Fake Gurus: Where is the Line?
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2022
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ABOUT JOHN COOGAN:
I am the co-founder of soylent.com and lucy.co, both of which were funded by Y Combinator (Summer 2012 and Winter 2018).
I've been an entrepreneur for the last decade across multiple companies. I've done a lot of work in Silicon Valley, so that's mostly what I talk about. I've raised over 10 rounds of venture capital totaling over $100m in funding.
I work mostly in tech-enabled consumer packaged goods, meaning I use software to make the best products possible and then deliver them to the widest possible audience. I'm a big fan of machine learning, python programming, and motion graphics.
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CONTACT:
You can get in touch with me via Twitter: / johncoogan
Disclaimer: This video is purely my opinion and should not be regarded as a primary source. I am not a financial advisor and this is not a recommendation to buy or sell securities. Always do your own due diligence. - Наука та технологія
Please ignore all scam comments (ironically some Fake Gurus)! You can follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/johncoogan or join my discord: discord.gg/e9nKhPCNkq
This has not aged well for Graham Stephan
"A new class action lawsuit alleges that several well-known finance UA-camrs, including Graham Stephan, Andrei Jikh, Jaspreet Singh and others, should be held responsible for promoting now-disgraced cryptocurrency exchange FTX."
- TechCrunch: Mar 16, 2023
whenever I see Robert Kiyosaki pop again I always think to myself "what is he known for OTHER than a book about how his friend's dad was rich, and his own poor"? And ehh..... is there anything?
They sure do blast ads. Thanks for exposing fake gurus! I'll get more into reading and doing !
Well, let's be honest. Graham Stephan became famous by claiming to teach people his story on how he became a millionaire by doing real estate business (and by using shameless clickbait thumbnails). Only a lot later (couple years in fact) he revealed that most of his income was in fact from youtube and if it wasn't for youtube he'd never even become a millionaire in the first place. It's definitely not as shady as selling people overpriced courses directly but you could easily call that being a fake guru approach.
That said I did like many of his videos later on (when they stopped being about him humbly bragging about how surprisingly easy it was for him to become a real estate millionaire) and I sometimes watch a video or two from his channel these days as well.
He got rich off UA-cam and advertising. He didn’t provide any good real estate info.
Im not a fan of Graham. His channel is for teeny boppers. Also a lot of youtubers have commented Graham takes content from lessor known finance youtubers and then waits a few days and comes out of with a similar video just paraphrasing the other youtubers stuff. Basically stealing content.
He was a millionaire before he did UA-cam. Was selling as a realtor
He for his first 4 property’s bc of his income from real estate sells
@@TartarianTopG he wasn’t a millionaire. His 2 homes were not paid off. He was paying a mortgage on them
To be fair using Ads to promote your product is how people usually get sales I'd say its a pretty normal thing. You just need to make sure the product is good first.
Did you not watch the whole thing?
The people making the ads claim that they made money from using the information in the courses they are promoting in their advertisements. The real reason they got all that money is from selling the courses.
Why make a good product when more money on ads?
@@EliteSniperTV Regardless of if the product is good you need to advertise your product it doesn't matter how good it is if nobody sees it
@@Nexil_ the product in this case is a get rich quick scheme, if any of them really worked you could make so much more by doing that instead of selling a program.
Scammers are always riding on the coat tails of real experts. They tweek the truth just enough to take advantage of others for profit. You see it in business, online, in churches and other workplaces. Always good to be open minded but somewhat skeptical.
I mean, that first line doesn’t necessarily make them a scammer. Somebody needs to consolidate experts in order to achieve a goal, such as creating a new technology or maintaining critical infrastructure. Without such organization and consolidation from these “scammers”, we wouldn’t live in the world we live in today, technologically.
This is such a well edited video... without saying anything lol. What a waste of time.
“The importance of reading can’t be understated.”
I would argue the opposite. It’s so important that it’s impossible to overstate how important it is.
That's not the opposite. He said it as a restriction whereas you said it as a possibility.
Both are right. There's no argument lol.
@@monkey_d_taha4967 the importance can’t be understated is the same as saying no matter how little you mention something, it’s not infrequent enough.
It’s a common error.
Perfect
@@albeit1 Not if you state it as a restriction. It's another way to express: "You can't afford to understate it".
If you take the language too literally, then yes, it is an error. But it shouldn't ring any bells if you're native speaker.
@@monkey_d_taha4967 it’s also expressed as “it’s impossible to overstate the importance of this”. No matter how hard you try, it’s still not emphasizing it enough.
Jikh and stephan are downgraded for me due to ftx and blockfi
Finally, someone who said it the way it is. The "gurus" couldn't say it because they're "biased," even the "good ones." It's appreciated that you point all aspects out, thank you.
The irony in getting an ad thats literally a "guru" with a whiteboard behind him halfway through this video 🤣
It’s shows you that people will do anything for revenue.
