Nick Chapsas, creator of Dometrain teaching platform, and the host discuss evolving Dometrain into a marketplace for high-quality courses. They also talk about the benefits of camera presence in web courses, the challenges of finding knowledgeable authors comfortable on camera, and the process of creating and releasing a course. They touch on naming things in software development and end the podcast with dev tips, discount codes, and thanking the guest and sponsor.
Dometrain aims to provide high-quality courses with a personal teaching style and a focus on specific topics.
Creating an online course can be a challenging but fulfilling experience, with customer feedback playing a crucial role in its success.
Deep dives
Don't Train: The Evolution of a Courses Platform
Don't Train is a platform that evolved from a personal courses platform. The founder wanted to monetize their teaching without compromising quality. After a successful start, the platform expanded to include third-party authors. It aims to provide a mix of high-quality courses with a focus on specific topics, rather than a large quantity of courses. The platform prioritizes a more personal teaching style with webcams and emphasizes the importance of effective teaching and camera presence. The goal is to create a marketplace of courses with a unique approach that combines the pricing model of Udemy with higher quality content. The platform targets a wide range of developers, including those in the .NET community, but also offers courses in other areas. The platform has received positive feedback from its customers and future updates include a community forum.
The Journey of Creating an Online Course
Creating an online course requires careful planning and investment. The process often involves taking time off work to focus on recording and editing the content. For the first course, there is a steep learning curve in terms of creating quality videos and editing them effectively. However, once the course is complete and launched, there is a sense of relief and excitement. The course's success is often determined by its sales and customer feedback. Engaging with customers and receiving positive feedback is a rewarding aspect of being an online course author. While there may be initial doubts and challenges, creating an online course can be a fulfilling experience.
Choosing an Effective Name for a Platform
The process of choosing a name for a platform involves considering various factors. The founder of Don't Train employed a creative approach by compiling a list of words and using a combination generator to find potential names. The goal was to create a memorable name that did not have an obvious meaning. The name Don't Train was chosen because it sounded good and had an element of uniqueness. While the name doesn't have a literal meaning, it can be interpreted as training for the mind, reflecting the platform's focus on learning and education. Choosing a name that is not too obvious can generate curiosity and intrigue among potential users.
The Future of Don't Train and Community Engagement
Don't Train has plans for expansion and aims to become a go-to platform for various courses, not just restricted to .NET developers. The platform seeks to provide a diverse range of high-quality courses with a focus on specific subjects. Feedback from customers and authors has been positive, with plans to further enhance the platform's features. One upcoming feature is a community forum, where customers who have purchased courses can engage with one another and collaborate. This community aspect will allow for further learning and knowledge sharing among course participants. Don't Train's vision includes continuous growth, a focus on author quality, and providing an exceptional learning experience.
In this episode, I was joined for the second time by Nick Chapsas! This time, we chatted about his new Dometrain teaching platform. Nick started off creating courses on his own website, nickchapsas.com, which he’s recently rebranded to Dometrain and reached out to other authors to also create courses - myself included! I’ve recently released a Docker course on Dometrain, and we chatted about my experience doing this, as well as Nick’s story and motivations behind building Dometrain.
