Course Creators Weekly #46
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May 10th, 2021
- Stand out with spiky points of view
This week, Wes Kao makes a case for controversial ideas, Thomas Frank talks about creative inspiration, and we learn about Li Jin's "100 True Fans" model.
🌵 Spiky point of view: Let’s get a little controversial
In this article, Wes Kao talks about "spiky" points of view and how they'll help you stand out by bringing out the uniqueness in you.
Biggest takeaways:
You're unique, with unique points of view shaped by your experiences and intuitions- A spiky point of view is surprising and controversial, yet honest and true to you
To stand out, bring out your spiky points of view—share them with the world
Create 'aha' moments for your audience by helping them see problems in a new light
Believe in them, enough to advocate for, but be ok with and welcome disagreements
Start with generic ideas, and keep refining to arrive at your spiky points of view
Share your truth, and start a conversation, but don't look for everyone's agreement
Some of Wes's spiky points of view:
As an online teacher, you need to be 50% instructor, 50% entertainer
Prototyping is often unnecessary and way too slow—scenario plan instead
Check out the article for more details, examples, and Wes's thought-provoking questions to bring out your own spiky points of view! 
This is why you don’t feel inspired
As a course creator, you need to find creative, interesting ways to engage and inspire your audience. Plus, it's hard to come up with content ideas without some creative inspiration.
In this beautifully done video, Thomas Frank talks about "exploration" and how it can help you feel more creatively inspired.
Explore and make new experiences, collecting more dots that you can later connect
Broaden the scope of what you consume in books, movies, people you talk to, etc
Get out, learn and experience new things from a variety of sources
Follow your interests—don't force exploration, but try to get out of your comfort zone
Study the people you admire—the things that inspired them will likely interest you too
Understand the exploration-exploitation dilemma—be constantly exploring
Don't pass up an opportunity up without asking 'why' first, or because you're afraid
Be aware of the labels associated with you—don't feel pressured to "stay in your lane"
Don't let labels give you tunnel vision and put you in a safe, but uninspiring box
Check out the video for inspiring stories and examples from Thomas's own life!
100 True Fans
Li Jin takes Kevin Kelly's 1000 True Fans model a step further.
You may only need 100 true fans to build a sustainable $100K business, but…
Earning $1K a year per fan (on average) requires you to deliver meaningful value
Use segmentation and tiered pricing to offer extra value for more $$ to your super-fans- Go niche with differentiated content + access to a network of like-minded individuals
Price your course higher, motivating students to derive max value (I think differently)
Offer super-fans exclusive access to you + recognition and status in your community
Check out Li's article for more details, examples, and some actual revenue numbers!
