Side School

How Ben Issen Grew an AI School to Six Figures Rapidly

Founded By

Ben Issen

Monthly Revenue

$30K

Days To Build

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Days To Build

Year Started

2024

Customer

B2B & B2C

Founded By
Ben Issen: Monthly Revenue
$30K: Days To Build
28

Founders
2: Profitable
Yes: Days To Build
28

Year Started
2024: Customer
B2B & B2C

Who is Ben Issen?

Ben Issen is an entrepreneur and designer, born in Buffalo, NY, who grew up in Canada, Belgium, France, and Spain, and currently lives in Paris; he previously founded and sold Supercreative, and now focuses on building Side School.

What problem does Side School solve?

Side School helps professionals learn AI skills practically alongside their jobs, making it easier to improve and adapt without jeopardizing their current careers.

Side School Homepage

How did Ben come up with the idea for Side School?

The idea for Side School was born from the founder's frustration with traditional educational methods, which he felt were not effective for busy professionals. Inspired by his personal experiences and the need for practical, hands-on learning, he sought to create a school where professionals could learn cutting-edge technologies like AI without disrupting their day jobs.

He leveraged his past experience of building and selling a successful suite of tools for freelancers, which gave him the financial cushion to experiment with new ideas. By teaming up with Zineb Salamat, an expert in launching online schools, they combined their strengths to validate and refine their approach. They gathered feedback from early participants, who noted transformative experiences, confirming that their challenge-based learning model was effective.

A key lesson learned was the importance of a collaborative approach, as well as the significance of aligning the educational content with real-world applications to maximize its relevance and impact.

How did Ben build the initial version of Side School?

Side School's initial product was developed through a lean methodology focused on rapid validation of its educational model. The co-founders, Ben Issen and Zineb Salamat, leveraged a combination of AI and no-code tools to quickly build their platform. Within four weeks, they designed and launched the first "AI for Designers" bootcamp using tools like ChatGPT, Framer, Discord, Whimsical, and Figma to create a minimum viable product (MVP) that could be tested without significant financial investment. They utilized additional tools such as Notion for course management, Tally for feedback collection, and Whereby for live sessions, which streamlined the build process. This approach allowed them to rapidly iterate on their educational offerings, though they faced challenges in efficiently managing time and ensuring swift market validation.

What was the growth strategy for Side School and how did they scale?

Sales-Driven Growth

Side School experienced significant growth through a sales-driven approach. Ben Issen, the founder, noted the importance of sales when the average deal size reached $3,000. They employed two salespeople who conducted outreach via LinkedIn to acquire small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as clients. This strategy was effective because, once an SMB was onboarded, they often trained multiple employees at a time, sometimes dozens. This targeted and relationship-based approach worked well in their context, where personalized outreach could yield large contracts and high-value clients, enhancing revenue substantially.

Word of Mouth and Networking

Initially, Side School's growth benefited from Ben Issen's existing network of freelancers from his previous venture, Supercreative. Word of mouth was pivotal in driving organic growth, leveraging the trust and connections built over time. Additionally, highlighting success stories and case studies on social media increased credibility and spread the word about the effectiveness of their bootcamps. This network-driven growth was successful because it relied on existing trust and demonstrated value, which encouraged others to enroll and share their positive experiences.

Free Challenges and Value Demonstration

Side School also organized free challenges that allowed participants to test their skills before committing to the paid bootcamp. This strategy generated interest and demonstrated the school's teaching methodology. By showcasing the value and impact of their courses in a risk-free setting, they successfully attracted new students who experienced firsthand the potential benefits of enrolling. This approach was effective because it eliminated the barrier to entry, allowing potential customers to see what they would gain, which increased conversion rates for their paid offerings.

What's the pricing strategy for Side School?

Side School charges $1400 for a one-month bootcamp, with plans to increase pricing, offering free introductory challenges to demonstrate value.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Side School?

Embrace Lean Building: Side School focused on a lean startup model, quickly designing and launching their first bootcamp within four weeks using no-code tools. This approach allowed them to test the concept rapidly without significant upfront investments.
Validate Fast: They achieved revenue in the first month by charging for their bootcamps early, helping them understand market interest immediately. This swift validation was crucial in confirming demand for their new educational model.
Leverage Team Dynamics: The founders emphasized mutual support and synergy, choosing co-founders with complementary skills. This strong partnership was key to their early success and rapid launch.
Adapt distribution strategies: Experimenting with different marketing channels taught them the importance of structured experimentation. Ultimately, they found growth through word of mouth, social media credibility, and direct sales, especially engaging in cold outreach and client onboarding for more scalable growth.
Refine Messaging for Clarity: Recognizing the impact of clear communication, Side School refined their messaging, such as shifting from "action training" to "bootcamps," to better convey their value proposition, which enhanced their growth.

Discover Similar Business Ideas Like Side School

	Idea	Revenue	Traffic	Revenue Per Visitor	Starting Costs
Teacher Jade's ...	teacher resources pla...	$12K monthly	— monthly	— per visitor	$50 to start
Alex Albarran &...	consulting business	$541K monthly	— monthly	— per visitor	$1K to start
EF Specialists	niche blog	$57.3K monthly	— monthly	— per visitor	— to start
Dropship Unlocked	e-commerce implementa...	$290K monthly	— monthly	— per visitor	$4K to start
Natasha Zoryk	business coach	$112K monthly	— monthly	— per visitor	$119 to start
Taro	online course	$50K monthly	— monthly	— per visitor	— to start
Menking Tutoring	online course	$41.7K monthly	— monthly	— per visitor	— to start