What It's About
After visiting a karaoke bar following his kickball league match, a college advisor decides to start a karaoke league.
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
For Jesse, this karaoke side hustle has brought several benefits: He’s been able to switch day jobs, a move he credits to the new skills he gained through District Karaoke. He’s been able to save money for vacations and surprise expenses. Not only that, he’s been able to find true love.
Fun Fact
District Karaoke has now expanded to Baltimore, Chicago, New York City and even Los Angeles on the West Coast. And its members have sung exactly 10,236 songs, with the 50 most popular songs sung more than 1,200 times in competitions including "Sweet Caroline" and "Don’t Stop Believing."
Notes from Chris
Episode 90
Five years ago, Jesse Rauch was like any other D.C. twenty-something working his regular 9 to 5 job as an academic advisor and competing in a weekly kickball league in his free time. He was out one night having a few drinks at a karaoke bar when he says he had what he called a “eureka” moment. While nursing his cocktail and belting out “Sweet Caroline” with the rest of them, it dawned on him: Why not take the design of a social, competitive league, such as kickball, and apply it to karaoke? In the harsh light of the morning, it still seemed like a great idea, so Jesse set to work on launching the league. Soon after, District Karaoke was born! Jesse's focus on building up this community has been key to his success. He says he sees great potential in forming communities around specific passions, and then, as a bonus, making them profitable as side hustles. His hypothesis is that people are always looking for other people who share their interests as a way to find friends and build professional networks. This is an incredibly valuable lesson no matter what you choose as your side hustle. No man is an island, and we're all looking to connect. If you can find a creative way to encourage those connections like Jesse, you'll be on your way to a successful side hustle. And remember: Don't stop believin'! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- District Karaoke: Learn more about Jesse and his singalong operation
- 40,000 People Use This Web Developer's Side Hustle Every Day: How a San Francisco commuter became part of the original iPhone launch with a hustle that now helps more than 40,000 people every day.
- College Student Generates 50M Views on YouTube, Hires 13 Employees: After seeking a method to conquer her own skin issues, one woman takes to YouTube to help others shed their skin insecurities as well. Five years later, she has her own skincare line serving people all over the world!
Resources
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