Founder stories
$100K ARRin 1 year
4 Meilensteine
Current revenue
2025 gross. ~30% net margin ($650K profit). Original cohort course retired 2023; Second Brain Enterprise AI program generated ~$1.5M in 2025.
Productivity Expert Launches Cohort Course, Builds $5M/Year Business
Gründer
Tiago Forte
Solo-Gründer•Nicht-technisch•USA
Engagement
VollzeitErfahrung
ErstgründerProdukt
Cohort-based course on personal knowledge management.
Typ
Info-ProduktBranche
BildungModell
Einmalige ZahlungMarketingstrategie
Wie Tiago Kunden gewonnen hat
Wachstumskanal
Communities
Tech Stack
Tools zur Entwicklung von Building a Second Brain
ZoomCircleEmail marketingPayment processing
Die vollständige Geschichte
Tiago Forte 'rage quit' consulting with a month of savings. He created a course on SkillShare that became #2 on the platform.
Cohort Model
After taking a live cohort-based writing course in 2016, he launched his first BASB cohort in January 2017 with 25-30 people.
Scaling
It took a few cohorts to hit $100K ARR. Now on cohort 15 with 5,000+ learners and $5M/year at $1,500 per student.
- First cohort: 25-30 students
- Current: 5,000+ learners
- Annual revenue: $5M
- Price: $1,500/student
Wichtigste Erkenntnisse
1
Validate teaching ability on platforms like SkillShare first
2
Cohort-based learning creates better completion rates
3
Start small (25-30 students) and iterate based on feedback
4
Premium pricing ($1,500) is possible with transformational results
Ursprünglich veröffentlicht aufDisco
Von Tiagos Weg inspiriert? Eine Geschäftsidee generieren im Bereich Bildung – mit AI und echten Gründerdaten.
Meilenstein-Journey
Tiago hat 4 Meilensteine auf dem Weg zu $100K ARR erreicht
Erster Kunde
$10
1 month
February 2016
72% schneller
vs. Durchschnitt 4 months+1 month bis zum nächsten Meilenstein
$1K MRR
$1,000
2 months
March 2017
82% schneller
vs. Durchschnitt 11 months+1 month bis zum nächsten Meilenstein
$10K MRR
$37,000
3 months
April 2017
86% schneller
vs. Durchschnitt 1 year+9 months bis zum nächsten Meilenstein
$100K ARR
$100,000
1 year
January 2018
69% schneller
vs. Durchschnitt 3 years1 year
Gesamte Journey-Dauer
4
Erreichte Meilensteine
Tiagos Weg zu $100K ARRPremium
Der Weg, die Entscheidungen und der Kontext hinter diesem Meilenstein
Tiagos vollständige Reise freischalten
Sehen Sie die vollständige Aufschlüsselung: Launch-Strategie, Validierungsmethoden, Startkosten, Expert Analysis, Replication Playbook und weitere umsetzbare Erkenntnisse.
Auf Premium upgradenSofortiger Zugang zu allen Gründer-Journeys
Frequently asked questions
How much does Building a Second Brain make?
Building a Second Brain reports $2.1M ARR as of December 2025. 2025 gross. ~30% net margin ($650K profit). Original cohort course retired 2023; Second Brain Enterprise AI program generated ~$1.5M in 2025. Source: Forte Labs year-in-review.
How long did it take Building a Second Brain to reach $100k arr?
Tiago Forte took 1 year to reach $100k arr with Building a Second Brain.
Was Tiago Forte a solo founder?
Yes. Tiago Forte built Building a Second Brain as a solo founder.
What marketing channel did Building a Second Brain use to grow?
Building a Second Brain grew primarily through Communities.
What industry is Building a Second Brain in?
Building a Second Brain operates in Bildung.
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