How to Start a Skool Community: I Beat 175,000 Competitors Using These 5 Steps
How to start a Skool community the wrong way cost me months of wasted effort.
I almost gave up before I even started.
My business partner kept pushing me to launch an AI community.
I kept resisting.
Why would anyone care about another community when millions already exist?
Then I discovered something that changed everything about how to start a Skool community.
The winners aren’t the ones with the best content.
They’re the ones who understand the game.
I competed against 175,000 other communities in the Skool Games.
And I won.
Not because I’m special.
But because I cracked the code on how to start a Skool community that actually grows.
Watch the video tutorial below.
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How to Start a Skool Community Without Building Anything First
Most advice about how to start a Skool community is completely backwards.
Everyone tells you to create a massive course first.
Film 50 videos.
Build fancy graphics.
Design a perfect website.
Then launch and pray people buy.
That’s how you waste six months of your life when learning how to start a Skool community.
Here’s what actually works.
I tried to sell the AI Profit Boardroom at $997.
Zero sales.
Nobody wanted it at that price.
So I dropped it to $49 per month as a pre-sale beta.
Still didn’t create any content.
Just put up a simple sales page and sent an email to my list.
Then I waited.
Five people bought.
That was my signal to start building.
Not before.
This is the most counterintuitive part of how to start a Skool community successfully.
You don’t build until customers tell you they want it with their wallets.
Why does this approach to how to start a Skool community work so well?
Because building in a vacuum is gambling.
You’re betting months of your time that people will want what you create.
Most people lose that bet.
They build elaborate courses nobody asked for.
They create communities around topics nobody cares about.
They waste energy on features that don’t matter.
The pre-sale method for how to start a Skool community eliminates all that risk.
Real customers give you real feedback before you invest serious time.
You build exactly what they want instead of guessing.
You validate demand before committing resources.
I had zero content before launching.
No videos filmed.
No courses created.
No community features built.
Just a simple offer to gauge interest.
That’s the smartest way to approach how to start a Skool community when you’re starting from scratch.
And here’s the thing about how to start a Skool community with pre-sales.
Your first version will be terrible anyway.
Mine was.
Everyone’s is.
So why spend months making something perfect that’s going to be bad regardless?
Better to launch fast with real customers who can tell you what they actually need.
Then you iterate based on that feedback.
That’s how to start a Skool community that improves week after week instead of launching with a mediocre product you spent six months creating.
How to Start a Skool Community in a Niche You’ll Actually Stick With
The second biggest mistake people make with how to start a Skool community comes down to niche selection.
They chase money instead of alignment.
They pick trending topics they don’t care about.
They try to copy successful communities without understanding why they work.
Then they burn out after two months and quit.
Here’s the reality of how to start a Skool community that lasts.
If you already run a business, plug your community into that business ecosystem.
I run Goldie Agency, an SEO and AI automation agency.
We have the SEO Elite Circle community.
We have books and lead magnets.
We do public speaking and podcasts.
Everything connects.
When someone joins one part of our ecosystem, they’re likely to buy from another part.
The AI Profit Boardroom feeds directly into our AI automation services.
Members learn about AI inside the community.
Then they hire us to implement it for them.
This is how to start a Skool community conversion funnel that works.
Free community builds trust.
Paid community delivers transformation.
We’re omni-present across platforms too.
641,000 followers total across YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Udemy, and Facebook.
People tell me all the time: “I see you everywhere.”
That’s intentional when learning how to start a Skool community.
The more places people see you, the more they trust you.
The more they trust you, the more likely they buy.
But don’t spread yourself too thin when starting out with how to start a Skool community.
Master three platforms first.
Get those dialed in.
Then expand to others.
We focus on YouTube, Instagram, and our free Skool group because those three drive 80% of our traffic.
That’s where we get the highest return on effort for how to start a Skool community marketing.
Track everything too.
We use custom short links to see exactly where traffic comes from.
If Instagram stops working, we know within 24 hours.
If YouTube performance drops, we adjust immediately.
