My Journey to Building Authority in QA
and the course I'm launching on Black Friday
This year has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. I've seen some incredible growth in my online presence, and I've learned some hard lessons along the way. I want to share my experiences with you, from expanding my social media following to launching digital products, and how I'm planning to revolutionize QA education.
The Growth of My Online Presence
I've managed to grow my LinkedIn account from 600 to 5000 followers and my Twitter from around 100 to over 800 followers. My email list has also seen a significant increase, going from about 30 readers to over 450. On top of that, I've made over $450 from digital products and services designed to help those in QA with their job hunt or to learn valuable career skills.
Learning from a Failed High Ticket Offer
Back in July, I invested in some high ticket offer coaching to pitch my first high ticket offer to my readership. I introduced a "job hunt wingman" service for QA professionals, priced at $1,000 a month. Unfortunately, it didn't take off as I had hoped. The price was steep, and without social proof of my success in helping others, it was a tough sell. I've realized that I should have started by helping someone at a low cost or even for free to build that proof and trust.
Gaining Valuable Skills and Refocusing
Despite the setback, I've gained invaluable skills that I'll carry with me into the future. I've also taken a step back to reassess my approach. I realized that my technical portfolio and online presence didn't reflect my current abilities or the value I could offer. It was time for a change.
My Three-Pronged Strategy
On July 28th, I made a decision and shared it on Twitter. For the rest of 2024, I would focus on three main areas:
Launching a Personal Website: a personal website that I could be proud of, using a template to avoid the hassle of designing it myself.
Updating My Personal Projects: work on projects that showcase my current level of skill and display them on my website, along with my contributions to the QA community like my newsletter, interviews, open-source contributions, etc.
Creating a New Course: I'm developing a course to teach QA automation, including how to be hirable forever, leveraging content creation, and using AI tools like Cursor.
A New Approach to QA Education
When I say “create a course,” I’m not just creating a typical course; I'm building a learning experience that goes beyond the norm.
It’ll be different than any course the QA industry has seen before, leveraging my unique blend of tech & business experiences.
This will be a hybrid education model, not entirely self-paced, with human feedback on student work. I want to provide a support system through DMs and video calls, and foster a learning community where students can collaborate and support each other.
The Social QA Boot Camp
Launching on Black Friday this year, the course will be priced affordably, with an option for weekly check-ins at a higher price. I'm focused on making the course content-rich yet concise, with audio alternatives for lesson texts. I've already enrolled beta testers who are providing feedback to ensure the course is user-friendly and effective.
Ensuring Quality and Building Authority
I'm committed to reviewing student work personally, to ensure they leave the course with high-quality projects and content. This course is my way of building authority in the QA education space and providing social proof for my business.
The Future of QA: An Evergreen Skillset
I believe that to remain competitive, QA professionals must become more social and contribute to their community. That's why I'm passionate about teaching not just technical skills but also communication, marketing, and sales skills. My goal is to help every QA become evergreen professionals, equipped to stand out in a saturated market.
Conclusion
I'm excited to launch this course and make a real impact on those who join. It's not just about QA; it's about how to be a QA that remains hirable for the foreseeable future.
Stay tuned for the Social QA Bootcamp, where we'll redefine what it means to be a QA professional in today's market.