"It seemed to me that there is nothing more boring and strange online school": the success story Skyeng

Alexander Laryanovsky

Director of Development Skyeng.

I have been working on the Internet since 1994. Was the ideologist and founder of several major regional projects online: "Electronic City", "Evening Novosibirsk», Novocybersk. Was Director of Marketing Ltd. "Novotelecom". In 2008 he moved to the "Yandex" - lead the international development of the company. And in January 2014 he joined the online school team Skyeng English language.

Idea

Acquaintance asked me to advise young startups - MIPT graduates and Bauman. Their project online schools interested me just as a business. The guys have shown evidence that the potential market volume of 60 billion dollars, and the largest player in the capital, English First, the share held just 3% in 2013.

But here's an idea I did not inspire myself: it seemed to me that there is nothing more boring and strange than the online school, I did not hear. I changed my mind when we are talking about a machine algorithm. In the process of communicating with the founders, we realized that many of the services have long been standardized. For example, more or less clear how, for how much money and time will pass airfare from one point to another.

So we can do the same with English lessons. Learning the language level of the client, his learning and goal, then make up for it a course with a clear timetable to achieve the result. Such a system in the formation of long and do not close, but the obvious blocks of which it can be done.

The computer can analyze the vast amount of data - in contrast to the human teacher. So, it may be more precise to notice mistakes and successes of students, and then adjust the training program.

Online schools have been before us, but the training nobody had ever done on the platform.

On introduction Vimbox platform took a lot of time and resources. The hardest thing was to retrain teachers. Now it is standard on the market, but 5 years ago, we lost 40% of teachers, when offered them seats on our software from Skype. Because "will tell me more a computer, how to teach the people."

Money

I became an angel Skyeng, investing in her own $ 300 000. The money helped us to get a plus: 2.5 years after the launch of the project has become fully profitable.

The founders had no problems with the scale: for them, as for the students, were more any money. I after "Yandex" it seemed that 100 000 rubles for one experiment - it is not enough. Then came the understanding that the bar must be 10 times lower, and the hypothesis should be checked literally "on the knee" and then launch them into production.

It seems to me that if you, like me, not a professional in financial management is better not to be original, and enjoy the classic, proven tools. Do not put all your eggs in one basket, do not be greedy and do not chase for super high risks.

People

In the beginning we had five people and most of the work we have done ourselves. In "Yandex" I used to be engaged in a strategy to manage people and so on. And Skyeng texts he wrote himself, doing email-newsletter, advertising campaigns - as if back on 15 years ago. It was painful, it was necessary to get involved.

In startups, there is nobody to lead, you can not tell a person to "invent a visual for the banner", you can sit down and come up with this visual, test it and send it to work.

To become a market leader, you need to work with the best people. But for this you first need to be an attractive employer: must be an idea, challenge scale. Cool people choose where to go, it is on such grounds. School of English to become a prestigious place to work - a great Challenge. But we managed. For the first time we hired only a few teachers and operators call center. A little later came the developers to the mobile version of Skyeng. And now we have more than 500 employees and over 7000 teachers.

Advertising

Internet advertising has been and remains the main way to attract customers to Skyeng. At first, we used only contextual advertising and search engine optimization, and now dozens of different channels.

Excellent work content marketing, YouTube, thematic mailing lists, magazines, helpful articles and the program "Bring a Friend".

I do not advise to use to promote the promoters. Back in 2014 I was struck by the idea that you can try to "poshakalit" students in English courses Skyeng near the door.

We confuse leaflets (still proud of them). We spent a lot - just for a startup wagon - money for design and printing. Excellent printed copies. Hired promoters. Found first seven points and driven. Approximately 40 minutes after the start of the experiment, it became clear that everything Khan, you can close up shop.

Promoters of the effectiveness of advertising are somewhere between the label on the jar in the cupboard on the balcony and a warranty card for a disposable lighter.

While you're at point-blank look at the promoters, they work. As soon as you turn away - everything disappears. As a child, when zazhmurivaeshsya.

You can certainly put a foreman who looks at the promoters. This helps as you follow the foreman. But when you turn away, the foreman stops to look at the promoter. Then you set the supervisor, who looks at the foreman, who looks at the promoter.

When you get tired of building the pyramid guards, it turns out that the money is already there and not look for anyone. It took me 40 minutes to realize that the money for the circulation and promoters are down the toilet. When you're an investor himself and it's your money, it is upsetting especially strong.

Reputation

Business in the formation of a very, very, very tied to the reputation. Education must inspire confidence. You have to be modern and advanced, but solid and reliable.

A simple example: a typo in a book or newspaper, we treat more leniently than in a textbook.

Therefore, education can not afford any liberties, can not go beyond morality can not be based on provocation.

Partners

To do business, I realized that the relationship with people (particularly successful) should be maintained systematically, rather than when the itch. The more people you have in your asset - the better the business goes.

You do not always know what you need, and - even more so - where the opportunity may come. Using networking, you can learn from the best, or do partnership projects, which would not take place, you do not invite a friend for coffee.

competitors

Corporations are investing billions into something that will not let us switch and force us to spend time with them more and more time. When Netflix executives say that their main competitor on the market - a dream, it's not just to be witty. They really do everything to make people sleep less and watch more. In the field of view of the average modern person has no education. Therefore, our main competitors - is VK, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Fortnite.

Tips for beginners

1. Remember: and do a small project, and you will be the same huge effort. Success is determined by people: a strong team with a bad idea to make more than a weak team with good.
2. Your business - it's not about the "work less", and vice versa. But you do what you believe.
3. Respect your team. The way you treat your employees, - this is how employees relate to business customers.
4. People love all specialized. We have become a market leader because it focused on one thing: to be the best in the English language. Now we have launched the math, and now our task - to become the best at math. We need to develop a niche of a niche, aiming to be a leader in each of them.