How can entrepreneurs leverage YouTube to increase their visibility?
In the case of Eric Wise, his passion for teaching proved to be the magic key.
The former software architect turned educator has built courseware for everything from Fortune 500 companies to universities. His YouTube channel, though, aims to bring his technical knowledge to the world outside the corporate enterprise environment.
And it has become a key asset to his business, Skill Foundry. Here is Wise’s story, and the strategy he has developed.
Quick Facts
- Eric Wise is a former software architect turned educator.
- He runs Skill Foundry, an online education business that offers training in full-stack development.
- On his YouTube channel, Wise shares his coding knowledge with a wider audience and showcases what Skill Foundry’s courses have to offer.
Keep reading for the full story!
For this series of blog posts, we sat down with some of the most successful creators at Tasty Edits. Here, they share their experience and expertise with you.
Contents
Teaching as a Super Power
“I’m a serial entrepreneur,” Wise says.
“Back in 2013, I started one of the first Java coding bootcamps in the country. That business was eventually acquired by Wiley Education. After that, I ran a venture called Drive It, which provided B2B technical training, and was also acquired.”
However, through all his entrepreneurial activities, Wise knew that his true passion lay in teaching.
“I discovered early in my career that my superpower was explaining things to people,” he explains. “I am good at breaking down technical concepts and explaining them to non-technical people.”
Wise recalls working for a small startup in Canton, Ohio, and the difficulty of recruiting talent. “We were having a lot of trouble hiring entry-level positions out there at the time. Eventually, I got frustrated and said: ‘Just give me some people who are smart and really want to learn this, and I’ll just teach them.’ ”
The CEO took Wise up on his suggestion, and he found himself teaching two young women from the company’s call center – first SQL and then C#. “They started writing reports and later automated tests. One of them even started doing junior developer tasks! I had a moment where I thought: ‘I really like teaching – I’d like to go pro at this!”
Eric Wise’s videos range from basic environment setup all the way to coding interview prep.
Launching Skill Foundry
At first, Wise looked at teaching at university level, but found the pay for adjunct professors to be disheartening. In addition, he realized something just as important: The university environment wasn’t actually suited to the kind of teaching he wanted to do.
“Having taught at universities, I realized there were a lot of skill gaps in students,” he explains. “University courses are also usually behind where the industry is because it just takes so long to design and build them. I wanted to build my own program and teach people the right way. I’ve trained thousands of people over the last decade. So I have a really good idea of the process needed to go from zero to professionally competent.”
Ultimately, Wise’s inspiration led him to launch Skill Foundry, an online education company that now offers full-stack development training.
“I live in what’s called the gray market,” Wise says. “Our courses are not accredited, like a university’s, but they’re deeper and more rigorous than boot camps. Plus, they aren’t time restricted like at college, where you have to cram everything into a semester. Instead, Skill Foundry offers open-ended subscriptions where people can move at their own pace.”
Skill Foundry teaches useful foundational techniques for a number of languages. C# features prominently.
Using YouTube to Boost Visibility
Wise launched his YouTube channel and Skill Foundry’s website at the same time, with the expert advice of his wife, who used to be a Twitch streamer.
“Content creation was new to me, but my wife really helped me get a start, plan out things, and set reasonable expectations. A lot of people don’t realize it, I think, but the amount of time and effort it takes is intense.”
Like many new YouTubers’, Wise’s content creation had its ups and downs. It took him a little while to get to know his audience. “You’ll release a video and think it’s awesome and that it has great information. And then you get 50 views. And then you put out another video and you think it’s kind of fluffy but alright, and it takes off, with 10,000 views.”
“That’s what’s challenging about being a content creator, right? The things you think are important are not necessarily the things your audience values.”
Now, however, Wise’s channel is on a firm path set for growth. And it has become an important driver for new learners at Skill Foundry, and for new clients for his consulting business.
“I have a B2C wing for learners who want to learn how to code,” Wise explains. “And I have a strong B2B practice, where I do consulting and help people build courses. There are not a lot of people who combine technology and pedagogy. I’m fairly unique that way. And I use the YouTube channel to enhance both sides of what I do.”
FAQs
Eric Wise is a software architect turned educator who runs Skill Foundry. He also offers consulting services.
Eric Wise is an educator and content creator who runs Skill Foundry, which provides full-stack development training. He also offers consulting services for entrepreneurs looking to create their own tech courses.
Skill Foundry is a software developer education company. Launched by Eric Wise, it provides training on full-stack development.
Skill Foundry offers full-stack development with over 80 practice projects and over 700 learner hours.
Among the best coding creators is Eric Wise, a former software architect turned educator, whose company, Skill Foundry, offers full-stack development training.
