From Book to Course: What I’m Learning Along the Way

Over the past few days, I’ve been working on something new—turning my pool maintenance book into an online course.

It’s an idea that made perfect sense to me. The book is there, the knowledge is there, and I’ve walked people through pool care for years. A course felt like a natural next step.

What I didn’t fully appreciate was how different the process would be.

I’ve been learning a new platform, and while I’m sure it’s well designed, it’s not like anything I’ve worked with before. Like any new system, there’s a learning curve—and that’s really where I’ve been these past couple of days. Not stuck, just learning.

What’s become clear very quickly is that writing a book and building a course are two very different things.

A book explains.

A course needs to guide.

When I was writing the book, I focused on sharing information—what to do, what to watch for, and how things work. With a course, I find myself thinking differently. It’s not just about explaining anymore. It’s about helping someone move step by step through a process so they can actually do it with confidence.

That shift has meant going back to the beginning in some ways—organizing content into sections, thinking about learning objectives, and asking myself, What should someone be able to do after this lesson?

Interestingly, I found myself wanting to build the structure first, even though the platform nudged me toward recording right away. For me, it made more sense to step back and map things out before moving forward.

And that’s where I am right now.

Still learning.
Still organizing.
Still figuring it out.

But it feels like the right direction.

Sometimes the next step isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about being willing to learn something new and trusting that you’ll find your way through it.