I don't think he can choose who the ads are from lol
@@jayo3074 no he cant im just saying youtubes algorithm is a mf for that one lmao
Thank you for provided your insight into this topic. I am constantly bombarded with information about the next big things. It's all about doing your due diligent and making a informed decision that might benefit you and won't break your bank. Thanks again!
10:56 I mean, Graham HAS been pushing shit like FTX hard, and omg the clickbait. I know clickbait is not illegal, but holy hell there's only so many times I can see a shocked face thumbnail with a quote like "IS THIS THE END???" only for him to go "basically just keep buying and holding in index funds, it'll pass" 14 minutes later
first time seeing a video of yours and your voice is absolutely fantastic. booming, fills up a room, smooth and deep.
I worked for an MNC as a language and communications trainer for over a decade and here is my experience. Give an audience something for free. 98% will ignore suggestions/ training skills. The 2% who pick it up are either naturally hungry about gaining new skills or are in a crisis and attaining these skills is critical to getting out of the crisis. Now add a currency value to an external training with lower skills, lower experience and people see it as ‘valuable’. The interest or conversion rate increases and more people pay attention though those dropping out or losing interest after sometime hovers around the 80% mark. The ones again that really pick it up are the ones in some crisis. Many gurus can sustain a business because they seek some currency for the advice they share. This makes their advice ‘valuable’. Second they prey on crisis, real and imagined. Like if I said walk in the morning it’s good for health vs if you don’t walk starting tomorrow you will die in 2 years. Chances are the second statement translates into more action.
Wow 👌
Yes but what's your solution to the problem you've outlined here? Don't charge for teaching someone a skill because they are "in a crisis"?
But this does not say anything about whether the information a 'guru' says is true .
Thank you for this really appreciate the genuine people in the comment section wanting to help and make people think differently
I really don't understand why you only have 257k subscribers, this is top notch content!! Even if I'm not in the mood for watching something that makes me thing, when I get a suggestion from your channel I still watch the video
We need more people like coffezilla and this channel, keep it up!
Would you become a sellout if a certain priject in nft wi offer you 100k?
One of your best videos yet.
John, great channel and great show as always.
I started following a lot of these fake gurus a few years ago, but realized they were all shysters, because all their videos do is tell you what they are going to tell you, once you pay the money.
Also, the thumbnails for the videos are a complete giveaway. Whenever you see a thumbnail with the UA-camr posing in what is obviously a fake expression of fear, anger or concern, you know it's b*******. It is simply clickbait, to get you to click.
I think the best strategy for all of these guys is to watch, but then do your own research to make sure it's not all BS...
You could describe the thumbnail of this very video in the way you describe giveaway thumbnails.....and yet you found this video useful.....
@@johncreech Yep, sometimes the headline trumps the thumbnail.
thank you kindly john for another great video.
Oh god bless you, been waiting for this for a while haha :D
I find it amusing (ironic?) that whenever I watch a video like this the YT advertising algorithm inserts ads for passive income.
Very good video. Thanks for helping to inform people about spotting fakes and charlatans.
Waiting for Graham Stephan to react to this video. Great video 👍
John Coogan with exceptional content as always !
This video is 10 years or more too late, sadly casualties are higher than ever before.
Liked/subbed amazing short video.
MAN YOU ARE FOR REAL . VERY REAL . I HAVE SEEN A BUNCH OF YOUR VIDEO TODAY AND YOU I THINK COME IN THE TOP MOST VALUE PUMPING PEOPLE ONLINE GIVING KNOWLEDGE AND ADVICE.
GENEUINELY, THANK YOU FOR DOING UA-cam MAN. (SIR 🙏)
very informative, thank you!
The explanation was beautiful
My word... Great video!
one line i've always drawn is at criticism. If a guru only talks about all the opportunity and talks as if things could never go wrong they are a fake guru. Also if they cant criticize and be skeptical, unless being skeptical of that thing is something they can use to their benefit. major red flag.
thanks for the Phil Knight mention. will look into the book
Great video and great points. As a business influencer and as someone shown in this video, I'll say firsthand that theres a very fine line that I need to walk between providing information people want, and teaching the skills that people need.
So where is the line? The laws and required legalities around marketing are definitely an inarguable line. Beyond that, you have merchant processors, and their corresponding blacklist, that will shutdown products/services that get too many disputes, thats another good line. Beyond that, it probably comes down to personal preference. I'd argue that 'cultlike' tactics within an online teachers community are pretty dangerous and should be considered as a red flag, although there are extremely famous 'gurus' (ie. tony robbins, andrew tate) who exude these tactics and have a generally good public opinion and positive reviews.
So how to *really* separate good from bad?
