Bespoke is the New Black for the Knowledge Industry, with Jose Barrera & Muji Balogun Co-Founders of Expert League [Podcast #76]
We are back again with another up and coming startup this week on the SOL Podcast. We welcomed Jose Barrera and Muji Balogun, Co-founders of Expert League. Based on their experiences with training in their previous careers, both Jose and Muji felt that something lacked in the knowledge industry. So, they decided to address the issue by starting Expert League, a new way to train companies and individuals. They emphasise tailoring the right kind of training to meet both the needs of the company and the employees.
Expert League breathes new life into the knowledge industry and traditional company training. As opposed to one-size-fits-all training courses or e-learning programmes, they provide a more personalized approach. In collaboration with their extensive network of trainers, they offer custom-designed courses to fit any company or individual need. Furthermore, because of their highly customizable nature, clients can choose not only the materials but also the mode of delivery.
Does the Knowledge Industry Need Improvement?
The knowledge industry surely has a crowded market when it comes to training material and courses. Our conversation started with an overview of Expert League and what it actually does. Muji and Jose explained how Expert League plans to get ahead of the competition. Jose spoke about the lack of tailored training and outlined how Expert League intends to meet the needs of the knowledge industry. After, we asked about the companies that seek their services. What do they need? What are they in search of? They explained what Expert League is focused and Jose gave us a breakdown of the courses they offer.
Later we talked about the growth trajectory of the business. Since they provide tailored training courses, it can be costly and time-consuming to meet every client’s needs. We asked whether they are aiming to scale or foresee a steady pace. Have you ever wondered how a business that provides bespoke services achieves profitability and generates revenue?
After that, we turned our focus on the course experience itself. Muji kindly detailed the process: how it works, the channels they use to deliver, and the design and structure of the lessons. There seems to be no limit to customisation when it comes to Expert League. Then, Jose explained how they utilise real experts to deliver courses.
Dynamics of Co-Founding and Growing the Business
One important aspect we touched upon was the relationship between the co-founders themselves. We inquired about the way they manage tasks and responsibilities, which founder focuses on what. We also asked if Expert League is a full-time business for the partners or are there other things they focus on.
Mile stones were another topic we discussed. What kind of a future do the founders imagine for Expert League? Jose mentions their consulting services are focused on improving talent for the organisations. Muji adds that on top of talent acquisition they also aim to help to keep the talent.
And for closing notes, balancing the things that will drive revenue in the short term and the things that will bring growth in the future is a challenge. So, we ended with how Jose and Muji plan to manage this balance and their plans to keep the business growing. For fellow entrepreneurs who might be interested in building a business, sometimes it works to do things backwards. Jose and Muji reveal that they didn’t even have a website when they started this business. So, if you are curious about what aspects they were fortunate enough to validate, launch and grow their business listen to the episode above.