This data-driven approach to how to start a Skool community lets you double down on what works and cut what doesn’t.
Marketing isn’t guessing.
It’s testing, measuring, and scaling winners.
If you want more leads, traffic, and sales with AI automation, join the AI Profit Boardroom where we teach you how to automate your entire marketing funnel.
The truth about how to start a Skool community marketing is this.
You need to be everywhere your ideal members hang out.
You need to provide value consistently.
You need to funnel all that traffic to one place.
Then you need to convert that traffic with an irresistible offer.
Which brings us to the final piece.
How to Start a Skool Community With an Offer That Actually Converts
Your offer makes or breaks everything when learning how to start a Skool community.
You can have perfect content.
Amazing marketing.
Tons of traffic.
But if your offer sucks, nobody buys.
Here’s how to start a Skool community with an offer people actually want.
Make them feel stupid for saying no.
Seriously.
If someone can easily say no to your offer, it’s not good enough for how to start a Skool community successfully.
You need to stack so much value that turning it down feels like leaving money on the table.
For us, we start by solving every major problem our audience has.
AI overwhelm? We have the AI Focus Manual that solves it in five minutes.
Don’t know how to create AI avatars? We have a complete course with SOPs.
Need help with lead generation? We have full training on that too.
When you understand how to start a Skool community with strong offers, you reverse-engineer from problems to solutions.
Go to Reddit.
Find where your ideal members complain.
List every problem they have.
Then solve all those problems inside your community.
That’s how to start a Skool community that delivers undeniable value.
But value alone isn’t enough for how to start a Skool community offers that convert.
You also need scarcity and urgency.
Scarcity means limited availability.
Only five spots available at this price.
Only 10 people can join this month.
Urgency means limited time.
48 hours only.
24 hours only.
Next hour only.
Both together create FOMO that drives action when learning how to start a Skool community sales strategy.
Our flash sales combine both.
Limited spots: only five people can get this deal.
Limited time: only 48 hours to claim it.
The offer includes 20% off plus eight bonuses worth over $15,000.
Training on how I won the Skool Games.
Secret Facebook ads training.
AI avatar clone system.
Free access to SEO Boardroom.
Twitter AI automation.
Empire builder focus manual.
VIP monthly coaching calls.
Free AI affiliate marketing course.
You’d have to be crazy to say no.
That’s the point of how to start a Skool community offers that print money.
Stack value until it’s a complete no-brainer.
We also deliver way more coaching than competitors.
Five coaching calls per week.
Not one per month like most communities.
That’s 20+ opportunities per month to get help.
This is how to start a Skool community that over-delivers on value.
Yes, it’s harder to fulfill.
But it’s way easier to sell.
That’s the trade-off you choose when learning how to start a Skool community.
Ease of fulfillment versus ease of sale.
You can make it easy to fulfill by offering minimal support.
But then it’s hard to sell because competitors offer more.
Or you can make it easy to sell by offering exceptional support.
But then it’s harder to fulfill.
We chose the second option for how to start a Skool community growth.
And it’s paid off with $82,177 in monthly recurring revenue.
If you need help automating your fulfillment so you can scale without burning out, book a call here where we’ll build AI systems to handle repetitive tasks.
Your offer is everything when learning how to start a Skool community.
Spend serious time making it irresistible.
Test different bonuses.
Survey members about what they want most.
Then give them so much value they feel guilty not buying.
That’s how to start a Skool community that converts at 3%+ like ours does.
How to Start a Skool Community: Your First 90 Days
The first three months determine whether your community lives or dies.
Most communities fail in this period when learning how to start a Skool community.
They launch with excitement.
Get a few members.
Then slowly fade as the founder loses motivation.
Here’s how to start a Skool community that survives past 90 days.
Show up every single day.
I do 564 activities per day in my communities.
Posts, comments, replies, coaching calls, DMs.
I’m everywhere inside the community.
Members see me constantly.
That builds trust faster than anything else for how to start a Skool community successfully.
People don’t just want content when they join.
They want connection.
