How Justin Welsh Turned $620 into $2.5M with Lean LinkedIn Courses

Building a Bold Solopreneur Path

In late 2018, Justin faced a health warning that changed everything. After scaling PatientPop to $50M in annual revenue, he realized the pressure was wrecking his life. A panic attack forced him out of corporate and into the unknown.

Testing the Waters on LinkedIn

Justin moved fast. He crafted honest posts about sales and leadership on LinkedIn, a platform many executives ignored at the time. Within six months he grew to 20,000 followers, simply by sharing practical tips and real stories.

A $20K Bet on a Website

Armed with an audience, Justin invested $20,000 to launch a clean, no-frills website. On day one he booked $40,000 in consulting work. That initial revenue validated his approach and fueled his next move.

Pivoting to Digital Courses

Consulting demand shifted into questions about content strategy and growth. Instead of raising rates, he designed a $50 course called “The LinkedIn Playbook.” He kept production simple: one-take videos and concise slides. In year one it sold 1,500 copies and netted $75,000.

Scaling with Lean Strategies

Justin launched his next two programs at $150 each. One focused on LinkedIn systems and the other on content frameworks. He used a basic Carrd landing page and a handful of LinkedIn posts, a low-touch launch that brought in $120,000 in month one.

Boosting Organic Reach

He moved his site to Kajabi and fine-tuned SEO. By sending a weekly newsletter, “The Saturday Solopreneur,” he grew to 80,000 subscribers. His website traffic jumped, and organic course sales ticked up without extra ad spend.

Affiliate Power

Justin rolled out a 35% commission affiliate program. This tapped satisfied students to spread the word. Affiliates drove over $200,000 in referrals, proving that word-of-mouth can rival paid ads.

Nailing a Profitable Formula

As of 2023, monthly revenue stabilizes around $208,000, with profit margins above 90%. He plans to expand to Instagram and YouTube, while writing a book to heighten his brand authority.

Why This Works

His success hinges on two elements:high-volume, low-priceoffers and tight focus on a single channel. He avoided chasing fancy production or complex funnels, and it paid off. You see exactly what works, then lean in.

Key Lessons for Founders

The core idea is simple: test ideas with real audiences, keep overhead low, and keep content focused. Bold moves on platforms that others ignore can unlock major gains.