Our BIG announcement! (We need your help!)
Note: This article is a follow-up to this article from 2012-03-27.
Here are some pictures from Carrie's (my wife's) birthday. We went to a restaurant downtown that just opened, called Espana. It was great! And Carrie thanks you for the birthday wishes! :-)
Sorry about making you wait for the big announcement. It was difficult for us, too! :-)
When I recorded my first video on YouTube three years ago, I had no idea that anyone would actually watch it (let alone 12,000 people). But it was an even bigger surprise when people started asking me for language learning advice!
Learning languages was my favorite hobby, so I was more than happy to help! In later videos, I described how I learned Polish and began giving advice. Eventually, I decided to create Bibliobird, a web application designed to help Poles learn English.
My "hobby" is now completely out of hand! (In the best possible way!)
I've had the amazing opportunity to help hundreds (if not thousands!) of people in their language learning journeys. But it takes a HUGE amount of time and resources to sustain.
The only way to continue is to take this to the next level!
Today, we've got a big announcement and a new project - and we need your help!
Read more and please let us know what you think!
Our BIG announcement
My wife and I want to quit our jobs ...
... and work full-time to create a paid language learning product.
Don't worry!
- Bibliobird will ALWAYS be FREE!
- We will continue to create the same, FREE learning materials. We won't take anything away!
It just means that we will create a paid language learning product too!
And if we're successful, I'll have more time to write articles, record videos, improve Bibliobird, and help YOU!
But WAIT!
There's still a TON to figure out before we can quit our jobs. :-)
Over the last four months, I've talked to lots of English learners and I've come up with an idea for an awesome paid product.
But, of course, we're going to need your help to decide exactly what should be included in the product, what it should cost, and many more details.
We are so nervous, but we're excited too!
But we'll come back to that in a couple weeks!
I was originally planning on describing my whole idea for the paid product in this article. In fact, I even wrote it!
But I realized that it was WAY too long and would distract from another project that I want to work on with you over the next 2-3 weeks...
To celebrate this HUGE decision ...
... and to thank all of you for your continuous support over the years...
... I want to create a FREE E-BOOK about language learning for you!
I first mentioned this idea a couple months ago - but when it got a positive response, I got scared! :-)
It suddenly occurred to me, "Wait! This means I'll have to actually write a book! This could be months of work..."
The problem with my original idea: the book would contain all the language learning advice from my existing blog posts, PLUS all the articles I have ideas for, but haven't written yet. :-)
It was going to be absolutely everything that I know about language learning - and that would take a lifetime to complete!
So, I came up with a new plan:
- The ebook will either:
- teach ONE (and only one) thing, or
- it will contain all the language learning advice already on my blog, reorganized into an easy-to-read format.
- I will publish it in 2-3 weeks.
- There will be a Polish translation.
- Over the next week or two YOU will help me decide what the ebook will be about!
What should the ebook be about?
I have a few ideas:
- A step-by-step guide to using my personal language learning method (without the help of Bibliobird).
- An extended guide for getting over your fear of speaking.
- Advice, tips and tricks for practicing speaking (after you've already achieved a high level, but you still have trouble speaking).
- Or, of course, all the language learning advice already on my blog, reorganized into an easy-to-read format.
- Or whatever new ideas come out of this survey!
I only want to create something people actually want!
Even a short ebook will be a lot of work. If I spend a ton of time making it and nobody wants it, I'll feel like an idiot. :-/
So, if you're interested in the ebook please fill out this survey and let me know what you want it to be about!
If enough people want the ebook, I'll create it!
What do you think of our plan to create a paid product? Good idea or bad idea? Do you think we have any chance of success? What do you think about the ebook? Please leave a comment below and don't forgot to fill out the survey!
English
Polski
Super excited to see what you come up with and am sure it will be great. Let me know how I can help and I'd love to be able to help promote it as it get closer to completion. Great stuff.
Thanks, Aaron! We'd really appreciate the help. We can use all that we can get. ;-)
Best regards,
David.
David, Carrie, according to your paid learning product I think it's great idea if you are able to provide some innovative approaches. Guessing you think about delivering this learning approach by software/website I believe the price of it should be high enough to be able to employ some supporting programmer in future to let you focus on what you really want to do instead of just programming and technical support :) But on the other hand users can't be scared of price so maybe Software as a Service model would be good idea e.g. monthly payment and additionaly 2-3 editions with different feature scope and different price. If I were you I would be careful about releasing complete feature list until you implement it partially at least because this market segment is very competetive and tight AFAIK. I think free materials and paid ones should be parts of same ecosystem, I mean for instance free materials could use same digital format to be able to feed with content paid product as well.
Thanks for the advice! Yeah, we want this to be a sustainable business, so it can't just be us forever. But we have to start somewhere! :-)
Best regards,
David.
Hey David!
ME parece estupendo por que quisiera mejorar mi aprendizaje con el lenguaje Polaco.
muchos éxitos!!
I hope it will be helpful to you! Thanks for the words of support!
Regards,
David.
Wspaniala idea, free e-book.
Masz doswiadczenie z polskim a wiec mozesz sie nim podzielic z innymi.
Podziwiam twoj zapal.
Wracajac do Bibliobird.
Jezeli poswiecicie mu caly czas, musicie z czegos zyc.
Proponuje wolne datki, kto co moze. Powiedzmy od 10 zl w gore.
Nie jestem fanem stron, gdzie zanim postawisz pytanie musisz zaplacic.
Tego typu kretynskich aplikacji jest od groma, zwlaszcza w Polsce.
Odwiedzam wasza strone bo jest naprawde "ludzka" panuje tam dobra atmosfera. Jezeli od czasu do czasu ktos ma ochote na sympatyczny gest, ktory podniesie was na duchu, czemu nie.
powodzenia Carrie i David
Cześć Greg!
Dzięki za słowa wsparcie i pomysł. :-) Będę o nim myślał!
Pozdrawiam serdecznie,
David.
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