John Machacek, Chief Innovation Officer for the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, has worked with countless startups throughout our community over the past nine years. He knows their ups, and their downs, but most of all, he knows the questions to ask them. Here are John Machacek’s 10 questions for Clever Mukori, Founder, Learn Or Teach.
01 Will you please tell us your Learn Or Teach elevator pitch?
At Learn Or Teach, we wear many hats so you don’t have to! We empower organizations through customized training and dynamic marketing solutions. Our expertise lies in creating engaging training videos and providing a user-friendly Learning Management System. We also amplify brands through strategic social media management, compelling content creation, and lead-generation campaigns.
02 So, as you connect with your client to help them with the content and process for their marketing or training needs, how does that process and client relationship look?
Our implementation process is designed to deliver exceptional results with a clear and concise approach. I’ll summarize our step-by-step process:
- Discovery: We engage in in-depth discussions to understand your unique training or marketing needs and goals.
- Analysis: Our team conducts a comprehensive assessment of your existing materials, strategies, and target audience.
- Customization: We create a tailored plan aligned with your objectives, offering services such as customized training videos, engaging content creation, and targeted marketing strategies.
- Content Creation: We leverage our expertise to develop captivating training videos or marketing content that resonates with your audience and effectively conveys your message.
- Implementation: We seamlessly integrate the developed content into our user-friendly Learning Management System for training, or deploy strategic marketing campaigns across multiple channels.
- Monitoring and Optimization: We closely monitor progress, track engagement metrics, and make necessary adjustments to optimize the effectiveness of your initiatives.
- Ongoing Support: Our dedicated team provides continuous support, addressing any questions and making enhancements as your needs evolve.
Through our meticulous approach and commitment to excellence, we ensure clear communication, timely delivery, and outstanding results at every stage of the implementation process.
You may ask, why do you focus on both marketing and training? Imagine a scenario where a customer discovers your brand through a compelling marketing campaign, only to have a lackluster experience when interacting with your employees. By investing in comprehensive training programs, you equip your team with the skills to deliver exceptional customer service, reinforcing the positive impression created by your marketing initiatives.
03 Are there any certain niches of industries, or ideal customers, you work with, or can this be fairly broad?
At Learn Or Teach, we cater to a wide range of industries because we believe that training and marketing are vital for every organization. For instance, we’ve had significant success in the construction safety training niche, delivering comprehensive onboarding courses that meet state and federal requirements. We take pride in simplifying the complex and ensuring compliance for our clients.
But it doesn’t stop there. We also excel in HR onboarding, providing organizations with a streamlined and standardized training process to enhance the skills and productivity of their new hires. We understand the importance of a smooth onboarding experience that sets employees up for success right from day one.
In addition, we offer channel sales enablement training to empower your sales team and boost revenue generation. Our user-friendly LMS ensures seamless training delivery and keeps your team engaged and equipped with the knowledge and skills to drive exceptional results.
So, whether you’re in the construction industry, HR, or looking to supercharge your sales efforts, Learn Or Teach is here to support you. We believe in tailoring our solutions to meet your specific needs and objectives. Reach out to us today for a complimentary assessment, and let’s explore how we can help your organization thrive and achieve remarkable success.
04 I first met you when you were a budding entrepreneur as a Concordia College student. In fact, I looked it up to see when that was and found that first email you sent me in January 2016, and I also recall that we formally met when I sat along with President Craft to have you practice your pitch. Working with you, on and off for these 7+ years, you’ve made several pivots, though the basis has always been connected to education. Will you please share a bit about these pivot stories?
I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to my parents who instilled in me the importance of education. With 11 siblings, our household resembled a bustling academic factory! My parents, a medical doctor and a mechanical engineer, took education seriously, which means I had both the honor of setting a stellar example and the financial responsibility of funding my siblings’ educational endeavors. It’s a good thing I have an entrepreneurial spirit because college textbooks don’t come cheap!
Initially, my bright-eyed and bushy-tailed self had a rather idealistic vision. I wanted to offer free online education to kids from lower-income families worldwide. I thought, “Why not provide an education buffet where everyone can feast on knowledge?” However, reality quickly slapped me with a financial reality check, and I realized that even dreams need to pay the bills.
As I waded through the corporate sales world, I noticed a glaring gap in corporate training. It was like finding a dinosaur in a conference room—a fascinating but outdated creature that needed a major revamp. So, I donned my entrepreneur cape and set out to save the day! Armed with creativity, a love for education, and a sidekick named Learn Or Teach, we embarked on a mission to revolutionize workforce development.
