nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

If you could create your first Udemy course again, what would you do differently?

MarinaT

Hi instructors,

Creating your first course comes with a lot of learning along the way. Some things only become obvious once you've actually gone through the process.

Maybe you spent more time than expected recording and editing. Maybe you'd structure your curriculum differently today. Or maybe you waited too long to publish because you wanted everything to be perfect.

So, for those who have been teaching on Udemy for a while:
If you could go back and create your very first course again, what would you do differently?

What's something you know now that you wish you'd known then? And if you're currently creating your first course, feel free to join the conversation too. There may be some useful advice here for you!

Helpful resource: If you're working on a new course, take a look at Udemy's Course Quality Checklist. It covers the minimum requirements for publishing a course, as well as additional resources to help during the creation process.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

FrankKane

I wouldn't have cheaped out on the gear - a halfway decent webcam, microphone, and a light doesn't cost that much, and it makes a big difference!

And I would have made my slides more dynamic. Nothing's worse than a static slide with a faceless voice blathering over it! It took me too long to realize that.

SivakamiS2017

What Frank said …

Also, I think it's an evolution we all go through … part of the learning curve. When you come from a very different career (like the Corporate World, for many of us), the max you're used to doing is creating a jazzy business presentation of your work.
So creating a Course itself is a big deal as a first step.
Then you focus on the script, improve it … focus on the microphone, camera, lighting etc. slowly upgrade them.
Then improve the content … how its presented, make it more engaging, add more exercises …
Its a fun journey, and most times I wouldn't change any of it, except to maybe accelerate a few things 😃

Mike Pritula

I'd start with the room, not the camera. I ran my first webinars back in 2011, and I still have the recordings — they look very different from what I do now. For a while I used six or seven light sources just so the camera could see me properly; today I get by with far less, because I learned what actually matters: enough light, a plain background behind me, a glass of water within reach, and a shirt instead of a T-shirt. None of it is expensive, but each one took me a while to figure out. If I did my first course again, I'd sort those basics out on day one and spend the saved time on the content.

RonErez

Hi @MarinaT

Thanks for the question.

I would zoom in less and not over edit. I would make sure the keyboard typing and mouse clicks wouldn’t be so loud. I’d get a better microphone. I’d look for good free alternatives for editing software. I’d do more research regarding important course topics to cover. I’d make the first lecture of each section clearer giving the students a clear idea what we will cover in the upcoming section. I would make sure my screen does not show the current operating system but my own personal image. If a student sees a background image of an older operating system they might think the course is outdated.

Oh and I would publish my first course far sooner. It took me at least five years to finally create and publish my first course.

There are many things I would not change. For the most part I am happy with my path and learned a lot over time.

Ron

Shigeru_M

I would do the same. But, I would start earlier.

sahinur

If I could create my first Udemy course again, I would focus more on solving real-world problems and less on making everything perfect. I would start with a clear curriculum, create shorter and more engaging lessons, and publish an MVP as early as possible. I’d also validate the course idea with the target audience before spending too much time recording and editing. My biggest lesson would be that consistency and student feedback matter more than perfection. 🚀

EmreYilmaz

I would use a dynamic microphone instead of a condenser microphone to avoid it picking up background noise. I would also choose a more general topic with more demand. Also, I wouldn't try that much to make it perfect so I could focus on creating more courses.

That said, I don't like focusing on the past and don't think about it much. Every time is different. Udemy was different.

HimanshuDhar

I probably would have started 3 years earlier and would have devoted more time to it with better equipments.

Initially I have published just 1 course and forgot. It came into my notice after so many months when I have started getting some revenue.

FRANKADAMU838

Hmn, now am scared about starting my first post 😩

AlexDan2

I still can't watch my first course…

MattBarnett

Frank, don’t let everyone’s hindsight become your starting checklist! You’re reading lessons people accumulated over years.

Start with one small lesson that helps someone do one useful thing. Make sure they can hear you clearly, show them an example, then give them something to try. Ask someone who’s new to the subject to work through it and tell you where they get stuck.

You don’t need your tenth course’s production standards before you can make your first. What are you planning to teach?