“I recommend that if you have an idea with minimal funds, then put out the simplest, cheapest version of your project out there, and get users using it and giving you feedback.”

Adarsh Menon wanted to make it easy for anyone to learn Chinese online. This is why he created Chinese Learn Online in 2006 as a way for users to learn Mandarin Chinese via free podcast lessons. Premium subscriptions allow users access to the website which includes videos, additional content and online exercises. The business has since expanded to a Spanish version as well as several mobile apps to supplement the main product.

Adarsh formed a team that recently won a Startup Weekend in Taipei and they are planning a new product launch for the local Taiwan market.

MO:
What was the initial inspiration behind creating Chinese Learn Online?

Adarsh:
I had come to Taiwan to teach English and learn Chinese on the side. I noticed that when I was teaching, I found myself teaching the same lessons over and over to different classes. I thought it would be much more efficient if I could teach the lesson just once, have it recorded and then have future students play it back at their convenience. That became the model for the site.

This way students could learn on their own time, without the expenses or time commitments of signing up for a class at a local school.

MO:
You offer some podcasts for free and then people can pay a premium for more information. Tell us about the decision to go with this revenue model and why you saw it as the most viable option for your company?

Adarsh:
I use a freemium model – where people are attracted to my site by all the free content. From there, I only need a small percentage of users to sign up to the paid content to make the business profitable. A side result of this is that I haven’t had to spend much money marketing the course at all.

Having a free component gives you a larger base of users to work with, who can then help you promote your product through various social media channels.

MO:
You have expanded from Mandarin Chinese to Spanish so far, what languages do you plan to add next and why?

Adarsh:
Right now we teach Mandarin to English speakers as well as Spanish speakers. It’s possible we’ll do other languages as well. I’ve also been looking at other mediums to tap into, to distribute our existing content – right now we have our website, iTunes podcast and the app store. We are currently working on an iPad version as well. This way there will be multiple ways to draw users in to our content.

MO:
You brought a team to Startup Weekend in Taipei. Can you tell our readers what Startup Weekend is, and why you decided to participate in Taipei?

Adarsh:
Startup Weekends are held in many cities around the world. The event attracts programmers, marketers, designers and anyone with an idea who is looking for a team to build around it. It’s a 3 day event that starts on a Friday where you pitch your idea to others in the room. If they like it, they can join your team. You then have all day Saturday and Sunday to work on a demo version of your project. On Sunday evening you then pitch your product to a panel of judges who vote on which team had the best execution.

Up to now, all the projects I’ve worked on were ones that I started and launched on my own, with most of the work outsourced. Startup Weekend was a chance to do a project with a team and potentially attract third party investment in the future. Having won the event, we have attracted interest from other investors and mentors who are now interested in seeing us succeed – so I’m trying to benefit from all the resources that are now being provided to me.

MO:
What is the product you are planning to launch in the local Taiwan market?

Adarsh:
One advantage of launching in a developing market like Taiwan is that you can take a look at ideas and concepts that have done well overseas and bring them out here. The project I chose is an app that lets you search menus from local restaurants to find what you want to eat close by. It’s a larger project than what I’m accustomed to working on, but it also gives me the chance to work with groups of people who I haven’t had the chance to work with in the past.

MO:
How did you create this online business with little money and skills?

Adarsh:
The beauty of the internet today is that there is a lot of open source software out there for free – like wordpress and such, that allows anyone to get started in their business for minimal funds. You can also get pretty much anything you want done by outsourcing it for much less than you could get done locally.

I recommend that if you have an idea with minimal funds, then put out the simplest, cheapest version of your project out there, and get users using it and giving you feedback. Find out if it’s something they would pay for, and if not, why not. As the business starts to make money, put that money back into improving it. You can then raise prices as the product improves.

This is the same formula I’ve used for starting Chinese Learn Online, as well as several mobile apps that I’m now selling on the app store.