Bestcourses
About the Company
Bestcourses was an online course comparison platform founded in November 2021 by Janosch Herrmann and Thomas. The platform aggregated courses from major online learning platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare, making them easily discoverable through a user-friendly search engine. The platform was monetized through affiliate commissions earned from the courses listed on the site
The company's primary goal was to make online education more accessible and transparent. By providing a comprehensive search tool, they allowed users to find the most suitable online courses based on their individual needs. Despite the promising start and initial growth, *bestcourses* was eventually discontinued in 2023.
Idea Behind Company
The idea for Bestcourses originated when Janosch was searching for online courses to learn new skills in web development. As a computer science major, he found the process of finding the right course to be tedious and saw an opportunity to create a more efficient solution. Drawing inspiration from other comparison platforms in different niches, he envisioned a platform that could simplify the process of finding online courses.
Having experience in creating and selling online courses on platforms like Udemy and Skillshare, Janosch understood what made a good online course. This knowledge was instrumental in shaping the vision for *bestcourses*. After refining the idea, Janosch sought a co-founder to help bring the concept to life, eventually partnering with Thomas.
Creating the Company
The development of Bestcourses Involved designing, prototyping, and building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The founders focused on getting data from online learning platforms, ranking courses, and creating the infrastructure for the platform. They initially relied on APIs provided by some platforms, while also building relationships with others to access course data.
With a clear division of roles—Thomas handling the backend and Janosch focusing on the frontend—the team iterated on the platform's design and data model. They set boundaries for what *bestcourses* would and wouldn't be, allowing them to focus on the most important aspects of the platform. This approach helped them avoid being overwhelmed by the vast scope of online education.
Launching the Business
The launch of Bestcourses was a modest one, primarily involving social media posts and sharing the platform with friends and family. Despite the low-key launch, they managed to attract some initial users, which provided valuable feedback. The platform's low-cost business model allowed them to operate without the pressure of immediate profitability, as their only expenses were the domain and hosting fees.
Over time, *bestcourses* focused heavily on SEO to drive traffic to the site. They created content, such as platform reviews and course overviews, that helped them rank for long-tail keywords. Additionally, they experimented with engaging potential users on Twitter, though this approach was later deprioritized in favor of other strategies.
Earnings
Bestcourses achieved steady growth in organic traffic, largely due to their successful SEO efforts. The platform began earning a small amount of revenue from affiliate commissions, though the earnings were modest at around $100 per month. Despite these gains, the founders recognized the potential for further growth, especially through the development of new tools and the improvement of their search engine.
The long-term goal for *bestcourses* was to become a viable and profitable business that could support both founders while allowing them to pursue other ventures. However, despite the early successes and steady growth, the platform was eventually shut down in 2023. The reasons for the closure were not detailed, but the experience provided valuable lessons and insights for the founders.
