Course Creators Weekly #68
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October 11th, 2021
- How To Build An Audience Without Being An Expert
Andrew Barry and Nathan Barry(!) talk about building an audience and being an "expert", Wes Kao writes about the future of education with CBCs, and Chris Ducker writes about happy customers!
Nathan Barry on How To Build An Audience Without Being An Expert
“The people we think of as experts don't teach because they're experts. We think of them as experts, because they teach.”—Nathan Barry
On becoming an "expert" and building an audience:
Start by writing whatever interests you—let your "niche" emerge through feedback
Teach everything you know—being an "expert" comes after you start teaching
Learn in public—bring people on a journey, teaching them what you learn, as you learn
Put in the reps—create every day, teach everything you know, work in public
Ask: “What's frustrating about learning X”, and “Where do you go to learn right now?”
Write as frequently as it suits you—weekly, monthly, or anything in between (or not)
Offer worksheets, detailed plans, templates—super actionable stuff
Offer a free email course—the entry barrier is super low
Think of your email list as a big group of friends who'll root for you when it gets tough
On pricing:
Experiment with pricing at the same time as you iterate on your content
Offer multiple packages at different price points to maximise revenue
On selling:
Take a casual approach—e.g. ask people to show interest by replying to your email
Build anticipation by sharing everything people need to know, before the cart opens
Don't surprise people with a sales offer, i.e. no prolonged silence before a launch
In the last 15 minutes of the episode, Nathan drops a series of knowledge bombs on selling and launch strategies. If you don't have time to listen to the full episode, at least listen to the last 15 minutes! 
Random Picks from past editions
In Online Ed, Content Is No Longer King—Cohorts Are
Wes Kao's article on a16z made lots of waves earlier this year. This was picked from the archives randomly, which is funny because I'm working with Maven as a pedagogy coach right now, and their community has been on FIRE! 
Anyway, here are my key takeaways from the article:
Cheap or free educational content is abundant today—people don't pay for content
Few people find the willpower + motivation to get results from such abundant content
Community-driven, active learning in real time beats passive content consumption
Online learning communities are scarce—in today's world, that's what people pay for
On the shortfalls of MOOCs
The async, self-paced nature of MOOCs results in low completion rates + poor results
MOOCs lack quality filters due to their low/no-cost, degrading their brand + reputation
MOOCs convey knowledge, but lack enough feedback loop for learning high-level skills
The case for cohort-based courses (CBCs)
CBCs focus on active, hands-on learning—less theory, more practice + feedback- Live, bi-directional learning keeps everyone accountable, including the instructors
The shared experience within the community challenges students + improves learning
On monetisation
CBCs allow creators to make a healthy living, even with a relatively small audience
Creators can free up their time and energy by building a reusable, productised offering
Check out the article for more details, examples of CBCs, helpful infographics, and references to other relevant information!
The Importance of Happy Customers
Prioritise keeping your customers happy over getting new customers
If you have a team, focus on their happiness first—it will cascade to your customers
It's easier to keep getting "yes"-es from existing customers, than to get a "first yes"
Make it easy for customers to contact you, via multiple channels
Reach out yourself—make sure they're happy + offer an opportunity for questions
Communicate your availability + set clear expectations
