Business idea · Education
Online Chess Academy with Progress Tracking
Online Chess Academy with Progress Tracking: This business offers online chess classes for kids, incorporating progress tracking tools that visually demonstrate skill advancement, which encourages continued enrollment. It was pitched on The Side Hustle Show, hosted by Nick Loper, in the episode "From $17/hr to 6-Figure Side Hustle (Greatest Hits)" (aired March 6, 2025).
At a glance
| Podcast | The Side Hustle Show |
|---|---|
| Hosted by | Nick Loper |
| Episode | From $17/hr to 6-Figure Side Hustle (Greatest Hits) |
| Aired | March 6, 2025 |
| Category | Education |
| Real companies on the episode | Elite Chess |
The problem it solves
Parents struggle to find engaging educational activities that sustain their childrens interest in learning chess. Existing online chess classes often lack mechanisms to show tangible progress, leading to decreased motivation and higher churn rates.
How it makes money
Subscription-based model where families pay a monthly fee for access to weekly classes and progress reports.
Skills you need
Curriculum development and educational design Familiarity with online learning platforms Data analysis to create effective progress tracking Marketing skills for customer acquisition
The market, and why this works now
The rise of online learning platforms, like Zoom and Google Classroom, has made it easier to conduct interactive chess classes remotely. A concrete first-revenue move could be to promote the academy in parenting subreddits like r/Parenting, where parents seek engaging educational resources for their children. A key risk is the customer acquisition cost, which may be high if initial marketing efforts do not yield sufficient subscriber growth within the first few months.
Our analysis, written after the episode. Not a quote from the show.
Real companies discussed on this episode
- Elite Chess
Elite Chess, founded by Jeff Deoreo, is a chess instruction business that started as a side hustle. It serves kids and families looking to improve their chess skills through in-person and online classes. Jeff initially began teaching chess at summer camps before realizing he could provide value directly to his local community.
Where this idea came from
Podcast: The Side Hustle Show, hosted by Nick Loper
Episode: From $17/hr to 6-Figure Side Hustle (Greatest Hits)
Aired:
Summarized from the episode transcript. The show does not say which speaker raised each idea, so we credit the show, not a person.