Rite of Passage: Cohort-Based Online Writing Education
An online writing education company offering a 5-week cohort-based program. It focuses on helping individuals build online audiences and differentiate their voice in the digital age, counter-positioning traditional education by leveraging internet scale, community, and personalized feedback.
Opportunity6.8
Why now
The internet allows for unprecedented scale and niche targeting; algorithmic social feeds accelerate audience growth; AI's rise necessitates a unique human voice; modern learning science supports cohort-based, community-driven models.
Market gap
Traditional education is expensive, often ineffective (lecture-based), and doesn't leverage modern learning science or internet capabilities for structured writing and audience building. There's a lack of high-quality, community-driven online programs for creators.
Business fit
Type
Online Course / Education Company
Target
Individuals (especially in their 20s) looking to improve writing, build an online audience, and differentiate themselves in the creator economy.
Revenue
Millions of dollars, profitable
Founder
Someone with a strong vision for education, ability to build community, and leverage personal brand/audience.
Scores
Problem
9.0
Feasibility
8.0
Why now
9.0
Go-to-market
8.0
Confidence
10.0
Proof signals
Currently generating millions of dollars in revenue and profitable.
438 students from 41 countries in a 5-week program.
38 people assisting in operations (editors, mentors, ops, design).
Students like Zach from Cabin DAO met and started a $38M company through the program.
World leaders reaching out to David Perell due to his online writing presence.
Keyword demand
Keyword
Volume
Growth
online writing course
3,600/mo
-34% YoY
cohort-based learning
90/mo
-35% YoY
creator economy education
no data
no data
US English Google Ads volume from DataForSEO; growth uses returned monthly search history.
Source episode
Writing, Religion, and Walt Disney with David PerellEpisode source
you're the founder of rite of passage and I wanted to bring you on the show to talk about the business