How do I become a programming teacher full time?

#1

Post by markhagan » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 3:33 PM UTC

I have this website: http://www.markhagan.me/samples

I currently ad-support this hobby and make about $1.00/day doing it. :) I get a few emails a week with questions/thanks/etc which is actually what makes it worth my time.

How do I go about making this my full-time job while keeping the information and videos completely free?

--- I was thinking: buy a domain to hold the programming samples, get on a regular video-posting schedule, beg for donations. Many of you guys are going to have far more experience than me in this realm, and I would love to hear your opinion. Teaching people to code is my dream.

Thanks!

Re: How do I become a programming teacher full time?

#2

Post by michaelpinto » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 3:39 PM UTC

You're asking the wrong question.

The right question is: How can I make a site that's more compelling than lynda.com or stackexchange?

I also think part of your problem is that you want to keep the information and videos for free. Yes a real infobusiness will give away some stuff for free, but it can and should also sell content if that content has any value.

Hint: If your content solves a problem, it has value.

Other thoughts:

- Not every hobby should be a business

- Another model can be to use free information to build a consulting business

Re: How do I become a programming teacher full time?

#3

Post by corkill » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 4:04 PM UTC

When was the last time you donated to someone for videos?

Run an 12 week course teaching people to code like bloc.io with leads generated from your free content.

Re: How do I become a programming teacher full time?

#4

Post by markhagan » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 4:04 PM UTC

michaelpinto wrote: post #2

You're asking the wrong question. The right question is: How can I make a site that's more compelling than lynda.com or stackexchange? I also think part of your problem is that you want to keep the information and videos for free. Yes a real infobusiness will give away some stuff for free, but it can and should also sell content if that content has any value. Hint: If your content solves a problem, it has value. Othe…

Thanks for the feedback!

I love stackexchange. They are fantastic at responding to one-off questions. My style is to build small, functional applications from launching visual studio to debug without cutting the video.

I feel you on not making every hobby a business. I also brew beer and have now given up on "starting a micro brewery" and, instead, focused on brewing really great beers that my friends and I like. Ever since doing that, I have been winning more awards and have tuned my brews to my tastes.

Given the current amount of questions that are emailed to me, maybe a model could be a private screen-sharing session where I can correct their mistakes on their computer. I would like that.

Re: How do I become a programming teacher full time?

#5

Post by markhagan » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 4:08 PM UTC

corkill wrote: post #3

When was the last time you donated to someone for videos? Run an 12 week course teaching people to code like bloc.io with leads generated from your free content.

Good point. I can't remember ever paying for a specific video (or even considering donating, other than clicking an ad). I wasn't familiar with bloc.io, but that is really cool! That road is the all-in approach if I go it solo. I have some designers at my disposal: maybe one of them would help me.