They want to feel part of something.
They want access to the leader.
If you disappear for days, they’ll leave.
But if you’re there daily, answering questions and providing value, they’ll stay.
This is how to start a Skool community with retention that compounds over time.
We’re in the top 1% most engaged communities on Skool.
Out of 175,000 communities.
That didn’t happen by accident.
It happened because I show up every single day without fail.
Even when I’m tired.
Even when I’m traveling.
Even when I don’t feel like it.
Consistency beats intensity when learning how to start a Skool community that lasts.
The other key to how to start a Skool community in the first 90 days is getting members quick wins.
If someone joins and doesn’t see results in the first week, they’ll probably cancel.
But if they get a win in the first five minutes, they’ll stay forever.
That’s why we have the AI Focus Manual right at the start.
New members complete it in five minutes and immediately know exactly what to focus on.
Quick win achieved.
Confidence boosted.
They’re now invested in the community.
This approach to how to start a Skool community creates momentum that carries people through the entire journey.
Also, celebrate member wins publicly.
We have 79 pages of testimonials.
Every time someone gets a result, we highlight it.
Other members see those wins and think “I want that too.”
Social proof is massive for how to start a Skool community that grows through word of mouth.
People don’t just buy because of your marketing.
They buy because they see others succeeding.
Give them tons of examples of success to model.
If you want to see exactly how we structure the first 90 days, join us in the AI Profit Boardroom where you’ll get the complete onboarding sequence.
The first 90 days of how to start a Skool community are critical.
Show up daily.
Get members quick wins.
Celebrate every success.
Do that and you’ll make it past the failure point where most communities die.
FAQs: How to Start a Skool Community
What’s the best way to start a Skool community with no audience?
When learning how to start a Skool community from zero, focus on one content platform like YouTube or Instagram. Publish valuable content daily, offer a free community to build trust, then promote your paid community to engaged free members. One founder I know grew from zero to 90 members in 30 days using this method.
How many members do I need before I start a Skool community?
You don’t need any members to start a Skool community. Launch with a pre-sale, wait for 5-10 buyers, then build your content. This validates demand before you waste time creating. We started with five pre-sale customers and grew to 1,500 members in six months.
Should I use AI content when I start a Skool community?
AI content works extremely well for how to start a Skool community at scale. Our AI avatar videos get 6x more views than traditional videos. One AI video got 55,000 views while a regular video got 8,700 the same day. AI lets you publish daily without burning out.
How do I price my Skool community correctly?
Start low with a pre-sale price to validate demand when you start a Skool community. We began at $49/month, then raised it as we added more value. Now we charge more but run flash sales with urgency and scarcity to drive conversions. Price based on the transformation you deliver, not your costs.
What’s the biggest mistake when learning how to start a Skool community?
Building everything before getting customers. Most people waste months creating content nobody asked for. The smart way to start a Skool community is pre-selling first, getting 5-10 customers, then building based on their feedback. This eliminates guessing and ensures you create what people actually want.
How long does it take to make money when you start a Skool community?
We made our first sales the day we launched our pre-sale. Within 90 days, we hit $27,948 in new monthly recurring revenue. Results vary drastically, but if you follow the right process for how to start a Skool community, you can get your first paying members within days, not months.
Do I need to be on camera to start a Skool community successfully?
No. AI avatars work incredibly well and save massive time. When you start a Skool community using AI content, you can publish daily without filming yourself. Our AI content reaches 2.1 million people monthly on YouTube and performs better than traditional videos in most cases.
How many coaching calls should I offer in my Skool community?
We offer five coaching calls per week, which is way more than most communities. When you start a Skool community, balance ease of sale versus ease of fulfillment. More calls make it easier to sell but harder to fulfill. Find the right balance for your capacity and goals.
Should I have a free Skool community alongside my paid one?
Yes. Our free AI Money Lab has 28,000 members and feeds our paid AI Profit Boardroom. When you start a Skool community, the free group builds trust and social proof. Then you promote the paid community to engaged free members. This strategy converts cold traffic into buyers effectively.
