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Today's listener, from Egypt, teaches software development through an apprenticeship model rather than traditional classes — but most of his students aren't paying.
Hi, this is Ron from Egypt, and I've been listening to the show since last year. I'm thinking about starting a side hustle where I teach software development through an apprenticeship model rather than traditional classes or online courses, following the tradition of the great masters of the Italian renaissance. I did this informally, without fees, and students lose their momentum after a few months. It takes about a year of serious study to transition from a fresh graduate to a professional. I feel bad when someone drops — my efforts are wasted. I think if students pay the fee, they would be more committed, and it would reward my efforts. My questions are: is this a good idea? How do I charge? And how do I convert my non-paying current students to paying apprentices?
This is the classic challenge of the freemium model, and it needs some segmentation. Ron is right that many non-paying students will drop out and never convert. But some will — and that's the group to focus on.
The fix: don't offer months of free training. Offer a few sessions, and if students want to continue, they pay. Software development is a skill that pays real dividends, so it's genuinely valuable. Make those intro sessions truly helpful while highlighting how much more there is to learn.
From there, give people options: ideally they commit to a full term or apprenticeship, but a second tier for occasional lessons or workshops can capture those who won't.
Have a question? Visit SideHustleSchool.com/questions.
