This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Indian Tutor helps US high school students learn math. This is the guy I should have had long ago when I was in high school. We're gonna hear today from an Indian listener, an Indian side hustler who has built a bustling business, a booming business, a, well, it's a profitable business. That's the key point. He is making a good side hustle income.
He's charging, I think, starting at $30 an hour, which is a very good rate in lots of parts of India. So how did he get to that point? How did he make his first $1,000 in fact, from this project? This is part of a feature we call your first $1,000 comes out every Monday. How does somebody in fact go from idea to income?
How do they turn their idea into a product, a service, something people can go and pay for? And then, you know, what are the operating steps he takes from there and so on? But specifically, what is the point of origin? So that if you're out there and you have an idea, you too can take similar steps and get started. I want you to be able to make extra money without quitting your job.
I want you to use a skill you already have, not go into debt. In fact, help you get out of debt if you're in debt. We are all about economic empowerment here on the podcast. For over 3,000 days, we've been bringing you lots of different case studies and ideas. And here's today's, this Indian tutor who helps US high school students learn math.
Gonna pass the mic to Aman. [Music]
- Greetings, friends. My name is Aman from the bustling city of Mumbai, India. Now you may be wondering how a guy from Mumbai found himself tutoring high school math students halfway across the globe in the United States. Well, let me tell you, it's quite a tale.
With as many twists and turns as a quadratic equation, I've always had an act for mathematics with a degree in applied mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technology. And having taught at a local school for a few years, I found myself yearning for a new challenge. Then I chanced upon an ad seeking online tutors for American students. The timing of the tutoring sessions were a bit tricky due to the time difference, but I saw this as an exciting opportunity to use my skillset while experiencing a different educational culture. I started with one student.
I'll admit the first few sessions felt like solving a puzzle with half the pieces missing. The student was struggling with algebra. A subject I considered my forte, but we were both new to this online setup and the cross-cultural exchange. With some adjustments and plenty of patience, we made progress. We started understanding the concepts better and his grades began to improve.
That was my first win and word spread. Referrals started to come in and before I knew it, I had a small roster of students. To facilitate this growing venture, I set up a page outlining my tutoring services and costs. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was effective. I charged $20 per hour and considering I was delivering value, the parents didn't hesitate.
This was also cheaper than what it cost locally for them. Getting to that first $1,000 mark felt like reaching the summit of a mathematically precise mountain. It took around 50 hours of tutoring spread over a couple of months, but the satisfaction was immense. It wasn't just the monitor again. It was the confirmation that I was making a positive impact on these students' lives.
As for challenges, oh, they were plenty. There was the language barrier, the time difference and the varied curriculum standards, but the biggest one was understanding the diverse learning methods of each student and adapting my teaching approach accordingly. So what's next for me? I want to grow. The goal is to expand my student base and offer specialized group sessions.
I've been researching American curriculums in more detail to better tailor my tutoring approach. I've even considered taking some courses to become certified as an international educator. The journey so far has taught me that teaching is not just about understanding the subject matter. It's about understanding the student. It's about breaking down complex problems into digestible bits and making the learning process engaging.
With every new student and every new challenge, I'm not just teaching, I'm learning too. And I'm excited to see where this journey takes me next. [Music]
Big thanks to Iman for sharing this story and telling us about his first $1,000. Listeners, how about your first $1,000, your first 10,000, your first $100,000. And yes, we have had lots of $100,000 side hustles featured on the podcast over the years.
We're all about helping people grow. I want you to be able to take action on an idea, get it going and then tweak it from there, hopefully ramp up along the way. But of course, I'm gonna keep bringing you different ideas in case studies later this week. We're gonna talk about Patreon. We're gonna talk about WordPress.
We're gonna talk about, well, just stay tuned. A whole bunch of stuff is coming up. You can always subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Access the complete archives at sidehustleschool.com. My name's Chris Guillebeau.
You are listening to Side Hustle School. [Music]
