This story was originally published on Passionfruit.
We’re sitting down with leaders on the business side of the creator economy to get their best advice for creators looking to launch and develop their careers. This week, we spoke with Sean Kim, the chief product officer and president of Kajabi.
Kajabi is a technology company known for its online course creation and marketing tools. It also offers other products for “knowledge” influencers, like tools for live coaching, email marketing, newsletters, websites, and educational podcasts and videos. On Nov. 1, 2022, it announced its acquisition of Vibely, rebranded to Kajabi Communities, a community management product that offers tools like community live calls, chats, leaderboards, and challenges. Kajabi is offered for a flat rate, with price tiers ranging from $149 to $399 per month.
In an interview with Passionfruit, Kim discussed his decision to join Kajabi, its pricing model, what kind of creator Kajabi is right for, his advice for creators launching online businesses, and more.
Kim joined Kajabi in February 2022 after operating as head of product at TikTok for two-and-a-half years, according to his LinkedIn. At TikTok, Kim said he realized how creators were struggling to monetize on the platform.
“There are things that Kajabi offers that these big platforms cannot. … You’re able to entirely own your business. You know exactly who your customers are, you’re able to reach out to them directly with your emails, and you can decide how much you charge. … Platforms aren’t able to provide this kind of value. And so that was one of the reasons why I joined Kajabi,” Kim said.
Kim said he noticed a trend in the creator economy of “subject matter experts” excelling in building online creative businesses. Kim said he is focused on helping these knowledge-based creators take their businesses to the next level in sustainable ways.
