The Money Club.Org
The program unfolds in two phases.
In the first half, students learn how products, pricing, and demand work inside a shared, instructor-guided project. In the second, they apply those lessons to a product, service, or simple AI-assisted app of their own.
The goal is simple: build judgment before confidence.
Students begin by working on a guided project that teaches them how business mechanics actually work.
They use AI to research markets, spot demand, and study what people already buy. Then they take an existing product or everyday commodity, develop their own version or variation, and create a simple go-to-market plan.
Then they launch it and test it.
This is how they learn:
- how money flows
- how costs add up
- how pricing shapes decisions
- how sourcing affects margins
- how design, positioning, and demand connect
- how AI can support real research, planning, and execution
Rather than starting with abstract ideas, students start by learning how real things get sold.
In weeks 2–4, students apply what they have learned to something of their own.
With support from instructors, they develop a product, service, or simple AI-assisted app. They identify a problem, shape an idea, test assumptions, and make decisions around cost, pricing, and value.
The guiding question stays the same:
Why would someone choose this?
By this stage, students are not just learning concepts. They are applying judgment.
The Money Club is hands-on, but it is also structured. Students are learning practical ideas that help them understand business, money, and decision-making more clearly.
📅 April 18 • Live video • 30 minutes
We'll walk through the program and answer questions. Save your spot and we'll send the link.
⏰ Daily Rhythm
Every day follows a consistent rhythm so students know what to expect and parents know how time is spent.
9:30 – 10:00 — Morning standup (groups of ~10)
A quick update on:
- what you're working on
- what you're excited about
- what you need help with
10:00 – 11:30 — Core workshop
- Business fundamentals
- Design thinking exercises
- Group discussion and examples
- (Topic changes by week)
11:30 – 12:15 — Build time
- Product creation
- Packaging, pricing, or planning
- Instructor guidance and check-ins
12:15 – 1:00 — Lunch break
- Bring your own lunch
- Supervised, relaxed environment
1:00 – 2:30 — Project work & market testing
- Team collaboration
- Refining ideas
- Preparing messaging and visuals
2:30 – 3:30 — Communication & reflection
- Practice explaining decisions
- Pitch preparation
- Daily wrap-up
- (Weeks 2–4 also include an afternoon standup/check-in.)
Each day builds toward presentations where students show what they built and what they learned.
🗓️ Weekly Modules
Week 1 — Foundations (What We Deploy)
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
What We Deploy ⚙️ Phase 1 — Learn by Operating 🛠️ Phase 2 — Build Your Own 🧾 The Outcome |
💰 Financial Literacy as Survival Gear 🏭 Sourcing 101: Where Value Is Actually Made 🗂️ Control Brand Playbook |
📊 Market Research: Follow the Money & Problems 🎨 Design Thinking & Human Factor Research 📋 Cambridge Business Model Canvas |
🚀 Go-To-Market: Blast Off Without Burning Fuel 📸 Creative Fundamentals: Photography, Design & Visual Clarity 📣 Marketing: Ride Existing Channels Before Building Your Own |
🎙️ Guest Speaker 💰 Market Research: Follow the Money Field Trip |
Week 2 — Control Brand Sprint
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Control Brand Project Kickoff Example option: garbage bags Spin up a fully baked control brand product by repackaging commodities |
Build Loop Morning Standup Afternoon Standup |
Build Loop Morning Standup Afternoon Standup |
Build Loop Morning Standup Afternoon Standup |
Presentation Day Standup Presentation |
Week 3 — Marketplace Build (Independent Projects)
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Market Place Kickoff Isolate an opportunity + hypothesis Create a survey to validate assumptions Stage Gate 1: review results with peers Define offering (5W & H) Quantify COGS + margin Source products + packaging Stage Gate 2: present business case If approved: buy commodities, package goods, sell |
Execution Loop Morning Standup Afternoon Standup |
Execution Loop Morning Standup Afternoon Standup |
Execution Loop Morning Standup Afternoon Standup |
Presentation Day Standup Presentation |
Week 4 — Rehearsal + Final Showcase
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Choose a Path Option 1: Develop Winning Marketplace Ideas Option 2: Continue on Control Brand |
Morning Standup Afternoon Standup Rehearsal |
Morning Standup Afternoon Standup Rehearsal |
Morning Standup Afternoon Standup Rehearsal |
Club Money Presentation |
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💰 Financial Literacy as Survival Gear
Students learn how money actually moves through a business: gross margin, profit, fixed and variable costs, break-even points, and cash flow. They begin to see why many businesses fail because the economics do not work.
-
🏭 Sourcing 101: Where Value Is Actually Made
Students learn how products are sourced, priced, bundled, and scaled. They are introduced to suppliers, minimum order quantities, lead times, logistics, and pricing leverage.
-
📊 Market Research: Follow the Money & Problems
Students learn to look for signals, not just opinions. They study demand by looking at existing spending, substitutes, complaints, inefficiencies, and what people already pay for.
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🏷 Control Brand Playbook
Students learn how operators create value by studying what already works, improving the offer, and controlling margin. This introduces the logic behind positioning, private label, and pricing power.
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🎨 Design Thinking & Human Factor Research
Students learn to observe behavior, identify friction, and translate real problems into ideas people might actually use.
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📋 Business Model Thinking
Students connect the problem, customer, value proposition, revenue model, cost structure, and path to execution so the idea works as a system, not just a concept.
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🚀 Go-To-Market: Launch Without Burning Fuel
Students learn to test quickly, learn early, and avoid overbuilding. The focus is on feedback, traction, and learning before polish.
-
📸 Creative Fundamentals: Photography, Design & Visual Clarity
Students learn how design, messaging, and visual clarity affect trust, demand, and perceived value.
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📣 Marketing: Use Existing Channels First
Students learn how marketplaces, retailers, social platforms, and partnerships can help test ideas faster than building everything from scratch.
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🕵️♂️ Staying Ahead of the Game
Students learn that research is ongoing. They monitor competitors, pricing, customer behavior, and shifts in the market over time.
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💻 AI Tools Used Across the Program
AI is part of the program because it is part of how real products and ideas are now developed.
Students use AI to:
- research markets and understand customers
- spot patterns and opportunities
- compare products and pricing
- model simple business cases
- create media and marketing assets
- prototype websites and app concepts
The goal is not just to use AI. It is to use it well — as a tool for better thinking, faster iteration, and more informed decisions.
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🎤 The Maker Market
The program ends with a live Maker Market.
Each team presents what they built: products, services, apps, and ideas.
Every participant receives virtual cash and decides what to spend it on.
That creates one real question:
Why would someone choose this?
There are no grades in that moment. Just judgment, value, and decision-making.
Students have to explain:
- what they made
- who it is for
- how it works
- what it costs
- how it is priced
- why somebody would want it
It is a simple format, but it teaches something important:
An idea is only as strong as the choices it can earn.
📅 April 18 • Live video • 30 minutes
We'll walk through the program and answer questions. Save your spot and we'll send the link.