Code1o1: building a coding academy from zero
Co-founder
2025–now
Case study
Sales, Curriculum, Pricing
Trust converts, reach doesn't. About 1% of cold calls became clients, but every home visit did. Growth is capped by teaching time, not demand.
01The problem
School computer science in India is mostly theory, so kids lose interest before they build anything. Code1o1 teaches through a real project from the first session.
Co-founded with Aditya Vaishnav · April 2025 to present · 1:1 and small-group coding classes for Grade 5 to college students, online and at home
02What I did
- Designed all 11 courses and their teaching materials.
- Built the lead list and wrote the cold-call script; split calling with Aditya and led most of the closing, including in-home consultations.
- Hired and managed 3 interns.
- Teach 1:1, about 4–5 hours a week.
03Results
Paying clients by channel, with the effort behind each. Faded bars show a range (cold calls: 4–5 clients).
Source: founders' records (README); calls are approximate; about 48 hours
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Paying clients | 14 |
| Students taught | 16, Grade 5 to college |
| Revenue | About ₹2.6 lakh (Apr 2025 – Oct 2026) |
| Teaching delivered | About 400 hours (about ₹650 per hour) |
| Courses | 11, with 17 enrolments |
| Advertising spend | ₹0 |
Source: Founders' records and course catalogue
| Course | For | Format | Length | Fee (₹) | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coding Kickstart (summer camp) | Any age, complete beginners | Offline group | 12 × 1 h | 7,000 per student | 5 |
| Foundations of Coding | Grade 5–7 | Offline 1:1 | 24 × 1 h | 21,600 | 1 |
| Python | Grade 7+ | Online 1:1 | 28 × 1 h | 19,600 | 3 |
| Python 2 | Grade 9+ | Online 1:1 | 28 × 1 h | 22,400 | 1 |
| Python NextGen | Grade 6/7+ | Offline 1:1 | 24 × 1 h | 21,600 | 1 |
| Python in Finance | BBA / BSc finance (18+) | Online 1:1 | 40 × 1 h | 30,000 | 1 |
| AI/ML | Grade 9+ | Online 1:1 | 32 × 1 h | 22,400 | 1 |
| Mastering AI | Grade 11+ | Online 1:1 | 15 × 1 h | 15,000 | 1 |
| Web Dev | Grade 7+ | Online 1:1 | 30 × 1 h | 22,400 | 0 |
| Object-Oriented Programming | Grade 9+ | Online 1:1 | 32 × 1 h | 22,400 | 0 |
| Computer tuitions | Grade 5–10 (IGCSE/IB) | Online 1:1 | Semester, 2 h/week | 16,000 | 3 |
Source: courses/Code1o1_Course_Catalogue.csv
04The ₹500 sign
Google Business verification needed a physical sign. We got it for ₹500 by laser-etching the logo onto spare plywood through a layer of plastic film.