David Rogier, MBA ’11, CEO & Co-Founder of MasterClass | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Masterclass is an online platform that offers classes taught by renowned experts in various fields, providing access to the knowledge and experience of the greats.

Key Insights

• 👋 Education is the most powerful tool for improving life, and Masterclass aims to provide access to the best knowledge in the world.
• 🥺 Overcoming personal challenges can lead to unexpected achievements and success.
• 📺 The founder's experience at the GSB helped shape his vision for Masterclass and gave him the confidence to believe in himself and his potential impact.
• 😊 Building something meaningful requires choosing an idea that one can be proud of, even if it fails.
• 😀 Persistence and perseverance are crucial when facing rejections and challenges.
• 💪 Having a strong support system, like supportive parents, can make a significant difference in pursuing dreams.
• ✋ The journey of creating Masterclass involved a combination of uncertainty and unexpected highs, demonstrating the rollercoaster nature of entrepreneurship.

Transcript

Imagine how cool it would be if we could go back in time and take classes from the greats? From Plato, from Maya Angelou, from Ghandi, from the Wright brothers, from Einstein. Even if half of what they said was wrong, how much would we have improved as humanity to be able to take what they have learned and be able to build off that? [CROSSTALK] I'v... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What inspired the creation of Masterclass?

The founder's desire to learn from the greats and improve humanity led to the idea of creating an online platform to access their knowledge and experience.

Q: How did the founder overcome his stuttering and pursue his goals?

His parents encouraged him to participate in conversations and never use his stuttering as an excuse, instilling in him a desire to understand how the world works.

Q: What did the founder learn at the GSB that helped him with Masterclass?

The founder learned about different career paths and expanded his worldview, ultimately finding his comparative advantage and gaining the ability to think in new ways.

Q: How did Masterclass convince top instructors to join?

The founder had to cold email and cold call numerous experts until he started getting positive responses, eventually launching with instructors like James Patterson, Dustin Hoffman, Serena Williams, Usher, and Annie Leibovitz.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Masterclass is an online platform that offers classes taught by industry-leading experts in various fields.

• The founder, who stuttered as a child, was encouraged by his parents to participate in conversations and never use his stuttering as an excuse.

• The idea for Masterclass came from wanting to create something he would be proud of, and education was the perfect choice.

• The journey to convince top instructors to join was challenging but ultimately successful, resulting in a variety of masterclasses.