Teachable is an instructor-focused online course platform that empowers course creators to build and sell courses on any topic from iOS development to watercolor painting to card tricks.
The pitch:
“Where else to start but at the beginning”
We believe in the transformative power of knowledge. We believe it because we’ve experienced and seen it first hand. How those 10,000 hours of expertise can swiftly turn into $10,000. Or even $100,000. And how empires can be built on goat milk, podcasting, and VR roller coasters. From the Bay area to Brooklyn, Fedora to Teachable, one person to over 150, our story is one of transformation too.
Pitch Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRM7DWVY0f8
( 0 upvotes and 0 downvotes )
I like the concept of Teachable as it makes the job of creating an online course much less daunting and the presentation is professional, polished and appealing. I will most likely take a closer look at its features and costs for myself!
How would I view this platform, though, from an EVA perspective – I would consider this more a commercial as opposed to an actual pitch. While Teachable clearly communicates the product, pain points and their solution, in order for me to potentially invest in this company, I would need to get a closer look under the hood, so to speak: who the Founder(s) are which would demonstrate their expertise and credibility, how their platform Differentiates from the alternatives, how they stack up against their Competition, and their overall Marketing strategy. Crucially, their Ask is missing along with the Return on investment and potential Exit Strategy. Without this information, I would think Teachable is looking for end-users as opposed to investors.
Many platforms exist whose value is derived by enabling the creator/maker/business owner to access the online marketplace through digital tools and support. Teachable is offering a solution specifically for online education and if an opportunity to invest appeared, I would be interested in seeing the actual numbers and particularly their competitive advantage.
Yes I would invest in this. Although I completely agree with the comments from Alice Shin above in that the pitch is more looking for customers rather than investors, I would argue that a good investor is someone who would see themselves as a potential customer. I would therefore be really interested in investing because this is a platform that I could see myself using. I appreciate that in their video they show the diverse array of courses that the platform could host in a very visual manner. As this is the first pitch I would definitely want to see more on the numbers side and what distinguishes them from other online learning platforms in the next step. The biggest attraction of the tool for me as an investor and also as a potential user is their adoption of a four step process making hosting an online course clear and concise.
Although this pitch has a few drawbacks, I would invest in it, for I predict the market for this concept is on fire. First, in the age of lockdown and distance learning, the need for websites such as Teachable is growing more and more as it connects the customers with the talented. It is also worth mentioning that there is a global orientation towards self-directed learning as online learning has exposed how formal education can be so inconvenient for school children.
Teachable is a feasible solution to provide professional services linking the experts with a suitable audience. The users’ feedback shows that the website is user-friendly, simple, and rich. There are some concerns about how customizable it can be in addition to low-rated customer service. With the rise of self-guided learning outlets, such as YouTube and other OERs, the fact that there is a current need for platforms that offer quality learning opportunities from the comfort of your home is promising. If the developers can fill the gaps and manage to overshadow TalentLMS, the market for this pitch will be remarkable.
Yes, I would invest in this venture. Teachable’s video pitch did a nice job with the “hook” part of their venture. The “ask” was clear. From the opening part of the pitch, I wanted to know “what teachable can do for me?” and Jess Catorc, Head of Partnerships answered the question right away. Being able to expand my reach and turn ideas into online courses is worthy of an investment. Having said this, I was disappointed to hear that Jess Catorc placed too much emphasis on “independent entrepreneurs” and “expanding businesses”. Teachable should realize that the majority of their target audience are not “entrepreneurs” nor “business experts”. The whole point of the “Teachable” idea is to market to everyday individuals who want to expand their reach, not really entrepreneurs.
No, I would not invest in this venture. The pitch makes vague and bold claims about the platform but I don’t see any of 8 facets of venture pitches being addressed in any significant manner. In particular, how does the platform help creators “amplify, scale, and expand” their reach? What is the differentiation and competitive edge this platform has over similuar platforms such as Coursera or Youtube? How does this platform market itself and my content to attract more customers? The video contains many quick cuts to videos of creators teaching, which does little to showcase the platform and what it does for creators.
No, I would not invest in this venture despite the promising product.
There is a compelling, emotional story in the pitch, but it alludes to most venture pitch facets rather than explicitly addressing them. An example I noticed was the differentiation between Teachable and a competitor such as Coursera in that it allows any entrepreneur to design and deliver their own course as opposed to being screened as an instructor, but that separation from their competition was not emphasized in the pitch. That level of accessibility is an attractive option for both investors and prospective instructors. While others have touched on missing facets, the biggest issue for me is market readiness. What does the path to success for both the company in the market and the individual instructor look like?
I think this is compelling product as a concept, but the lack of tangible information in the pitch itself is distracting and still leaves questions about viability.