A recorded conversation between an investor/facilitator and a founder about a lean-startup experiment testing whether international students will pay for short, paid English-conversation sessions. They agree an experiment focused on demand (flyers and in-person availability) will be funded: $200 upfront for prep, then $100 per person who shows up (founder preferred for first 10), up to $1,000 over the next 48 hours. Participants would pay $3 for a 5-minute conversation plus $3 for recorded follow-up feedback. Logistics include posting flyers at universities and coffee-shop community boards, indicating on-flyer availability windows; proof required via photos/emails; payment via PayPal. Deadline referenced: Sunday night (experiment run across upcoming Friday–Sunday).
Questions this video answers
$200
$100 per person (paid to the founder), up to $1,000 total
That 30 people will call (initial hypothesis mentioned)
$3 for a 5-minute conversation and $3 for the follow-up recording/feedback
Deadline: Sunday night; funding offer covers the next 48 hours and specifically Friday–Sunday time window
Chapters
But you've been a good sport so far, so let's, let's see where we end up. All right. All right, so just backtracking, what's the problem hypothesis?
Okay, so for this particular experiment, it's basically that people, international students and non English speakers, will be willing to pay for a short conversation which is kind of like a micro teaching moment.
But the teaching isn't sort of like this, which is why I wanted to take advantage.
Gotcha. So it's like basically the point is to get the practice conversation and then the feedback comes after based on the recording. So assuming that they allow the person having the conversation to record, I built kind of a feedback tool that we can use to like hone in on specific moments in the conversation and give them feedback. But based on my last interviews, it seemed like the piece that was missing for a lot of international students with learning English was the personal interaction. So I thought maybe you shorten it down and you know, give a face to face element to it that might make it attractive to them. And I'm just kind of seeing where it's going to go.
All right, so that's a perfect segue. And I won't make you do the Socratic method for too long. But basically we, we approved your hypothesis because a lot of people think that we're like messing with them and we don't fund everything. But your hypothesis was still testing two things at once. Right. You were trying to see if people would actually pay that $3. And then you were also added in there that, that the session would happen and there would be retention metric, right?
Yes.
And the assumption, the whole point of this community is trying to waste, is trying to avoid the waste of assuming that they are going to call. We don't like to always be negative, but we want you to test one thing, which is will they call in the first place? And then if they do, how can we fund you and them and actually make it a good experience? Fair enough. Okay. So obviously in my mind, the whole first part of the experiment, you got some extra teachers in the background there. The whole first part of this experiment, not just for me to save money, but it's putting the flyers up and seeing if anyone calls, right?
Yes. Now the, the thing that I wanted to have was people on hand and available to show up.
Right.
Then Good.
All right, so that's you. So again, it's not for the fun, to save money. And I hope you understand where this is and we make this transparent on purpose. And I'm going to post A video of me saying we're funding you for less than you're asking. Since the flyers is pretty cheap, I gonna send you $200 instead of 100. But that first, those first 10 call. So your hypothesis that 30 people will call, correct?
Yes.
Within how long? I know the date was the 20th, but it took a little while. So how many days? Within the start of. I should, I should frame it better that. So within the start of the experiment, how many days will take to get 30.
Okay, so the original way I conceived of it was only having those flyers posted while someone was available to meet in person. So if we're just putting up flyers and waiting to see who calls, that kind of changes the, the frame of the experiment. So it could potentially be more like I was planning on having someone available posting flyers for a specific amount of time while someone was available. The idea being the face to face is a attractive bit.
Alright, so if they were posted, where are you posting them? Just also for the record.
University. Like basically open community boards, coffee shop community boards, places, places like that. And then the other thing that I thought I could also do is like get a basically acrylic stand and just have it there with the person that someone would talk to, like while they're there.
So you were posting simultaneously in like six different places?
Yeah, basically places that would be close enough that the person on call could get there, you know, within five to ten minutes tops. Okay.
