It's very hard to go from $0 to $10. And it's a lot easier to go from $5 to $100. And then from $100 to $1000. And so on.
In the first scenario you don't have any proof that someone might be willing to pay for your product or service. Ever. No one transferred you anything yet. So you might never be able to make those $10.
In the second scenario you already have the proof that someone is willing to pay for your product or service. Someone already paid you 5 bucks. So you've already done the hard work.
And once you've got someone to trust you enough to pay 5 bucks it's up to you to find out what that customer really wants. And then give it to her.
Sure, those 5 bucks won't make you rich. And that's not the purpose of those 5 bucks.
The only purpose of those 5 bucks is to showcase the quality of your work and to deliver a ridiculous amount of value for those 5 bucks to build up trust. Trust in you. And in your work.
It's also a natural filter to figure out who you should focus on and what problems you should be solving. To make sure you're not building something for a bunch of free-riders..
That's why I've started this.