An Honest Conversation with Sam Ovens

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In this interview I talk with Sam Ovens, Skool's CEO, about its mission to help a billion people find community and his bold decision to introduce a $9 pricing option despite investor pushback. We talk about how the subscription model creates lasting relationships, and what happened during the intense Skool Games period that led to a major cultural shift on the platform. Sam also shares his views on why focusing on genuine interests rather than quick profits creates stronger, more sustainable communities.

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🎯 What You'll Learn:
• How to build communities around topics you're genuinely passionate about
• Why the $9 plan opens up new markets for hobbyists and crafters
• How subscription models create better relationships than one-time purchases
• Ways to avoid the common mistake of focusing only on making money online
• Tips for sticking with your community long enough to see real results
• Why churn data actually helps improve your product and customer care
• How to balance data analysis with gut feelings when making big decisions
• Methods for keeping communities fun while building something meaningful

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Skool's Mission: Helping a Billion People Find Community
01:00 Early Love for Computers and Online Passionate Communities
02:00 Evolution from Apps to Helping Online Business Market
05:00 Introducing the $9 Hobby Plan for New Market Segments
06:00 Different Goals: $99 Business Builders vs $9 Hobbyists
07:00 Why Free Internet Communities Need Economic Models
08:00 Seeing Problems with Money-Only Focus Approaches
09:00 Simple Advice: Pick Passions, Get People Early, Keep It Fun
10:00 Team Concerns About the Risky $9 Pricing Decision
11:00 Balancing Data Analysis with Gut Feelings in Business
12:00 Shipping Expensive Features at 90% Discount Strategy
13:00 Common Problems: Lack of Passion and Trying Too Many Things
15:00 Learning from Successful School Community Examples
16:00 Why Recurring Revenue Works Better Than One-Time Sales
17:00 Problems with Churn and Burn Launch Strategies
18:00 How Churn Data Improves Products and Reduces Marketing Needs
19:00 Communities vs Static Content in an AI World
20:00 Economic Incentives Help People Make Community Building Their Career
22:00 Alex Hormozi's Role and the Skool Games Hype Period
24:00 Recognizing Problems with Sketchy Tactics and External Perceptions
26:00 MLM Appearance Issues and Outside Judgment Concerns
28:00 Cleaning Up: Removing Leaderboards, Price Caps, and Gaming
29:00 Balancing Money-Making with Passion-First Messaging
31:00 Finding the Right Balance After Over-Correcting
32:00 Skool as Both Platform and Meta-Community Experience
35:00 Early Internet Lessons: Pure Passion Over Status
37:00 Why Hardcore Dedication Creates Strong Community Bonds
39:00 The Passion Debate: Realism vs Following Your Dreams
41:00 Making Work Fun Through Design, Building, and Team Interaction
43:00 My final question for Sam...

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