March 2020 – best year for my business ever, selling insight research. One month later, the first of 4 months with ZERO income.
That month, I also launched ‘Crisis Connections’. A pro-bono initiative that ultimately connected 100 professionals to 40 non profits and charities for free support and advice.
July 2020 – launched ‘Crisis Navigator’. A four week training and coaching course on how to use research to navigate crises. No income from it. Learned a tonne.
Sept 2020 – did second paid ‘Crisis Navigator’ course. 2 people came. 1 paid.
Nov 2020 – changed course name to ‘Interviewing for Innovation’. Focused the course on doing research to grow profits and change the world faster.
Sold first course. 10 paying people came.
Today – Interviewing for Innvoation is popular and highly rated, including with Fortune 500 business and charities. Course after course been sold.
The key learnings:
– I felt I was failing for ages – this is normal
– Sometimes you have the right content, it is the framing that needs to change
– Don’t be afraid to trade time and learning for money. Had I not had the tough times, I would never have found a product market fit.
– Productise if you possibly can. This means you don’t lose the knowledge you learn with every subsequent running of your course.
– Connect with others. Help them. And at some stage, MAYBE they will help you. And even if not, karma is still wonderful.
