Are you a Good Fit?
While anyone can join the Academy, our data shows that some are more suited than others.
Everyone is different, every program is different. In our case, based on our data, the below indicators predict a founder will succeed in the Academy.
- Does something small every day
- Regularly asks questions
- Regularly tracks progress
- Uses full sentence writing style
- Follows the Academy process
- Regularly participates in the community
- Is open to self reflection
Based on our data, the below indicators predict a founder will drop out of the Academy.
- Does not do it "the Academy way"
- Does not interact with the community
- Is already pursuing a specific idea
- Does not have 10+ hours per week available
- Does not ask questions
- Is only interested in a few lessons
- Does not have enough disposable income *
* We strongly urge founders not to signup unless they have enough disposable income to soak up the cost of the course. We do not want to take anyone's money who can not easily afford our training. If funds are tight please note we will be starting a scholarship soon, please check back here to apply.
Are Side Projects a Good Fit?
Taking a step back from the Academy, it's worth exploring if side projects are a good fit in the first place.
Here are some things we know to be true about almost all side projects.
If you have a full time job it's going to take at least one year to get your project moving and profitable. If you use best practices the first 3 months will be spent talking to customers.
If your primary motivation is to break free from your cubical, then the fastest way to feel a sense of freedom is to get a remote job. It usually takes years to build a profitable side project, yet just a few months to land a new remote job.
In ye old times, it took a long time to build a church. So much so, that Stone Masons sometimes took a break for months or years and then come back to continue what they were doing.
Side projects require a similar mindset. Especially when working as a solo founder. You'll need to spend extended amounts of time working on different facets of your side project.
For example 2 months building, and then 2 months marketing, and then back to 1 month building, and so on.
Every time you push (i.e. test a new marketing strategy) it will likely feel like pushing a mattress across a carpeted room!
For example, let's say you executed a marketing push that won 100 customers. Ss soon as you stopped pushing, you would probably stop getting customers.
Additionally, each push needs to be different to that last. It's hard to find a single strategy that just keeps on working.
Side Project Benefits
It's not all doom and gloom! A profitable side project can offer some pretty big benefits.
Along with offering a profound sense of personal satisfaction a profitable side project can have the following benefits (to name a few).
Day jobs rock! That said, there may be a point where you wish to try out the captain's chair. One of the most complete ways to experience this is to start a profitable side project.
If you wish to be a truly free agent, going part time might not be enough of a shift for you. Starting a profitable side project is a good (but not guaranteed) way to replace your full time income.
Keep in mind nothing happens overnight. In nearly every case it takes years to build up to enough revenue to leave your day job. Justin V. (our founder) interviewed Ruben Gomez about this back in 2011.
While it is admirable to be an early employee in someone else's startup, it is a rather high risk decision.
One option to counter that is to build a profitable side project. If you follow a program like the Academy, your overall risk is drastically reduced by validating your product before you build anything.
You may even be able to leave your day job and go full time on your own dream project if you can replace your day job income.
As mentioned above the fastest way to get this benefit is to go remote. That said, building a profitable side project to replace day job income is the gold standard.
In many day jobs we find ourselves building different cogs of the business... but do they actually matter? If you build your own side project you have 100% control over what you do and as such can ensure that everything you work on matters.