I’d create workshops with specific outcomes in mind (pre-recorded), like one for writers who have never written for comics before that I’d sell between $50-150.
I would recommend charging a small amount though. Otherwise you will have attendance issues, but even $10 can make people commit to coming.
I know you have asked about subbreddit, but have you considered groups like Vistage (https://www.vistage.com/). it is a peer group for CEOs of usually small-to-medium companies and there are also a few competitors.
Vladimir
Hi there, another engineer here turned-founder.
- What are you options if you don’t continue?
- Do you have that lined-up? Is it the same amount of risk?
- You will always hear about successes and rarely about failures. How biased is your data?
Every approach that you take will require work. https://twitter.com/levelsio went through 97(!!) different ideas before finding a market fit.
- Is it easier for you to change what you are doing now or to start something fresh?
Happy to chat in the DMs
Vladimir
It is only a bad idea if lines are crossed. If your are doing professionally w/o jeopardizing business you are in and not asking the other person to jeopardize theirs, then it is only natural. It may make sense to check with your manager that you want to reach out and extend the relationship. It will give the manager the heads up and also might offer some guidance on how to do it well in the context of your company.
Good luck!
Vladimir
Great question! and what an opportunity! you have so much time to try so many different things!
For me one of the pivotal moments was around when I took Steve Blank’s course on entrepreneurship (https://www.udacity.com/course/how-to-build-a-startup–ep245). The core of which is the premise that you don’t need an idea to start a business, but just a desire to help people solve their problems. You just pick an industry where you want to solve the problems and start interviewing industry leaders about their needs and problems. After which you will come away with ideas that might become a business. You do these interviews in batches of 50 and eventually will narrow down the problems that the industry is bothered with.
Happy to expand more in the DMs
Vladimir
Is it possible to find these people in one place at a conference? This way they are physically there and it is easier to talk to them. Generally the response rate at the in-person events is much higher.
Vladimir
https://humaninterfaces.co
Mr. O, consider signing up for Techstars Mentors. They can keep you busy across all of their locations.
Vladimir
can you raise the prices? do you have a captive market?
are there other businesses that can benefit from the workflow you have setup? I don’t know about intricacies about selling professional services, but can it be applied to selling anything else? Do you have a unique proposition that is transferrable to other niches?
what about acquiring a competitor? $15k might not be enough for that, but you can use stock or leverage
Vladimir
https://humaninterfaces.co