We began offering a smorgasbord of courses akin to an educational buffet. Do you want to learn about marketing? We got you covered. Need to sharpen your coding skills? We’ve got the secret sauce. But as we dived deeper into the training trenches, we discovered that our true superpower lay in providing a corporate LMS and crafting tailor-made content that was as unique as a snowflake. It turns out, the world needed more than just another online course provider—it craved a hero who could customize the learning experience to fit every organization’s needs.
While larger companies were busy fitting square pegs into round holes with their rigid SaaS offerings, we swooped in like caped crusaders to save the day. Our nimble approach allowed us to be the Robin Hood of the LMS world, stealing away the hearts of small and midsized companies craving personalized solutions. At Learn Or Teach, we believe in being big enough to serve any customer, but small enough to care about every single one. Think of us as your friendly neighborhood LMS provider, ready to flex our creative muscles and adapt to your unique requirements.
So, whether you’re a corporate warrior seeking to unleash your team’s full potential or a superhero-in-training looking to level up your skills, Learn Or Teach is here to save the day, one customized training program at a time
05 You were a part of that very first cohort of the Emerging Digital Academy code school. Will you please elaborate more on how that technical training helped you, even though it’s not like you ended up going down the path to be a full-fledged software developer?
Before I went to the Emerging Digital Academy, I thought I could save some money by hiring a software team on Upwork to build our product. Boy, was I in for a surprise! After shelling out $50,000 and waiting for months, all we had was a half-baked minimum viable product. Thank goodness Jake Joraanstad from Bushel advised me to apply to the Innovate ND program. We got accepted, but my journey was about to take a wild turn.
One day, while working at the Emerging Prairie coworking space, they made the EDA Bootcamp announcement. It was like the universe was whispering in my ear, “Hey, this is your chance!” I signed up right then and there. I had realized that my true calling wasn’t in medical school but in the thrilling world of entrepreneurship and tech.
EDA opened my eyes to the challenges of building enterprise applications and the importance of project management. I learned how to juggle time, budget, and scope to make things happen. Armed with newfound knowledge, I teamed up with seasoned developers to rebuild our platform using Innovate ND funding. And let me tell you, things went a lot smoother this time around.
EDA not only gave me a solid foundation but also taught me the art of self-directed learning. I discovered how to tap into online resources to expand my knowledge and dive into new technologies. Sure, EDA covered React, Node, Express, and C#, but we took it a step further. We built our own learning management system using Angular, Node, and other cool libraries. It’s like that saying goes: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
EDA is making a real impact on our community, and I believe we should spread the word far and wide. Let’s inspire high school students and help those looking for a fresh start to find their place in the tech world. Together, we can turn our region into a buzzing tech hub. I owe a huge thanks to visionaries like Greg Tehven and Blaine Booher for paving the way and being my personal heroes.
06 Knowing you, it’s very apparent your appreciation for learning systems as a business but you obviously enjoy learning yourself— between being a part of EDA as well as participating in startup validation programs like Innovate North Dakota, ILT Academy, and CO.STARTERS. As I work with entrepreneurs, some of them are scared off by the time commitment but also sometimes maybe not wanting to hear about some of the warts and blemishes of their ideas. What has been your philosophy of investing time into programs like these?
Ah, the journey of entrepreneurship! It’s like having a baby, except instead of diapers, you deal with pitch decks and investor meetings. Now, I’m no doctor, but I’ve learned that shielding your idea from the world is like keeping your baby in a bubble. Sure, it’s safe, but it won’t grow strong and resilient.
That’s why I believe in diving headfirst into programs like EDA, Innovate ND, ILT Academy, and more. They’re like crash courses in baby-proofing your business. And they don’t sugarcoat things.
You see, these programs connect you with fellow entrepreneurs who have been through the trenches. They’re the ones who can tell you which pitfalls to avoid because, let’s face it, they’ve fallen into a few themselves. So whenever there’s a program on the horizon, I eagerly raise my hand. Worst-case scenario, I spend a few hours learning something new. Best-case scenario, I stumble upon a game-changing insight.
From 1 Million Cups to StartupBREW, CO.STARTERS to Y Combinator startup school, I’ve gathered a wealth of free knowledge that has boosted my chances of success. And here’s my advice to budding entrepreneurs: embrace networking like your business depends on it, because it does; always be willing to share and receive value; and remember that the real secret sauce is in the execution, not just the idea itself. Trust me, no one’s out to steal your baby.
So, my philosophy is simple: keep learning, keep connecting, and always be open to refining your ideas. It’s a journey worth taking, even if it means a few bumps along the way
07 You’ve mentioned to me before that with the things you’ve learned, you look to partner or contract out for the needs and skills that aren’t in your sweet spot or you are choosing not to devote too much of your time on. Will you please give me some examples of how you are finding these partners?