Free content: I'm a big believer that providing freely available content, and LOTS of it, is a pretty good activity for anyone in the teaching industry. Just like (arguably) the first teacher, Socrates, would give free information out by basically teaching for free in the Athens town plaza to get his students, I believe free content is at least a show of good intentions; that the teacher is actively engaged with the community, and not a flash in the pan. That said, theres definitely folks out there producing lots of content, that have no success or track record in the industry they're talking about.
Verifiable success / track record in industry: If Warren Buffet provides a stock tip, obviously thats good to follow, even if he doesnt put out free content, because his track record is unparalleled. Your success is obvious to me at least, as I'm a megafan/customer of soylent (I think you should bring in more personal experience shares on your videos btw). Most of the most successful marketers/traders/investors are completely unknown though, and unwilling to teach. The claim Tony Robbins makes about 'manifesting' his success cant necessarily be backed up (how do you get proof of manifestation?!) just as Tai Lopez's claim that he bought his lamborghini because he read a lot of books. As someone with a venture-backed startup myself, I see the same sorts of misdirection is unfortunately just as, if not more, common amongst startups raising exponentially higher sums of money than the $1000 or whatnot people pay for online courses.
Aggressive marketing: Just as ecom products need to offer and present a normal product (lets say protein shakes) in a very unique and appealing fashion, with unique benefits in order to make D2C customer acquisition work at scale, so do information marketers need to present their information in a unique and appealing fashion. "Im in my garage with my lamborghini..." , "I bought this multi-million dollar house with internet residuals , "Im a 24yearold multimillionaire from shorting stocks" , etc., are all examples of this that speak to what folks really want from education, in a more appealing fashion. The college pitch "goto school for 4-10 years and earn a comfortable, consistent salary as long as you put up with a command-and-control work environment...with dental benefits", although the standard, is not a very appealing pitch anymore, if even a trustworthy one.
Personally, I believe we are undergoing an absolute revolution with how people are learning, and we are just at the infancy stages of it. I agree that specialized courses into a topic are the most important. Ad data analysis, proper split-testing methodology, D2C tiktok advertising, copywriting, branding, building an engaged community, etc are all examples of what I find to be useful skills, yet the majority of folks that desire to get into a particular industry such as starting an 1m/m ecom store or whatever, are not seeking out courses on these topics. They learn these parts through experience, after they've been motivated down the ecom/affiliate path. Hence the majority of activity in the market for teachers/info is focused at a higher level (ie. make money with stocks! crypto! real estate! ecom!) rather than the specific skills. This is similar to college with majors (finance! accounting! marketing!) rather than marketing the individual classes (ie. 'Valuation disputes and advocacy' .... yawn)
I believe that some sort of standard needs to emerge for whom folks are learning from, and what they are earning, and from what job position/title. That would allow correlations to be drawn between what courses a person completed, and the corresponding teachers they learned from, with a verifiable measure of success (income or something). This sort of data could also help inform folks as to what course/path they should take next professionally. I find blockcerts as an interesting development in this space, as well as edu platforms that are direct feeders into specific jobs in specific companies, such as what Coursera does for Google/Nvidia/etc.
I really enjoy hearing your voice and also your content information is great :)
Havent subbed but I continue to come back for more
after watching a Grahams video advice about something my head is like a balloon without any usable information to work with.
i like how many examples and counterexamples were mentioned
great video, thanks John!
Great Video. Thank you!
Thought we were gonna get hit with a course pitch at the end lol. Good vid
John you're a wealth of knowledge and make very good videos... I'm really surprised you don't have more subscribers
John, thank you so much for introducing "Stop Being Afraid of Houdini".. It is exactly my team needed now with unreal engine 5...
Wow you are learning houdini, good to hear buddy, i am on the same path ❤️
Good advice John. 9:50 - 9:59 - We've to see their track record at implementing & success of their own advice in the corresponding field
Excellent video - Insightful, succinct and well-edited - Thanks - At the same time, a quick proof-read/'view' of a script is always advisable to avoid gaffs which may (in the minds of many) undermine the credibility of the creator/provider; eg: (@ 08:28 "... the importance of reading cannot be understated... "; yes (of course) it can... Presumably, this should be "... the importance of reading cannot be OVERstated ..." - Just a thought, and, thanks again... 👍
This is a very unique video that I wasn’t expecting to see on your channel. It is so well done and I something a lot of people don’t think when starting their own businesses (where to look to learn). Thanks for another great video.
There is no line. It's all one big shapeless, quivering mass of flesh and narcissism.
This makes a lot of sense !!!
This was a great video!!!
This is a promotional video for Graham Stephen
This is great content.
Love your video! And I really trust you!
The best part is that during this video I received an ad on a course om how to make money being a motivational speaker.
Great analysis ❤
thanks brother for advice ...
