This story was originally published on Passionfruit.
We’re sitting down with leaders on the business side of the creator economy to get their best advice for creators looking to launch and develop their careers.
This week, we spoke with CEO of Skillshare Matt Cooper about how the startup nest of Silicon Valley has helped him to grow a bustling ecosystem of online learning, and what advice he has for creators who want to join in.
Skillshare is an online learning company that operates on a marketplace model. Users pay a flat rate to access unlimited Skillshare courses, and teachers sign up to create course content. Teachers then earn money from membership referrals and royalties depending on how many minutes their videos are watched.
Online learning as an industry grew during the pandemic as people searched for remote avenues of personal growth and creativity. In 2020, Skillshare announced a pivot toward creators and raised $66 million dollars in capital.
“Particularly times like COVID, a lot of the other things that teachers were dabbling in dried up. We were able to provide them a consistent source of income to continue chasing their dreams, passions, and interests,” Cooper told the Daily Dot.