When it comes to finding partners and skilled talent, my go-to platform is Upwork.com. I’ve gained valuable experience in utilizing Upwork effectively to connect with top-tier professionals. Here are a few tips that have helped me:
- Invest in quality: It’s worth paying for skilled professionals who deliver high-quality work. Trying to cut corners often leads to more expenses in the long run.
- Attention to detail matters: Look for freelancers who pay attention to the details. Take time to review their work history and proposals. If they don’t show a genuine interest in your job post, it’s best to move on to other candidates
- Communication is key: Before making a hiring decision, have conversations with potential candidates. This allows you to gauge their communication skills, responsiveness, and compatibility with your project.
- Check reviews: Reading reviews from previous clients is a great way to gain insights into a freelancer’s performance and reliability
- Prioritize experience: Consider freelancers with a proven work history on the platform. Taking risks on those without established track records can be a gamble.
Additionally, building relationships through networking is essential. I actively engage in various networking opportunities, including referrals, LinkedIn connections, in-person events, and trade shows. I firmly believe that everyone has a unique story to share, and leveraging that personal aspect opens doors to meaningful conversations and valuable relationships.
By combining the strategic use of platforms like Upwork and a relentless focus on networking, I’ve been able to find exceptional partners and skilled professionals who contribute to the success of my projects.
08 What are your goals and hopes for Learn Or Teach in the next year and the future?
In the coming year, our top priority is to grow and strengthen our team. We have ambitious plans to hire talented individuals for both sales and technical roles, allowing us to expand our reach and deliver exceptional services to our clients.
But our vision extends beyond the immediate future. We want to be the go-to resource for organizations seeking top-notch training and marketing experiences. We believe that continuous learning and innovative marketing strategies can truly transform businesses. We look to shape the landscape of training and marketing, making a positive impact along the way.
09 I can already tell you are aware of reflecting on past mistakes and learning from them, but if you could go back in time to Clever from several years ago, what hindsight advice would you give yourself?
If I could go back in time to Clever from several years ago, here’s the advice I’d give myself:
- Dive into Lean Startup: I’d say, “Hey, read ‘Lean Startup’ by Eric Ries ASAP! It’s full of wisdom that would have helped me avoid some key mistakes. Start with building a minimum viable product quickly and get user feedback right away.”
- Talk to Users Early: I’d tell myself, “Before coding, talk to potential users! Find out their pain points and validate market demand. It would’ve saved time and ensured the product met real needs.”
- Treat Ideas as Experiments: “Don’t get too attached to your idea. Treat it as a hypothesis and be ready to adapt based on feedback. It’s all about learning and iterating.”
- Master B2B Sales Sooner: “Learn how to sell to businesses earlier. Sharpen those communication, prospecting, and account management skills. Building a customer base is crucial.”
- Find a Co-founder: “Consider partnering with someone who complements your skills. Two heads are better than one, and a co-founder brings diverse expertise and support.
- Tap Startup Resources: “Make the most of startup resources around you. Join startup schools, like Y Combinator’s online program, and engage with your local startup community.”
- Deepen Domain Knowledge: “Become a domain expert or build a team with deep industry knowledge. It’ll give you an edge in decisionmaking and market positioning.”
By following these lessons, my next startup will hit the market faster, armed with valuable insights from past experiences and the ability to adapt and succeed.
10 Lastly, what can we do as a community to help Learn Or Teach succeed?
Glad you asked! Here are a few ideas of things that I think would truly be impactful.
- Introductions: If you know individuals or businesses who could benefit from our training and marketing services, connect us. Introductions are a powerful way to expand our network and reach potential clients
- Collaboration Opportunities: Let’s explore opportunities to collaborate on projects, events, or content creation. Together, we can create impactful training and marketing initiatives.
- Attend our monthly Webinars: Join our monthly webinars to enhance your knowledge and skills while supporting our initiatives. Your participation contributes to a vibrant learning community. Reach out to us on our website if you are interested.
- Feedback: Provide feedback on our services, website, or marketing materials. Your insights help us improve and deliver better experiences to our clients.
- Share Social Media Content: Follow us on social media platforms and share our posts to increase our visibility and reach a wider audience.
- Professional Recommendations: Recommend Learn Or Teach to industry associations, professional networks, or business communities that could benefit from our expertise.
Your support in any of these areas will greatly contribute to Learn Or Teach’s growth and success. Together, let’s revolutionize training and marketing for businesses across our community!
About John
John Machacek has been helping local startups with the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation since prior to his position with the GFMEDC. Before joining the team, Machacek was the VP of Finance & Operations at United Way of Cass-Clay and a business banker at U.S. Bank.
Web: learnorteach.com
Facebook: /LearnOrTeach
Instagram: @learn_or_teach
Twitter: @LearnOrTeachLMS
