The P5 Formula: Problem, Product, Plan, Proof, Promotion

Billy Sticker explains the P5 Formula from The Blessed Entrepreneur: solve a real problem, build the right offer, plan delivery, establish proof, then promote.

The P5 Formula is the business-building framework I introduce in The Blessed Entrepreneur: Problem, Product, Plan, Proof, and Promotion. It starts with a problem worth solving, connects that problem to an offer you can deliver, and puts evidence before wider promotion. Use it to examine a new idea or find the weak point in an existing business.

Business takes work. A framework does not remove uncertainty or guarantee growth. What it can do is make the next decision clearer. Before you buy another tool or launch another campaign, work through these five questions.

1. Problem: what does the customer need solved?

In the book, I describe businesses as organizations that solve problems. A restaurant helps someone who needs a prepared meal. A roofing contractor helps protect a building. The problems differ, but the starting point is the same: someone needs a result.

Get specific about the person, the situation, and the difficulty. People are not sitting at home wondering how to give you money. They are thinking about their own problems. Talk to prospective customers, listen to the words they use, and learn what they already do to address the issue.

A useful working sentence is: we help this person solve this problem in this situation. If that sentence stays vague, more promotion is unlikely to fix the underlying confusion.

2. Product: what will you provide?

Product does not have to mean a physical object. It can be a service, consulting engagement, course, or another practical solution. Your job is to connect what you provide to the problem you identified. You do not have to invent an entirely new category to serve someone well.

Define what the customer receives, what they must contribute, and where the offer stops. For example, a hypothetical service for organizing incoming customer requests might include setup and team training, but not authority to approve refunds. A clear offer makes expectations easier to discuss and results easier to evaluate.

3. Plan: how will the business deliver?

The Plan stage brings the idea into daily work. Who owns delivery? What steps are required? What resources and capacity does the work need? Think about the business you want to operate and the life you want it to support, not only the number of sales you hope to make.

For that hypothetical request-management service, the plan would cover onboarding, permitted information, setup, testing, support, and handoff. Name the responsible person for each step. A sale creates an obligation to deliver; your plan should make that obligation manageable.

Related: Remove the founder bottleneck with clearer ownership

4. Proof: what shows that the solution works?

Proof helps you evaluate the solution and helps a buyer evaluate the promise. Appropriate evidence depends on the offer. It might be a demonstration, a work sample, a measured pilot, or a testimonial shared with permission. Do not substitute confidence for evidence.

In the hypothetical service example, a pilot could compare handling time, errors, and unresolved requests before and after the change. Report what actually happened, including review effort and limitations. A result from one situation is not a guarantee for every customer. This is a practical application of the framework, not a claim about a particular client.

5. Promotion: how will the right people find it?

Once you understand the problem, offer, delivery, and evidence, explain the solution to people who need it. Promotion can be a form of service when it helps someone discover an appropriate solution. Start with the message and the audience before choosing the channel.

An article can answer a buying question. A presentation can explain the problem in depth. A short video can introduce an idea and point to the full explanation. Keep the promise consistent across those places, and do not imply stronger proof than you have.

Related: Build trust with questions, evidence, and useful content

Use P5 as a one-page business review

• Problem: name the customer and the problem in one sentence.
• Product: describe the offer, deliverables, and boundaries.
• Plan: assign the delivery steps, owners, and needed resources.
• Proof: list the evidence you have and what still needs testing.
• Promotion: choose one audience, one clear message, and one next step.

Look for the weakest answer. If you cannot describe the problem, return to customer conversations. If delivery depends on you doing everything, improve the plan. If the evidence is thin, run a bounded test before making a larger claim. Use the framework to decide what needs attention next, then revisit it as you learn.

Adapted from The Blessed Entrepreneur by Billy Sticker, especially the P5 overview and chapters on Problem, Product, Plan, Proof, and Promotion. The service example and review worksheet above apply the book's framework to a contemporary business scenario.

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