Late Genius

About This Project

Late Genius started in 2019. The initial concept was an app and video series that would teach seniors how to use technology. Being the go-to IT person for the family meant constantly answering the same questions — so why not turn that into something bigger?

Development began on a mobile app using Flutter, followed by an investment in video equipment to start creating tutorials posted to YouTube. The original plan was a paid app with new tutorials published on a regular schedule, but the concept later evolved to be more social-based.

Market research included reaching out to people to learn about their experiences, and a writer was brought on to help script several of the videos. Around 20 videos were produced and posted, and a fairly decent social following was built on Facebook.

Later, the possibility of a franchise model was explored — a curriculum that could allow people to start their own Late Genius local chapter.

What Didn't Work

• Video and apps weren't the right medium. Multiple people mentioned wanting more hands-on, in-person learning. That would have required putting together a curriculum, renting a room, and teaching classes — which has limited upside (20–30 people times class cost) and wasn't the right direction.
• Late to the YouTube game. It was really hard to get noticed by the algorithm without posting a high volume of content.
• Videos were too well-produced. Most content in the space is simple cell-phone recordings with minimal editing. Higher production quality meant each video took much longer to create and post.
• No clear path to profitability. Relying on ad revenue requires years of audience building and a lot of time investment.
• In-person outreach stalled. Tried giving away bookmarks to libraries as a grassroots marketing effort, but didn't follow through.

Learnings

• Keep social videos short and less produced — it allows for more frequent posting, which matters more than polish.
• A social posting calendar was incredibly effective. Different types of content were assigned to each day (sometimes twice a day), and a couple of days could be spent creating an entire month's worth of content. This approach grew the social following and helped surface content consistently.
• Became proficient in video editing and YouTube production.
• Picked up some Flutter development experience.