How do I get my first members when I start a Skool community?
Focus on three traffic sources: create valuable content on YouTube or Instagram, use a free Skool group to build trust, and run a flash sale with scarcity and urgency. We get 1,000 visitors per day using this approach. More traffic plus a solid offer equals more members when you start a Skool community.
How to start a Skool community comes down to five key steps.
Pre-sell before building anything.
Pick a niche you’re passionate about or that plugs into your existing business.
Create content weekly based on customer feedback.
Market aggressively across three main channels.
Make an offer so good people feel stupid saying no.
I beat 175,000 competitors using this exact playbook.
We grew from zero to $82,177 monthly recurring revenue in one quarter.
These aren’t typical results, but they’re possible when you understand how to start a Skool community the right way.
Most people fail because they build in isolation.
They create what they think people want instead of asking.
They market inconsistently.
They make weak offers.
Then they wonder why nobody joins.
Now you know better.
You have the blueprint for how to start a Skool community that actually works.
The only question left is whether you’ll take action.
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The path to how to start a Skool community is clear.
Stop overthinking.
Start building.
Your community is waiting for you to lead them. that naturally generates clients instead of being a separate business you have to manage.
But what if you don’t have a business yet?
What if you’re starting completely from zero and wondering how to start a Skool community anyway?
Pick a hobby you’re genuinely passionate about.
Not one you think will make money.
Not one that’s trending on YouTube.
One you actually care about.
For me personally, I could start Skool communities about guitar, Muay Thai, or music production.
I love all those things.
I have songs on Spotify even though I don’t have time to focus on music anymore.
The point is, when you figure out how to start a Skool community around something you genuinely enjoy, you won’t burn out.
You’ll show up every day because you love the topic.
You’ll create better content because you understand that world.
You’ll connect with members because you speak their language.
I’ve researched hundreds of successful Skool communities.
One of the top performers was literally about scooping dog poop professionally.
I’m not suggesting you copy that idea for how to start a Skool community.
But it proves you can build a thriving community around literally any topic.
Learning Japanese.
Fitness coaching.
Music theory.
Cooking skills.
The specific niche matters less than your commitment when learning how to start a Skool community.
If you pick something you’re passionate about, you’ll outwork competitors who chose their niche based on potential profit.
They’ll quit when it gets hard.
You’ll keep going because you actually care.
That’s the secret to how to start a Skool community that survives past the first 90 days when most communities die.
Also, when you understand how to start a Skool community aligned with your existing skills, you can move faster.
You already know the common problems in that space.
You already have credibility and experience.
You don’t have to fake expertise or pretend to be someone you’re not.
Authenticity wins when learning how to start a Skool community that attracts loyal members.
People can smell fake from a mile away.
But when you genuinely care about helping them with a topic you love, that comes through in everything you do.
And they’ll pay for that authentic energy.
How to Start a Skool Community That Gets Better Every Week
Once you’ve sold your first batch of members, now you build.
This is where most people overthink how to start a Skool community.
They think they need a polished, professional product on day one.
Dozens of perfectly edited videos.
A complete six-week curriculum.
Fancy graphics and workbooks.
None of that matters when you’re learning how to start a Skool community.
What matters is helping your first members get results fast.
We created one to two videos per week.
That’s it.
Not 50 videos upfront.
Just a couple videos addressing what members needed most that week.
For our six-week course, we built it one week at a time.
Week one: created a few videos.
Launched them.
Got feedback from members.
Week two: used that feedback to make better videos.
Six weeks of iteration with real customer input.
This approach to how to start a Skool community is way smarter than the traditional method.
Traditional method: spend three months creating everything in isolation, then launch and realize you built the wrong thing.
Our method: spend three months creating with constant customer feedback, building exactly what they need.
Which one sounds better for how to start a Skool community successfully?
Now the AI Profit Boardroom has tons of content.
Full courses on AI automation.
Lead generation training.
Social media strategies.
Video tutorials for every major tool.
But we didn’t start with all that.
