A3 – Triple L

Hi Sarah, I have been thinking about these similar ideas for a while and my target market is China as there is no dominant players in the market (we might have to face the competition from Udemy, Lynda in other market) right now which leaves development room to startups. Have you ever considered to expand your business to China? BTW, for a startup, the crowdfunding is a quite different way but probably a great way to get funded in your case as this option (pay $9.99 to get lifetime access) might be quite attractive for some potential customer. Cheers!

Hi Sarah, I have been thinking about these similar ideas for a while and my target market is China as there is no dominant players in the market (we might have to face the competition from Udemy, Lynda in other market) right now which leaves development room to startups. Have you ever considered to expand your business to China? BTW, for a startup, the crowdfunding is a quite different way but probably a great way to get funded in your case as this option (pay $9.99 to get lifetime access) might be quite attractive for some potential customer. Cheers!

Hi Sarah. I echo what others have said about the idea being interesting but wanting some more detail on the type of course I would expect. For me though, I would have liked some indication as to what you thought an appropriate investment amount would be. I understood that you're looking for $200k, but I assumed that wasn't from only one investor as that would be a pretty expensive way to get lifelong access. Some specifics on that would certainly help me. I can also say that as I was listening I had a feeling this was adding to an already crowded marketplace. But you do make an argument as to why you are differentiated.

Hello Sarah, The idea of life long learning is a great concept. I like the idea of online course learning. I think that because we went to the traditional we enjoy the idea on short online learning course. Is there data or research of some kind showing that online course such as the ones you suggest have a better chance triggering learners’ curiosity?
Like Scott, I would like to know more about the courses or even the syllabus of the what is being taught to the users. I get a general idea of how it works, but I would like to have further information on the courses and the target audience.

Sarah, nice venture idea! Like the comments you have received already I am impressed with the idea of creating a community based model so that learners feel supported is a critical component and what might set this venture apart from so many others. The problem may be though that there are already so many websites like the ones you mention that already offer online learning and besides the community approach I feel that I didn't learn very much about how the courses would be offered and what types of courses or if they would be moderated in any way. Basia lists a number of other questions that I had as well so I won't bother asking as well, but I was also a bit puzzled about the financial request, as that will not be very much money to purchase additional computers and hire more staff since the majority of your current subscribers subscription fees would already be going to the current staff. Again, I like the idea of it, but I'm not convinced that it would be something that I would invest in without more information about the courses. Oh, I must say that I loved how your family was involved in your video, with the soundbites from your toddler and posting it on your husband's YouTube account! :)

Hi Sarah! Thank you for sharing your venture. I like the idea of marrying a community knowledge-building method with online courses; I think the independence (and at times isolation) we feel from online learning is both a blessing and a curse—great to work at one’s own pace, but hard to connect with others. As far as I know, Coursera has something like this with peer-grading of assignments. As an investor, I’d like to know more about the workings of your program in comparison to your competitors: are the courses quality-controlled in any way? Can the skills and knowledge learned here be used elsewhere? In what format and size are they offered? Is there assessment? Do instructors upkeep their courses, or does your company? Do all users have to make courses on the site periodically, or is it just something they can do? Is there any particular return for those who wish to design courses in Triple L (like a discount on the cost) as opposed to, for example, starting a YouTube channel instead? This is where I see most of the competition coming from; free, user-generated content hosting platforms that naturally build up a community of learners. I liked that investors get lifetime access to the site, but wonder if this scales depending on the amount of investment. Finally, building on an already successful venture really speaks to your experience and credibility, a critical point of consideration for most investors. Thank you for your pitch!

FEEDBACK: Hi Sarah, thank you for your passion behind this venture! I think the over arching idea - life long learning - is very good. It is certainly what we try to encourage all students, and adults, to do. I found that I was looking for more concrete details about your venture, in addition to the vision and the theory behind it. Are there guidelines for what sorts of courses people would offer, how these courses might be approved (or is it fully open to anyone?), and is there a rewards system of any sort for people who post courses? What would motivate them to do so? You have advertised your venture as math and science, but later in your video you mention other subject areas. I think it's ok to be focused on just math and science. When I shop around for something, I like companies that specialize in one thing more than companies that have a broad offering. I feel that if a company specializes in one that, then that one thing must be really good!