The 10x / $1,000 Content Test
Would this be 10x more valuable, or worth paying $1,000 for? If yes, it wins.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 84%
With AI making content trivially easy to produce, Bodnar offers a filter for what actually stands out. Content wins when it is immediately actionable, carries unique data or perspective, or makes a genuinely contrarian, well-reasoned argument. His personal gut-check is a two-part prompt: will this be ten times more valuable for people, or would someone pay $1,000-$2,000 to access it? If either answer is yes, the piece will be really successful; if both are no, it will be average. The test forces you to raise the bar past regurgitation and clickbait.
Origin
Bodnar developed the prompt as a personal standard for his own content and podcast work, refined over years of creating at HubSpot and hosting Marketing Against the Grain.
Core principles
- 01People have never wanted more actionable content; give them something they can act on immediately.
- 02Unique data and proprietary perspective make content stand out.
- 03A well-argued contrarian take against the status quo earns attention.
- 04Ask: is this 10x more valuable, or would someone pay $1,000-$2,000 for it?
- 05If yes to either, it will be successful; if no, it'll be middling.
How to run it
- 1
Make it immediately actionable
Design content that leads the reader to take an action right away, especially through free tools or platforms.
Pro tip Actionable, tool-backed content reliably takes off.
- 2
Add unique data or perspective
Ground the piece in proprietary research, surveys, or customer data people can't find elsewhere.
Pro tip Benchmark data is magnetic because audiences want to compare themselves.
- 3
Consider a contrarian argument
Go against the status quo with a deep, thoughtful, reasoned case that changes people's thinking.
Watch out A contrarian take needs a genuinely good argument, not just provocation.
- 4
Run the value test
Ask whether the piece is 10x more valuable or worth $1,000-$2,000; ship only if yes.
Pro tip If the honest answer is no, it will be middling and average.
In the wild
When DeepSeek launched, Marketing Against the Grain published a credible, timely video that got recommended in ChatGPT queries about DeepSeek.
→ 50,000 views in about 24 hours by being the high-value, actionable resource on a spiking topic.
Bodnar's example of surveying 2,000 people in an industry so readers can see how they compare against benchmarks.
→ Proprietary data becomes a standout, high-leverage asset people seek out.
Common mistakes
Regurgitating what's already out there
Content that just restates existing information or serves as clickbait fails the value test and stays average.
Skipping the value gut-check
Producing content without asking if it's 10x better or worth paying for guarantees a flood of middling pieces.
Is it for you?
Best for
Creators and marketers deciding whether a content idea is worth producing.
Not ideal for
Pure volume-play or SEO-filler strategies where differentiation isn't the goal.
From the transcript
“Is what I'm about to do going to be 10 times more valuable for people or would somebody pay $1,000, $2,000 to have access to…”
“People have never wanted more actionable content ever. They want something that's going to lead them to immediately take action.”
From the episode
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