Why this program is for you
I thought you might like this little commentary about the difference between an outside-in and an inside-out approach to business. The former means spotting a market opportunity and servicing that need. The latter is a more creative process that is inspired by your own needs and vision. I call it the artist vs entrepreneur dichotomy. And given your familiarity with Charlie’s work I think it would be of value for you to think about the artist’s perspective.
What does success look like for you?
The Vision 20/20 program is designed to help you build a business that you would never sell. This means finding an idea that meets your needs as well as the needs of others. We call this working from the inside out. Over 20 weeks we help you reflect on what you really want so you can get clear on what you need to create.
This is what you’ll learn on the program:
This learning journey from the inside out follows four distinct stages
Purpose
We explore what success really means to you. This isn’t just about creating a vision of the things you want and the experiences you’d love to have. But also about discovering your core emotional needs. These needs, when met, energise you and get you excited about the work you’re doing.
Product
When thinking about products and services we don’t start with brainstorming ideas. We start with thinking about people and the beneficial transformations they’re looking for in their lives. Rather than telling you to build courses, apps or services from the start we instead get you to define the “journey of change” for your customer. Where are they now? Where do they want to be? What’s getting in their way? Why do you want to help them? And how do their needs connect with your needs?
Profit
Unless you make more money than you spend then you’re not a business. Learning how to price your offerings and do it in a way that’s authentic and ethical is key to building a business you love. However, without understanding your relationship to money, you’re likely to get in your own way of building a financially sustainable business. You need to be aware of your money stories in order to price well.
Promote
It doesn’t matter how good your offering is and how well you price it, if no one knows you exist or even trusts you then it will be all in vain. If anything, promoting what you do is the most important thing you can do. Telling the story of why you do what you do, how it connects with the lives of your customers and giving them a reason to start working with you NOW is what we focus on in this module (see the Seth Godin video further below).
“Be stubborn on vision, but flexible on detail”
Even though we’ve designed a structured curriculum we don’t believe that just by following it you’ll create a successful business. This isn’t a simple step-by-step process to success. It’s an emergent journey that is influenced by many interconnected parts. It’s important for you to be clear about where you want to go but how you get there can change as you learn more.
The importance of community
When the journey is uncertain it’s important to be travelling in the right company. We believe that transformation and change happens best in community and it’s why Vision 20/20 is cohort based. We know that being exposed to multiple perspectives and being able to contribute to other people’s learning is as valuable as the learning itself.
To learn what others have got from the program and to get a feel for the kinds of people you’ll meet watch these videos from members of Tribe 4.
Kendra Patterson (founder of the Stepping Off Now podcast)
Frances Khalastchi (founder of the Better Bold Braver community)
Nirish Shakya (founder of the Design Feeling podcast)
Are you ready to join?
We believe you’re the kind of person who’d really vibe with our tribe.
As part of the promote module we share this great talk about marketing from Seth Godin where he shares the idea that “people like us do things like this”. This is the essence of building connection and trust with your audience and we hope will help you understand why the program is for someone like you.
Who’s already on Tribe 5?
If you do decide to join us for the next cohort you'd be in great company. You can expect a tight-knit group of fellow entrepreneurs and leaders from around the world. Different countries, but shared values. We embrace diversity in all its forms as we believe this is where great ideas and change happens.
Here's some of those that have already signed up Tribe 5:
- Roksana Anning, L&D trainer/facilitator, Poland/UK
- Scott Wolovich, social entrepreneur / community builder, Pittsburgh USA
- Beth Derry, sustainability strategist / comms consultant, UK
- Othman Benkiran, tech founder / culture change expert, Morocco
- Stephanie Rosilio, leadership coach, UK
- Claire Rosatto-Scott, social entrepreneur/Phd researcher, UK
- Dan Woodward, agile coach/neurodiversity, UK
- Henri Stevenson, nature-based coach/L&D, UK
- Alex Irving, mindfulness trainer, UK
- Ruth Friedman, exec coach, Belgium
- Solomon Slade, mindful living trainer from the UK
- Kel Dylla, arts education, Seattle USA
- Oana Juncu, agile coach, France
- Bruce White, strategy expert, Canada
- Kathryn Babcock, social innovation/VC, Canada
- Brett Jarman, career development, UK
- Bev Morton, resilience coach, UK
What next?
Tribe 5 starts in early March and will run for 20 weeks until July.
To reserve your place on the next tribe will require payment from you within 48 hours of this invite. You can pay in full via invoice (£2500 + VAT) or you can take advantage of our 5 months payment plan (£500 + VAT / month).
Pay in full
£2500 + VAT (Early bird discount)
Email hello@happystartups.co and please provide us with your full postal address.
Pay via payment plan
£500 + VAT / month
Click on the link below to set yourself up on our payment plan.
“This program is critical for new and experienced entrepreneurs! Where else can you be surrounded by your peers and encouraged to grow both personally and professionally?! I’ve loved being part of both the big group and my small cohort! So much so, we’re continuing on together past graduation!”
“Vision 20/20 has helped me develop an incredible, friendly team of fellow travellers, get clear on my personal ‘why’ and develop a product and start to generate income off a re-defined second product. Thank you!”
“I cannot recommend working with these guys enough. Maybe you are looking to launch something new that has been itching to get out or would love clarity on what your needs are and how to re-frame something you are currently involved with. Laurence, Carlos and Lana are fantastic people with endless valuable, empathic insight and support. If you do one thing in your life, connect and work with this team of people. You will be indefinitely better for it. I could go on and on but I think you get the picture. Just do it.”
Us
The Happy Startup School
Platf9rm
Tower Point,
44 North Rd,
Brighton
BN1 1YR
United Kingdom