Several LinkedIn contacts have asked me about coming on The EdTech Startup Show podcast over the past few months.

Others have inquired on behalf of their bosses or clients.

And one question they've been asking got me thinking deeply about what it's like to jump into a new project, enter a new field, or try to "level up" in any way.

They're often asking:

What's your process for picking guests? Do you charge?

That second question is the one that caught me by surprise.

Of course, I've seen sponsored content all over the Internet. On more than one occasion, I've helped companies write articles that were labeled as sponsored content and shared on high-traffic education websites. This is a huge part of the media landscape today. The good part is that these articles, when well-executed, can be just as interesting and informative as the "earned" content they are placed right next to.

But after several people asked me this question, if they could more or less buy their way onto The EdTech Startup Show, it led me to realize...this is clearly a thing.

It's a whole world I didn't even know about.

I even replied to one gentleman's question of "Do you charge?" with...

"No...should I?"

To which he explained how charging for podcast appearances could be a lucrative business model. Alas, it's not one that I'm interested in pursuing.

However, there was a valuable lesson for me in having these discussions. In any area of business or life, whether it's becoming a parent, starting a podcast, or switching from another industry to education, there are whole "worlds" of knowledge that we are not exposed to...until we are.

And all it takes is paying attention to the questions people are asking, and drawing a few logical inferences, to gain some valuable insights.

What have you learned about the world of education that you didn't know when you first started? I'd like to feature your answer with commentary in a future email.

Thanks for reading,

Gerard Dawson

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