Slightly over a year ago, I thought I’d be creating another Udemy course by now. Life had other plans.
What stood in my way? I’d been bootstrapping a project that landed in an incubator program and consumed over half a year of my life. Add a full-time job to the mix, and creativity became a luxury I simply couldn’t afford.
Now that I’m back to Udemy course creation, I can honestly say how much I enjoy it. And I’m enjoying it even more than my first experience. When I shared my 6 insights from creating my first Udemy course, I had no idea how much would change by the time I can create my second Udemy course.
Here’s what I re-learned, what evolved, and what completely surprised me this time around.
Tool Evolution – Still Budget-Conscious
Then: I was using a MacBook camera, a $40 microphone pinned to my blouse, and an ironing board as a makeshift stand for face recording. Editing was done with basic tools and lots of manual, repetitive work.
Now: I discovered the ‘Teleprompter’ app and immediately installed it on my Mac. While I decided not to invest in hardware at this point, this app was revolutionary – I no longer need to memorise lengthy scripts. I also upgraded from my ironing board setup to using a laptop table that better fits a new spot in my home where I now create all the videos. Combined with the teleprompter app, I could create far more face-to-camera videos than before.
For editing, I invested in Descript for $35/month. Yes, I could have cobbled together free solutions (I can code in Python, after all), but I love being able to work with video and see results immediately without jumping between apps or command lines. I can’t praise this app enough.
The lesson: You don’t need expensive hardware to start your creator journey – sometimes the right software makes all the difference.
Subject Alignment Changes Everything
Then: I created a technical course about ‘Neo4j with Python, LangChain & OpenAI’ – knowledge I’d gained in 2023 and was excited to share.
Now: I chose a subject that aligns much better with my professional life – introducing AI assistants and AI tools to people in an easy way. It’s about building the potential of their business and themselves, helping them gain an edge at work through practical AI applications.
This alignment made the entire process more enjoyable. I had significantly more fun because the subject resonated with who I am, what I love doing, and what I have solid knowledge about.
The lesson: My Udemy course creation journey taught me that when your course topic matches your passion and expertise, creating content feels less like work and more like sharing something you genuinely care about.
Process Management: Chose Structure over Chaos
Then: I was rotating tasks to maintain momentum, but it was somewhat chaotic. I’d polish earlier recordings while working on new ones, which helped with progress perception but was a bit messy.
Now: I started using Todoist to manage the overload of tasks, dividing my project into clear sections: creating scenarios, writing transcripts, screen recording, face recording, post-processing of each video, and publication to Udemy. This allowed me to work on 4-6 videos simultaneously. I prefer recording face videos in the morning when I shine brightest so I usually have couple of the to record in one morning. With detailed task management, by the end of the day I knew where I am with each video and where to start the next day.
The lesson: Structure helps you by removing decision fatigue and creating clear progress markers. Especially important for those of you, who like myself, like to get some quick-wins during the day.
Time Investment Reality: Still Significant, But More Rewarding
Then: I invested nearly 100 hours for 70 minutes of training content. I initially thought I could create a course in a weekend – instead, it took weeks.
Now: Because I had to rediscover my course creation process after the long break, it was again a very time-consuming experience. However, I’m much happier with the results I achieved.
The lesson: Course creation will always require significant time investment, but the satisfaction level depends greatly on how aligned you are with the content and how well your process works.
Personal Growth Compounds: Skills Transfer in Unexpected Ways
Then: I focused on improving my voice and camera presence, enhancing my English diction and phrasing, and deepening my understanding of the subject matter.
My experience pitching my project three times in public and practicing pitching extensively as part of the incubation process gave me an edge I didn’t have before. While I pitched mostly in Polish, it provided confidence in presenting ideas clearly that transferred directly to course creation. Interestingly, it worked both ways – the course I created a year ago also helped me feel more confident when pitching my startup idea to the public.
I’m also more conscious about where I want to go with my career now. Creation and sharing have become a big part of that vision. Even while working on startup pivoting (yes, our original idea didn’t find product-market fit), I think of my creator experience as part of building something unique.
The lesson: Every professional experience feeds into your course creation abilities. The skills compound in ways you don’t expect.
About This New Udemy Course: AI Tools for Business Professionals
I wanted to create a friendly introduction to AI assistants, but also explore other capabilities of chat models like deep research and data analytics. From there, I moved into tools that are receiving AI enhancements. I started with commonly used applications, but I plan to develop this course over the coming months, adding more content and sharing lesser-known tools that could benefit business professionals.
Once again, I had fun creating visual materials with Canva. Actually, Canva features prominently in my training since it’s my go-to tool for most visual materials.
I believe I can translate complex concepts into easy-to-understand lessons. At least, I believe I can.
Ready to boost your productivity with AI? Check out my new Udemy course here → My new course!
The Bottom Line
Creating a second course taught me that growth isn’t linear. The year-long break forced by life priorities wasn’t a setback – it was preparation. The pitching experience, the startup journey, and the clarity about my career direction all contributed to making this second course creation experience more enjoyable and effective.
If you’re considering your first course or, like me, returning after life intervened, remember that all your experiences – even the ones that seem unrelated – can enhance your teaching abilities.
What’s next? While I still have a long list of tools I want to add to my new training, I’m already plotting an idea for the third one.
Creating a course or exploring AI tools for your business? I’d love to hear about your journey and share insights.
Connect with me on LinkedIn → Me on LinkedIn
