This is a comprehensive guide to creating a profitable online course, based on my experience developing 6 courses over 7 years, which have been taken by more than 25,000 students and generated well over $1 million in revenue.

It introduces my 4-P model for developing a course, referring to the 4 main stages of Planning, Preparation, Production, and Promotion. This doesn’t include the actual running and delivery of the course, which is a whole different topic and depends a lot on the format you choose.

This guide also assumes you want to create a profitable, self-sustaining course. There are a lot of excellent reasons to create one, including learning, personal fulfillment, fun and experimentation, and simply to share what you know. But the level of preparation and effort I’m recommending in this guide is aimed at those who want to make a business out of it.

Here is a Table of Contents of the 36 specific steps that I use in my own course development. Under most of them I’ve included multiple examples of what it looks like in my own courses or those I’ve learned from. I’m sharing them in their full, messy glory because this process is inherently messy. I hope it gives you some guidance and ideas for your own course creation.

Planning

WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL OBJECTIVES FOR THIS COURSE?

Desired outcomes for BSB1

CREATE A MASTER COURSE OUTLINE AS THE CENTRALIZED REFERENCE FOR THE COURSE

BASB v1 Planning
- Headings:
  - To Do’s
  - Planning
  - Objectives
  - Brand design
  - Research
  - Content Outline
    - 1. Title slide
    - 2. Unit 1
    - 3. Unit 2
    - 4. Unit 3
    - 5. Unit 4
    - 6. Unit 5
    - 7. Unit 6
    - 8. Unit 7
  - Content to add
  - Sales page
  - Promotion
  - Logistics
  - Videos
  - Community
  - Activities
  - Final Project
  - Followup

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

WHAT’S THE TRANSFORMATION THEY’RE SEEKING?

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT?

What Makes Building a Second Brain Different

WHICH IDEAS OR PHRASES HAVE RESONATED WITH YOUR AUDIENCE?

Notes on Beta Sessions (FLO-Evernote) 12/13/16 (four 60-minute feedback sessions where I presented initial material and got live feedback from 15 people)

POSSIBLE TITLES AND SUBTITLES

Brainstorm with Raphael

WRITE/DESIGN THE COURSE PLEDGE OR PROMISE

BASB: You will learn how to capture, organize, and share your ideas and insights using digital notes, with a systematic approach and tools that you trust to support creative breakthroughs in your work

WHICH SOURCES DO YOU WANT TO REVIEW FOR INSPIRATION AND IDEAS?

WHO DO YOU WANT TO TALK TO?

Stacey Harmon (Evernote certified consultant and online course creator)
Brainstorm with Raphael
Ting’s recommendations
Strategy Lunch (12-19-2017) w/ Tiago and Amit

START COLLECTING V1 COURSE MATERIAL IN A DEDICATED NOTEBOOK

START COLLECTING MATERIAL FOR FUTURE VERSIONS IN A DEDICATED NOTEBOOK

Evernote notebook “BASB content”

SCHEDULE FIRST LIVE COHORT AND BEGIN RECRUITING BETA TESTERS

Preparation

HIRE VIDEOGRAPHER

CREATE A PROMOTIONAL PLAN

WRITE FOLLOW-UP EMAILS TO BE SENT AFTER EACH LIVE SESSION

BASB1 Takeaway emails

CREATE A CHECKLIST FOR CONDUCTING LIVE SESSIONS

Production

PRODUCE THE CORE COURSE CONTENT

IDENTIFY THE LEARNING OBJECTIVE OF EACH MODULE

Intentions of units

WRITE OUT PERSONAL STORIES

The Story Behind Building a Second Brain

DESIGN EXERCISES

CREATE CASE STUDIES AND WALKTHROUGHS

CREATE A PRE AND POST-COURSE EVALUATION

CREATE POST-COURSE FEEDBACK SURVEY

Feedback form notes

CREATE “NEXT STEPS” MODULE

CREATE PUBLIC FAQ DOCUMENT

26 Highlights from Frequently Asked Questions | Seth Godin’s altMBA

DESIGN ONBOARDING PROCESS

altMBA downloadable Gcal

Promotion

HIRE COURSE MANAGER

CREATE LANDING PAGE

CREATE FREE CONTENT AND BONUSES

WRITE INTRODUCTORY EMAIL SEQUENCE

CREATE PROMO KIT

SCHEDULE GUEST SESSIONS/INTERVIEWS AND ANNOUNCE THEM

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Tiago’s Comprehensive Guide to Creating a Profitable Online Course

Table of Contents