Threads post that started it all
05:30 — The rise, fall, and return of DFY
07:42 — How to handle client decision-making like a pro
12:17 — Photographers, stylists, and the “who chooses the final photo?” dilemma
16:11 — The DIY vs DFY pricing misconception
22:59 — What productization actually means
25:11 — Why burnout doesn’t mean you have to pivot
27:30 — The 15-degree gentle pivot
29:52 — My 2016 burnout and what I learned
32:13 — Free webinar: The Productization Framework
Resources & Mentions
Maker & Moxie on Threads
@HeyMarissaLawton – for tagging me in the viral thread
Sold Out Services – my framework for productized offers
The Productized Service Framework Webinar – Nov 11, 2025
Interested in Being on the Show or Working with Emylee?
Are you a service provider with a bold perspective to share? Apply to be a guest.
Ready to transform your service into a productized, scalable offer? Apply for Sold Out Services.
If you’d like to see a library of all published episodes in a gallery with easy-to-find links to all listening platforms be sure to check out the Sell The Damn Service Episode Library.
