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Business How to Start a Business Discovery Introduction

Treehouse instructors not qualified to be teaching their courses?

I googled around but cant find any businesses that Pasan Premaratne started so I'm not sure what his qualifications are teaching courses on how to start a business.

Are there any other courses you have noticed that lack qualified instructors?

According to Pasan Premaratne's linkden profile he worked as an intern for two financial institutions and has a bachelors in finance.

I don't understand how he made the jump into IOS programming and/or teaching. Ok maybe he wrote an app but there has got to be someone who is much more qualified with a better background that has also written apps.

Let alone becoming qualified to teach individuals how to start a business when he has demonstrated nothing that supports he can successfully start a business.

I'm begging someone to please correct me if I'm wrong, otherwise I'm afraid we are all wasting our time and money and need go elsewhere.

10 Answers

The whole "You need a degree in so and so to teach or do so and so" is a very flawed argument. I'm not going to go into how useless degree courses in a constantly changing environment is probably a waste of time. But for what is worth there have been countless companies and projects started by people who have little to no business sense, let alone a degree. For example, Amazon, Ebay, and Harley Davidson were ALL started in a garage, yet today these are some of the most thriving and successful companies around.

Personally, I think Pasan is more than qualified to be teaching this course regardless of academic qualification standards. Also, if the above companies all started out as a hobby or side businesses and have thrived by trial and error, then a course to help people with good ideas find their feet in the business world is more than excellent.

Micah Doulos
Micah Doulos
17,663 Points

The original poster never mentioned anything about Pasan needing a degree in business. Your comment is the most upvoted, but doesn't touch much on what the original poster said. Read the first sentence again,

"I googled around but cant find any businesses that Pasan Premaratne started so I'm not sure what his qualifications are "

and again,

"cant find any businesses that Pasan Premaratne started"

The primary and first thrust of his post is to look for Pasan's business qualification in what businesses he runs. Not degrees. I agree with the poster. If an actual business owner presented this course, it would carry more weight. In fact, if just a business grad presented this course, it would carry far less weight than a self-taught successful business owner.

Ryan Cap never responded, but I bet he would probably agree with your comment. Too bad you wrote the comment as if it answered his objections.

Nathan F.
Nathan F.
30,773 Points

Perhaps read up on the Teacher Spotlight on Pasan for an understanding of his background?

It's important to remember that your specific degree is inconsequential to whether you can be a knowledgeable and experienced developer--that's the whole reason Treehouse exists. People from all walks of life can learn to code and shift gears dramatically.

For what it's worth, I think Pasan and Amit are both great iOS teachers, and the business videos I've watched have always included sensible advice as well.

Ovais Patoli
Ovais Patoli
39 Points

So, I don't know the expertise this individual has nor do I care. What I do know is that this course is basically a short summary of the book, "Business Model Generation" which is like $14.00 on Amazon and it goes in more depth. I can't say that I "know " that he got his content from the book but I'm fairly certain that the book is his guideline in teaching this course.

I would like to hear what Treehouse's response is on the question.

"Those who can, do; those who can't, teach."

I would imagine that since he has earned a degree in finance, he would have a lot of valuable information to share. I think waiting until the end of this course would be a good time to see the value in what he has said.

That said, I'm not saying he is qualified or not to be an instructor, I think you bring up a valid point about his accomplishments. It does tend to add to his credibility of what he is teaching.

Gianni Zamora
Gianni Zamora
9,547 Points

ahhh snap get ready for the debates.

I know many people who started their business and are doing poorly, and I know many people without means to start a business but are skilled and competent... It is always good to hear what everybody else is talking about business and use something in your advantage.

I don't know who wrote the content for this course specifically, but if Pasan is only a presenter and someone else wrote the content that doesn't disqualify the content from being valid or useful. News anchors don't specifically write everything they say on the TV news, yet they present the content and everyone seems to be fine with that. I have only just started this course, so it is way too early for me to judge whether or not it (or Pasan) is any good.

Rachelle Wood
Rachelle Wood
15,362 Points

Indeed! Someone who has more experience might have written the course, though this course is also presented in a very theory-based framework. So far there is nothing that has clashed with what I have picked up from other sources like SCORE, the SBA and others. Whoever wrote the course at least chose appropriate material. Theory is one thing, doing is another. To me that is where people who have already been through it all can really help.

Daniel Kurowski
Daniel Kurowski
11,231 Points

For me presenter for this course might be a model in bikini and it wouldn't matter if info represent value :)

Rachelle Wood
Rachelle Wood
15,362 Points

There is no "real" entrepreneur diploma. You just do it, or you don't.

As far as this guy goes, well, this is the first course I am taking of his. If I don't like it or don't think it compares with either the SCORE or the SBA websites and webinar series or some other courses I took, I will update here. I do think though that the first port of call is either the SBA or SCORE for the USA, or something like the CCI for France. Even so, some of the people who teach business courses at the CCI are not entrepreneurs. They do know a lot about business though through helping lots and lots of entrepreneurs get started.