My simple rule to detect fake gurus is this. Verify their track record, did they become successful and make money outside of what they are selling? Their course/book whatever should be a tiny % of their income, otherwise people who buy it are likely the suckers
Thanks for exposing these fake gurus. Most of them have no ideas, but take people’s money for nonsense courses.
You are just earned a subscriber
When he said: "Online courses is one of the most powerful ways to learn new skills...", I was thinking: "Damn, looks like Skillshare sponsored this vid". Nope, LMAO...
Udemy is pretty good so far
Totally off topic, I love that you used the Winner Stays On ad by Nike. I used to be obsessed with it lol
I really liked this video. I think there are many talented people who would make excellent online instructors but are afraid to start because they don't want to be labeled a "fake guru". There's a stigma against making money online with courses. But I also think there is a huge market for it; I've paid for several excellent online courses myself. I'll send this to anyone who has doubts.
Send brooo
@@BrockMolden hes just trynna pawn off his shit scam course to u
I love your videos 👌🏼
Very well documented video congratulations 🙌thanks John, now let’s sell some courses 😇🤣
Yes!!! I knew that book by Kiyosaki was just straight garbage! I read about three or four chapters but couldn't stomach it !
I run a business now. It's legitimately very hard. I only listen to people who have actually done something extremely, technically difficult
Just bought John Coogan's new course, so informative. Can't wait to make some bookoo bucks
hahaha
I really want to be a guru due to the amount of passion i have to teach, but for the past 7 years i have not published one thing until i make sure that i am actually successful on my own with my own business experiments only then i think i can teach my journey with reasonable expectations and price, i believe we should always give more than what we promise to gain trust and respect.
Good man!
Always too excited 4 your videos and this was really great though I wanted 2 hear more and more 👌👌
Awesome video. Can you interview Alex Hormozi?
This channel is underrated
Very well said
How much colleges charge for their courses?
great content :)
amazing videos
Great video.
If everybody knows about an opportunity it's not an opportunity.
What do you guys think of Glendon Cameron from the corporate game and Bschool for Hustlers?
Thank you.
Super like!!!! I used to watch some of the persons mentioned in this video and somehow, I knew something was off though I couldn't pinpoint why. I eventually unsubscribed from and blocked them ("Do not recommend this channel").
cheers for this video 👍
Great video on an important topic! This hits hard because one of my former close buddies has built a million-dollar empire promoting garbage and funding others to promote. I'm almost a bit jealous seeing how well he's doing, he's a guest on national news networks discussing the economy, special guest with motivational speakers (Dani Johnson features him regularly) spends much of his time flying around Europe and living the good life.
Three years ago we were discussing a business opportunity where I was going to help his team build something of a business incubator with a match and rank system to pair investors with investment opportunity that meet their investment criteria. He bailed to move into crypto promotional scams. Tried talking him out of it and he's since cut all ties. This is someone I've been friends with for almost twenty years.
Sad what folks will do just to "get ahead"
The ironic thing was that the ad I got during this video was for someone shilling a real-estate scheme.
naturally
thank you!
Can we start a thread with classes that people have found to be actually worth the money? Classes that delivered on their promise.
When you don't pay, you pay no attention.
I love you videos 🔥🔥
9:19 HEY! I love this book!
Think pointing out Graham was a safe bet, UA-camrs like Meet Kevin walk that line a lot closer
Pretty sure Graham and Kevin both pumped a shady crypto project about a year ago
@@jordanp8151 no. Lol
@@jordanp8151 no, they definitely did not. Please don’t make up lies lol. I watch all of grahams videos so Ik he didn’t. As for meet Kevin idk, but Graham is an honest person.
@@lorenebonsu146 did you watch the video in my reply above?
@@WookieSenshi yes they did pump fluki inu
On Phil Knight, I'll quote the Joker. "When you're good at something, never give it away for free."
As a Houdini artist I was not expecting to go in to this seeing a course from one of my friends LOL
So what's your association with Graham?
Your my Favorite UA-camr. I swear
It's good advice for when you're starting a new job as well. If someone's making a promise that it would change your life be very weary
This Video is going to blow up
"Selling information" on vague aspirational topics (self help, get rich) is a good smell test, especially if you consider the price charged. Just wish more people understood this. Tai Lopez should not be relevant.
Idea-- UA-cam financial 'gurus' should donate the money they received from FTX to charity or to a fund that should be established to reimburse defrauded FTX customers
The Coogan Effect - I see a John Coogan video, I click.
I will say at the beginning Tai Lopez 67 steps was amazing for me. Completely changed my life and changed my mindset. But after that. The rest of his “courses” seemed scammy and grabs for money.
Thank you for covering this topic. The government should really step in and end these scams.
This was a graham stephan ad?
as I was watching the video the first name that popped into my mind was graham Stephen but then I got to the end of the video... I don't know who to trust anymore!
Stop being afraid of houdini has landed me a really good job, computer related jobs is the future you guys