Define

Establish your purpose and vision

Before building your virtual academy, define your purpose and promise.

What transformation are you promising? Who is your academy for and who isn’t it for? Determine the scale of your operation and the time you wish to invest. Develop a programming calendar and a financial plan that aligns with your academy's objectives. This is where the magic begins!

Infographic of the community planning process, images of calendars, clocks, transformation symbols, and a targeted persona.

Create Your Virtual Academy Blueprint

Create Your Learning Community Blueprint

01

Define Your Vision

What is the core purpose of your virtual academy? What unique value does it offer? The vision shapes your community's culture and guides its growth.

02

Identify Your Audience

Understand who your members are, what they hope to achieve, and how they prefer to learn. This information will guide your programming, content, and engagement strategies.

03

Structure Your Community

Consider the organization of your academy. How will content be delivered and shared? Will there be opportunities to participate in live sessions, peer-to-peer learning, and/or mentorship?

04

Determine Engagement Strategies

How will you foster engagement and encourage active participation? This might involve scheduled discussions, regular content updates, gamification elements, or opportunities for user-generated content.

05

Set Goals and Metrics

What are your objectives for your academy, and how will you measure success? These might include engagement rates, membership growth, member progress, or feedback scores.

06

Plan for Growth

Consider how your academy and offerings will evolve over time. What structures or features can be added as your membership grows? How will you ensure continued value for existing members?

07

Design Your Business Model

Consider how your virtual academy  will be monetized. Will it be a subscription model, a one-time purchase, or freemium? How will you ensure financial sustainability while delivering value to your members?

Create Your Learning Community Blueprint

01

Define Your Vision

What is the core purpose of your virtual academy? What unique value does it offer? The vision shapes your community's culture and guides its growth.

02

Identify Your Audience

Understand who your members are, what they hope to achieve, and how they prefer to learn. This information will guide your programming, content, and engagement strategies.

03

Structure Your Community

Consider the organization of your academy. How will content be delivered and shared? Will there be opportunities to participate in live sessions, peer-to-peer learning, and/or mentorship?

04

Determine Engagement Strategies

How will you foster engagement and encourage active participation? This might involve scheduled discussions, regular content updates, gamification elements, or opportunities for user-generated content.

05

Set Goals and Metrics

What are your objectives for your academy, and how will you measure success? These might include engagement rates, membership growth, member progress, or feedback scores.

06

Plan for Growth

Consider how your academy and offerings will evolve over time. What structures or features can be added as your membership grows? How will you ensure continued value for existing members?

07

Design Your Business Model

Consider how your virtual academy will be monetized. Will it be a subscription model, a one-time purchase, or freemium? How will you ensure financial sustainability while delivering value to your members?

“If you don't have a plan, everything you do looks like a success and everything you do looks like a failure, depending on where you're at. Come up with a growth plan, do the market research, and hold yourself accountable to that plan.”
Disco customer, On Deck, Eliot Gattegno, Former Head of Education

Eliot Gattegno

Former Head of Education, On Deck

Ready to start building your virtual academy?