We started small and expanded based on what members asked for.
That’s how to start a Skool community that grows organically instead of being a rigid, pre-built product.
The key is listening.
Ask your members what they want to see next.
Pay attention to their questions.
Notice what confuses them.
Then create content that solves those specific problems.
This is how to start a Skool community that delivers real value instead of theoretical value you think they need.
Members will tell you exactly what they want if you ask.
Then you give it to them.
Simple as that.
Quality control matters a lot here too when learning how to start a Skool community.
Don’t just create content for the sake of creating content.
Make sure every video actually helps members achieve something specific.
Make sure your training gets real results.
Because the best marketing for how to start a Skool community that grows fast?
Happy members who tell their friends.
We have 79 pages of testimonials in the AI Profit Boardroom.
Those testimonials came from delivering value week after week.
Not from having everything perfect on day one.
If you want the exact frameworks and SOPs for building content that converts, join the AI Profit Boardroom where we show you step-by-step how to create transformational courses.
The process of how to start a Skool community isn’t about perfection.
It’s about progress.
Start with something valuable.
Get feedback.
Improve based on that feedback.
Repeat every single week.
That’s how you build a community members actually love.
How to Start a Skool Community That People Actually Find
You can build the most amazing Skool community on the planet.
Perfect courses.
Incredible value.
Life-changing transformations.
But if nobody knows it exists, you have nothing.
Marketing is 80% of how to start a Skool community successfully.
Most people spend 80% of their time on content and 20% on marketing.
That’s backwards.
You should spend 80% of your time on marketing when learning how to start a Skool community.
Why?
Because more eyeballs equals more members.
Simple math.
We get almost 1,000 visitors per day to the AI Profit Boardroom.
Our conversion rate is 3.37%.
That means we get about 30+ new members daily just from consistent traffic.
This is how to start a Skool community that grows predictably instead of randomly hoping people discover you.
Track your traffic like your business depends on it.
Because it does.
We measure visitors every single day.
If traffic drops, we know immediately.
If traffic spikes, we figure out why and do more of that.
The formula for how to start a Skool community that scales is stupidly simple.
More traffic plus good conversion rate equals more sales.
That’s it.
So how do you get traffic when learning how to start a Skool community?
Focus on three channels maximum.
For us, it’s YouTube, Instagram, and our free Skool group.
YouTube is the main engine.
We publish AI avatar content multiple times per week.
Videos getting 8,000 to 10,000 views consistently.
Some videos pop off to 50,000+ views.
Every single video has a link in the description to the AI Profit Boardroom.
That’s how to start a Skool community marketing funnel on YouTube.
Create valuable content.
Put a link in the description.
Let the video work for you 24/7.
People watch the video.
They click the link.
They land on our sales page.
A percentage of them buy.
I use AI avatars for most content now.
People question this approach to how to start a Skool community with AI.
“Won’t people hate AI content?”
“Won’t it hurt your credibility?”
“Won’t it kill your channel?”
Let me show you the data.
Before AI avatars: reaching 6,000 people per day on YouTube.
After AI avatars: reaching 100,000 people per day on YouTube.
One AI avatar video: 55,000 views.
One traditional video filmed the same day: 8,700 views.
The AI content outperformed by 6x.
Plus it saves me hours of filming and editing every single day.
That’s how to start a Skool community with content that scales without burning you out.
Instagram is our second biggest traffic source.
We grew from 1,000 followers to 5,500 followers in a few months using a simple strategy for how to start a Skool community on Instagram.
Post AI avatar shorts daily.
Ask people to comment a specific word.
When they comment, ManyChat auto-DMs them with a link to our free Skool group.
Simple.
Automated.
Effective.
That’s how to start a Skool community funnel that runs on autopilot.
The free Skool group is crucial.
We have 28,000 members in the AI Money Lab.
That’s our free community where we give away tons of value.
People join for free.
They see us helping people every day.
They see social proof from thousands of members.
They trust us.
Then we promote the paid AI Profit Boardroom inside the free group.
This is how to start a Skool community
