This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
As we begin today, I want to just make a quick note and say, I love hearing your ideas. It's really fun to know what your business ideas are. That's you, our listener, or at least our listeners collectively, as they are exploring what is the best opportunity for me. How can I take advantage of all the knowledge I've spent a lifetime accumulating, or the skills I have spent many years improving? So that's what Side Hustle School is all about, helping people take action on those things.
So just a reminder that you can always share your ideas, what you're working on, what you're thinking about working on with me in our community through this ongoing dialogue, which is kind of how I think of the daily episodes, the questions and answers that we're doing several times a week now. So just come to sidehustleschool.com/questions. You can send us a note. Most likely someone from our team will follow up to show you how to make a recording. And then who knows?
Perhaps we can feature you on the podcast, which I love to do. So today's caller, he's got a combination old school, new school idea. It is a spreadsheet to track your fitness goals. So for anybody into spreadsheets or into fitness, you're gonna like this idea. And even if you're not into spreadsheets or fitness, perhaps it will help you think about what the combination is for you.
So I'll let our caller say more, and then I'll do my best to provide a helpful answer. [Music]
Hi, Chris, this is Kristen, and I've been following your projects for a while now. These days, there are hundreds of apps and other tools to help people with their fitness goals. I'd like to go old school. For years, I've used a simple Excel spreadsheet to track my weightlifting and triathlon journey.
Well, I say it's simple, but over time I've added more and more data, as well as some cool formulas that provide recommendations based on past performance. If I'd had access to something like this before I started making my own, I would have gladly paid for it. So now I think it's time for me to pass it on. I'd give it away for free, but my sense is that people will value it more if they pay for it. So that's my plan.
Sell it for $5 or maybe $10 to $15 if I can add some more features around it. How can I post about this guide in a not annoying way that actually gets the right people interested? Looking forward to your thoughts about this. Hey, Kristen, thanks so much for listening. Thanks for calling in.
I'm excited to know that you're moving forward with your idea. This spreadsheet idea actually reminds me of my mom's Thanksgiving spreadsheet, which I've talked about a couple of times. The rest of us in the family, we have been trying to encourage her to turn this into a business. She only cooks one meal a year. For the most part, she's not really into cooking, which I relate to because I'm not either.
But Thanksgiving has always been a big thing. And she manages the process on a spreadsheet that she has maintained for, I don't know, more than 20 years. Like the spreadsheet tells her exactly what to do and she's modified it over time and the order of things. And it's just a work of art, a work of culinary art. So we're trying to encourage her that it's her side hustle.
So to focus more on Kristen instead of my mom. Yes, sounds good. The low price point is ideal, $10, maybe $20 she mentioned. You know, the thing is there are a thousand apps that do this kind of stuff, but sometimes for consumers, a quick and simple solution is better than a complex app or a membership site with a lot of different features. And of course, a recurring payment that comes along with that as well.
So there's definitely a market for people who are like, I just want to pay 10 bucks and have the solution I need. And maybe it's not fancy, but it gets the job done. And so old school can be attractive is my point there. How does Kristen post about it? Well, I think first you get feedback on it.
Maybe even make it freely available. Like even though Kristen mentioned, people will value it more if they pay for it. That could be true, but I think she'll have better luck getting input on a site like Reddit, for example, if she is not charging, at least at first. And then, well, there are a lot of fitness groups online, on Reddit, on Facebook, Quora can be great for this, Quora, Q-U-O-R-A, so Reddit, Facebook, Quora and elsewhere. You know, you made a thing, go post about it.
If you're out there listeners and you have made a thing, go post about it, it's okay. You don't have to be super salesy, you know, but here's what I would say. Don't just post about the cool spreadsheet you made or whatever it is, post about how it actually helps you. Does it encourage you to work out even when you don't feel motivated? Because you like seeing the graph go up.
Does it help you follow a plan? Does it bring you greater insight about your health somehow? Like those are all benefits, right? Those are the real benefits, not just the features of, you know, check out these cool rows and columns. You know, check out this formula.
And I mentioned that because it's a very common trap for all of us, you know, to get excited about something that we have made and we're like, wow, look at the features, you know? But when we do that, we lose the forest for the trees, especially when it comes to talking about it, posting about it, anything to do with messaging. It really is about how does this make your life better? You know, and if what you have created doesn't make your life better, if it's not gonna make your potential customer's life better, then it's really not worth doing. Well, first I was gonna say it's not gonna get a great response, which is probably true, but also is it really worth doing, you know, if it's not going to make your life and somebody's life better.
So that's what I think about that. Kristen, let us know how it works out with that fitness spreadsheet. Listeners, I'll let you know if my mom ever sells the Thanksgiving spreadsheet. And if you have a question of your own, come to sidehustleschool.com/questions. We will continue to feature them throughout the year, along with updates from other listeners as they launch and grow their projects.
I am so excited to be able to make this program for you every day. Thank you for tuning in. Thank you for telling your friends about it. Hope you come back tomorrow. My name is Chris Guillebeau.
This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
