How to Rapidly Prototype a Course

Creating online courses does not require a huge investment in time or money. Although they certainly can cost tens of thousands of dollars to produce, with professional video editing and branding, they don't have to. In fact, my favorite way to create and launch a course is with my future students!

This follows agile design principles (check out the agile manifesto here). The goal is developing rapidly, with frequent input from key stakeholders, not building so much behind the scenes that what you’re working on becomes out-of-date or out of touch with what your audience and potential future students actually need.

This is one of the episodes I reference most frequently from the Pivot podcast (originally aired December 1, 2019), so I’m replaying it here for you today in case you’re newer to the JB universe! I break down all the details of how I love launching and creating courses, and you can also read a summary of the steps on this page of the Pivot website.

🌟 3 Key Takeaways:

• Keep Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation in mind when designing evaluation strategies: smile sheet (did you enjoy this course and would you recommend it?), knowledge transfer, behavior change, and results to the organization
• Make sure you have pre- and post-surveys to further customize and improve the course with each subsequent launch

📝 Permission: To create courses that aren’t perfect or even polished; focus on delivering value for your students in real time.

✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next: For the next big project you’re tackling, create a Know/Feel/Do/Refer To grid to map out the modules that will help your students achieve the transformation you’re looking to inspire.

Books Mentioned:

• Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business
• Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
• It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
• Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead and It's Not Your Money: How to Live Fully from Divine Abundance by Tosha Silver
• The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

Jenny’s LinkedIn Learning Courses:

• LinkedIn Learning—Figuring Out Your Next Move
• LinkedIn Learning—Holding 1:1 Career Conversations With Your Team
• Managing Introverts
• Coaching New Hires
• Coaching New Managers

Resources Mentioned:

• Jenny’s private BFF Community
• Agile Manifesto & Principles
• (He)art of Podcasting
• (He)art of Book Publishing
• Pivot in the Classroom
• Rapid Prototype a Course
• Four Levels of Training Evaluation by **Don Kirkpatrick
• Alexandra Franzen
• Copy this spreadsheet and create a Know/Feel/Do/Refer Grid for your course
• Excerpt of the Pivot Workbook
• Pivot Toolkit here
• Descript for audio transcription (and magic one-click filler word removal)

Related Podcast Episodes:

• 036: Shaping Big Ideas — Notion Walkthrough #2 
• 072: How to Start Writing a Book, Course, or Workshop 
• 060: Triangle of Tradeoffs 
• Pivot 128: Ultralearning with Scott Young 
• Pivot 196: Agile Original Public Thinking

💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe »

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