So couldn't you just do that? When are you available?
Typically lunchtime. And then Fridays and Saturdays are like my biggest like times to do these things.
Perfect. The weekends coming up. Alright, so here's what I do and here's what this for the community has been famous for. I'll fund the flyers and all the prep work up front and then I'll give you $100 for each person that shows up. Up to a thousand over the next 48 hours.
Okay. So basically when I post a flyer and have someone ready, whether it's myself or someone else, if a person shows up, then that's $100. Am I understanding that right?
And I prefer it's you for the first 10.
Okay.
You just said on the record, you know, that Saturday is your best day tomorrow. So one of the things is experimentation. But the other lesson of this community is like do things yourself before you're outsourcing it to other people, you know? Right, right. You know, it's not just about us saving money and this dichotomy between investor and founder. When I see that you're going to pay $600 for someone else to do the thing. It's okay to do that to scale, making a lot of assumptions. If this is your startup, yes, you have to be the. But that's why I'm also going. I shouldn't have to pay you to be there and learn. You should. Yeah, you should pay me to learn. So. But obviously we're doing things a little bit differently, so. Yes, they have to show up the deadline Sunday night, put up as many flyers. Obviously, if you want someone in real time, you're going to put on the flyers when some the hours. Since you're not going to be taking the flyers up and down, you have to basically say on the flyers when someone's available. Is that what you were thinking?
Yes.
Okay, so I'll send you the initial 200 bucks right now.
Okay.
Hustle to get the experiment set up. Obviously, I'm gonna want you to share this with people, but yes, $100 per person that shows up Friday, Saturday, Sunday. It's up to you when you want to, you know, you can say that you're available 24 hours a day for this, but it's up to you to put reasonable times that you'll be there.
Okay.
I want some sort of proof. And the person that you know, since I'm overpaying, it's not just to add them to a list, but I want photos of the sessions. We're doing another experiment and I think you've seen this on the board. People matching lunches in. I think it's Thailand. So yeah, we want those photos, but you don't have to. You can just do the session normally and then at the end you can ask them if they're comfortable with a photo and getting their email or Twitter. They're really not. I'll take your word for it for what I want. You can't go over 10. You got to get me, you know, half of them should say yes.
Okay.
They need to be willing to pay what what you're expecting. But you can either give them, you can keep the money, you can give them the money back. What is it? $3 for how long?
$3 for 5 minutes and then $3 for the follow up. Recording, feedback, corrections, advice, that kind of thing.
Okay, great. So run that as you want. You definitely need to charge the money. They definitely need to think they're paying if you want to refund it or buy a coffee or share some of the money that I'm giving you at the end of the session. But they need to think that it's real.
Got it.
Okay.
Yep. So just one more time to make sure. I got it. You said 200 for the prep work upfront, $100 for each person that shows up. Up to a thousand between now and Sunday. And you just want proof of the sessions. People that I talk to and not proof in.
And I don't believe you. Sort of. I proof. And we're making a hypothesis of our own that. That, you know, people will understand why we're not funding that360 to go pay people to sit around on the supply side and that we're focusing on the demand side. We want to see the people that show up. We want to bring them into the community, too, at some point. But. But, yes, we want. We believe you, but we want to. We want to make this a thing.
Okay, awesome.
Good luck. I'd be happy to pay. I'm not the 360 I was rooting against, but these are the payouts that. To fulfill actual demand. These are the payments that we actually want to make. So good luck.
Okay, one more question. As far as sending the money, like, what do you need from me for that?
PayPal.
PayPal.
Got it. We're connected now. So, yeah, just if you feel comfortable, put it right on the trello card. It's not like a bitcoin thing where people can steal money. They can only send you money.
Okay.
If not, just send me an email. All right, we'll do.
Oh, what's your email?
I'll put it on trial.
All right, sounds good. Thanks a lot. Really appreciate your time.
