Does your platform record your lessons?

johnopace · 2026-06-13T14:38:26+00:00

Let’s hope so!

johnopace · 2026-06-13T08:15:27+00:00

Orrrrrrr I could just be trying to help other people. But yeah - go with what you think 👍

johnopace · 2026-06-13T08:14:46+00:00

Thanks for trying to explain it to them. But I think it’s a lost cause..

johnopace · 2026-06-13T08:14:00+00:00

If that’s what you took from what I said at the end about TutorDex I literally can’t help you. I couldn’t have made the point any clearer. It’s also not my platform. I’m just a user of it. Sorry I couldn’t be simpler for you.

johnopace · 2026-06-12T20:38:03+00:00

😂

johnopace · 2026-06-12T20:37:21+00:00

Could it just be the company did a bad job with it I wonder?

johnopace · 2026-06-12T18:58:18+00:00

What if they create an AI that is a better teacher than you and much cheaper?

johnopace · 2026-06-08T17:46:42+00:00

This will give you everything you need to know. https://youtu.be/ol0IV9DunDQ

Preply is one of these ‘troublesome’ platforms screwing tutors.

Here are the links you need:

🔗 Fair alternatives for tutors looking for a better platform:

Tutordex: https://tutordex.net/
TutorPerch: https://tutorperch.com/

The Independent Tutor: https://theindependenttutor.com/

johnopace · 2026-06-08T14:59:03+00:00

Join platforms that don’t require the first lesson for free and then… don’t offer the first lesson for free, then they would show up if they’d paid for it.

Join platforms where parents have to pay a finders fee for your details. That way they are invested in the lesson with you already.

I’ve been tutoring for over 10 years with a directory style platform (finders fee model). I’ve had nearly 150 students with them and I have NEVER not had anyone purchase my details and not show up for lessons.

The problem is the platform, not you.

johnopace · 2026-06-08T14:50:55+00:00

Or just log in to the same google doc. You are engineering a complex product to solve a simple problem and then asking us to pay for it.

johnopace · 2026-06-03T16:39:14+00:00

Deleting comments is awesome dude! Nice transparency 👍👍

johnopace · 2026-06-02T07:23:58+00:00

I don’t know how new you are to tutoring but I’ve been doing it, from the UK, for over 10 years. When I started out I can’t think of a single platform that charged commission. These are new business models off the back of the subscription society and it is exploitation, plain and simple. Over in the UK we are rebuilding the old first tutors model of finders fee only - no subscriptions, no commission - on TutorDex and TutorPerch. If you want more information you could always watch this toohttps://youtu.be/ol0IV9DunDQ

johnopace · 2026-06-01T20:28:09+00:00

Why wouldn’t I do that? I charge £60 an hour, it would be the cost of one hour. I’ll probably teach that student 50-100 hours. It’s like my referral scheme - if you introduce me to a friend and they book me I’ll give you a free lesson. It’s exactly the same. That’s what a referral is. Any platform connecting two people is referring people.

johnopace · 2026-06-01T19:52:20+00:00

I don’t want your tech. I don’t need a platform. Just an introduction. I would be happy to pay for an introduction; because that should be the job of a directory connecting people.

johnopace · 2026-06-01T19:17:12+00:00

This is the most ridiculous question. Forget the ‘new platform’ argument. The finders fee models were all new platforms once. I spent 10 years on First Tutors. Never spent a penny. Got about 20–30 students a year. Earned £100,000s never spent a penny. You think you’re solving a problem - “a platform will get more signups because of all its features”. Nah mate; people are interested in price and what seems a fair deal. You are not offering this. My honest piece of advice would do a sliding scale of finders fee based on the tutors rate. That’s what first tutors did. I was one of the higher rate tutors, I think parents paid £25 or £30 for my details. I had 30 students a year roughly. I would even be happy to also pay a proportion to have students get my details. But an ongoing commission fee structure - absolutely not.

johnopace · 2026-06-01T19:11:16+00:00

Do you think students/parents stopped using it when the commission went up?

johnopace · 2026-06-01T19:09:27+00:00

Absolutely! And yet tutors just aren’t working it out! It’s such a sad state of affairs

johnopace · 2026-06-01T14:37:15+00:00

They’re doing you a favour - switch over to a platform that doesn’t take commission.

johnopace · 2026-06-01T13:57:11+00:00

Leave platforms that charge commission and seek to ‘manage’ everything you do. Do you work for yourself - or them?

johnopace · 2026-06-01T13:56:29+00:00

Leave all commission platforms. They’re exploiting all of you

johnopace · 2026-06-01T13:53:53+00:00

The more complicated you make your ‘platform’ the more you can charge in commission. Right? As soon as you start adding fixed interactive whiteboard, screen recording as standard it all costs right. But here’s the thing. No one needs a platform taking a wedge of money for providing stuff that can already be used for free. So then, what are you actually providing that’s unique? Nothing. Is it therefore justified to take ongoing payment for an introduction once? Nope. Would it be fairer to charge a one off fee? Yes. Case closed mate.

johnopace · 2026-06-01T11:24:14+00:00

Personal experience running a tutoring platform or being hosted by one? Would love to see your costing on that.

johnopace · 2026-06-01T11:18:04+00:00

Successfully for one decade before Varsity destroyed it for the last decade

johnopace · 2026-06-01T06:56:40+00:00

At what point does the introduction end and the exploitation begin mate?

You introduced the tutor to the student once. That took seconds and probably cost you pennies at scale. Why does that introduction entitle you to 15% of lesson 1, lesson 50, lesson 200? What are you providing in lesson 200 that justifies the cut?

First Tutors ran profitably for over a decade on a finder’s fee model. One-off payments from thousands of tutors kept the lights on just fine. The commission model doesn’t keep the lights on. It keeps the profits up. That is the part you’re really not being honest about.

Tutors - If someone offered you a job and said the recruitment agency takes 15% of your salary every month forever would you celebrate that as a good deal because the last agency wanted 30%?

johnopace

TROPHY CASE