About the Company

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Higher Levels, based in Austin, Texas, started in December 2021. It began as a YouTube channel called ‘Tech Sales With Eric’ and evolved into a full educational platform. Eric Finch and Kris, both former athletes, leverage their unique backgrounds to offer comprehensive tech sales training. The platform's flagship product is Tech Sales Ascension, a bootcamp designed to help individuals break into tech sales as Sales Development Representatives (SDRs).

Higher Levels has seen impressive growth, achieving $110,000 in revenue in 2023. The company reinvests its profits into infrastructure improvements, such as online branding, marketing, and upgrading their YouTube channel with better equipment. Despite starting with no employees and operating on a modest budget, the platform has become a reliable source of income and a valuable resource for aspiring tech sales professionals.

Idea Behind Company

The idea for Higher Levels stemmed from Eric’s dissatisfaction with existing tech sales bootcamps. After a successful career transition from engineering to tech sales, Eric noticed a gap in the market for quality, affordable tech sales training. Existing programs were often overpriced and poorly designed, prompting Eric to start giving free advice on YouTube. His videos quickly gained traction, which encouraged him to continue creating content.

Eric’s background in engineering and athletics, combined with Kris’s expertise in online education and marketing, created a strong foundation for the business. The duo recognized the need for a formal online course as demand for their content grew. They aimed to provide an end-to-end curriculum that included self-paced videos, community chat, forums, and live coaching sessions, setting them apart from other offerings in the market.

Creating the Company

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Building the first version of Higher Levels involved overcoming several challenges. The founders identified a gap in the market for affordable, high-quality tech sales training that offered live coaching and avoided unnecessary tests and quizzes. They started with a simple course on Gumroad, which saw limited success. Recognizing the need for a more robust platform, they developed Higher Levels using Framer for the front end and Circle.so for hosting the educational content.

Their pricing strategy aimed to undercut traditional bootcamps, offering entry-level courses at a lower price point while planning to expand their offerings. Initial startup costs were around $500, with most of the software costs paid monthly until they confirmed market fit. The founders dedicated significant time and effort to creating content, often filming videos in their apartments or at Kris’s place. This hands-on approach helped them refine their product and ensure it met their students’ needs.

Launching the Business

Launching Higher Levels was facilitated by the existing distribution channel through their YouTube presence. The initial launch involved a formal YouTube video that generated $1.1k on the first day. Despite some technical hiccups, the launch was largely successful, thanks to their substantial YouTube following. Their channel, which had grown significantly over two years, was a key driver of traffic and sales.

They emphasized the importance of capturing leads early and often, using free content to attract potential customers. The founders learned to iterate quickly and adjust their offerings based on feedback, ensuring that their products remained relevant and effective. They also realized the value of refining their initial product before expanding, which helped them build a strong foundation for future growth.

Earnings

Higher Levels has achieved impressive financial success, generating over $100,000 in revenue in its second year. The business operates with high margins, around 90%, which they expect to decrease slightly as they invest in distribution strategies like affiliate marketing and paid ads. All sales currently come through YouTube, but they plan to diversify their marketing efforts in the future.

Looking ahead, the founders aim to rebrand their YouTube channel to Higher Levels and expand their content to cover broader entrepreneurial topics. They also plan to grow their business by consulting with companies and offering video courses for various tech sales positions. Despite the challenges of balancing their day jobs with building the business, Eric and Kris are committed to scaling Higher Levels and eventually transitioning to run it full-time.