10/ Many of us could teach the equivalent of an MBA level marketing or org psych course at 1/10th the cost. Maybe with some boutique idiosyncrasies.
But then you take such courses for the Stanford/MIT networks, not the material). The material is pretty DIY+experience tbh.
Conversation
11/ That leaves Weird Topics as the ideal market for a free agent grad-school type world of courses. and I tried one such, an idiosyncratic ribbonfarm writing course that was neither Writing 101, nor Blogging 101, nor graduate creative writing at a univ.
2
1
15
12/ It was great and I think we learned far more than any of the participants, which I how it should be for grad-seminar type teaching.
I have many lazy ideas, based on my writing, for other Weird Topics grad-level courses (thinking with 2x2s, OODA loopology, fat thinking...)
2
13
13/ The challenge is working out a systematic business model for delivering Weird Topics learning material from the Long Tail of the Great Weirding.
My experiments so far have been Random Acts of Mildly Profitable or Break-Even Teaching, and I don’t trust that to be sustainable
1
1
13
14/ What’s missing is a clean conceptualization of how Weird Topics teaching directly links to research/writing/making/kickstartering end of things. Just like there’s Aman R&D/PhD/grad-coursework nexus in academia.
Once I figure that out I’ll be more enthusiastic about teaching
2
7
15/ This thread is a reflection of my own ambivalence towards the online courses game.
I have had a Ribbonfarm School set up on teachable for a year now with some bare minimum stuff available, and I’m both attracted to/put off by the idea of doing more.
1
8
16/ What would make me get serious is if I could figure out a good model, with many teachers, of Ribbonfarm School as a Weird Topics grad school.
I have no interest in the undergrad-equivalent stuff (though I need that to exist) or things that univs do well already at grad level
1
1
7
17/ Btw if any of you are interested in this stuff and looking to “disrupt” regular grad school or even undergrad, note that that’s likely a bad idea.
They’re disrupting themselves pretty well with their free/cheap catalog-openings in partnership with the Courseras of the world
1
11
18/ What we’re talking about here is really an indie teaching scene by analogy to indie music. The big univs are like the big record labels. No point competing where they have a deep back catalog of material ready to go.
Either teach New Economy UG or Weird Topics grad school
2
1
28
19/ If you want to teach New Economy UG, you have to think like a consumer business and design for scale, efficiency, packaging, mass marketing, intake funnels, and probably a sub $300 price range
2
11
20/ If you want to teach Weird Topics grad school, you need to figure out a link/cross-subsidy with research/writing/making/indie-creating, focus on bespoke teaching relationships, and a price < $100, unless you can figure out a scholarship model and make it free (my preference)
Ben does news/industry analysis not really teaching
1
Replying to
I have similar ideas for “weird topics” in productivity taught by many different teachers. But why don’t you think it can be premium priced? Like boutique in-person courses on massage therapy, orgasmic meditation, public speaking, sitting/walking techniques
1
2
Such courses consume a significant part of Bay Area time and budgets
1
1
Show replies
Replying to
Love ur weird topics grad school idea. But I don’t understand after u draw an analogy with UG and Grad school stuff with consumer and enterprise packages, ur suggested pricing model actually prices the grad school lower? (Sub 300 against sub 100)
Enlighten me please
1



