Smart Passive Income (SPI)
Smart Passive Income is an entrepreneurship education and community platform founded by Pat Flynn in 2008. After being laid off, Pat built a successful online business and began sharing his journey, methods, and insights with aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide.
SPI has grown into a comprehensive ecosystem serving 100,000+ creators, offering:
- Free Resources: Including the "Smart From Scratch" course for validating business ideas and the "0 to 100 Emails Challenge" for building email lists
- Paid Courses: Such as "1•2•3 Affiliate Marketing," "A to Z Webinars," and "Community Business Blueprint"
- SPI Community: A supportive space for entrepreneurs to ask questions, share progress, and receive feedback from like-minded creators
- Smart Passive Income Podcast: One of the longest-running entrepreneurship podcasts (since 2008), covering audience growth, digital products, marketing, and honest realities of entrepreneurship
The platform is designed to transform beginners into professionals by teaching proven methods that the SPI team uses themselves. With a focus on authentic audience building and sustainable income generation, SPI provides the support, structure, and systems entrepreneurs need to succeed.
Target Audience
Aspiring entrepreneurs, online creators, content creators, podcasters, YouTubers, small business owners looking to grow their online presence and income
Key Features
- Free courses (Smart From Scratch, 0 to 100 Emails Challenge)
- Paid courses (1•2•3 Affiliate Marketing, A to Z Webinars, Community Business Blueprint)
- SPI Community for peer support and feedback
- Smart Passive Income Podcast
- Weekly Unstuck newsletter
- YouTube channel with educational content
- Resources for starting podcasts and YouTube channels
Use Cases
- Validating new business ideas
- Building and growing an email list
- Learning affiliate marketing strategies
- Creating and delivering effective webinars
- Starting and growing a podcast
- Building a YouTube channel
- Connecting with other entrepreneurs for support and feedback
- Monetizing online content and audience
Pros
- Extensive free resources for beginners
- Proven track record with 100k+ creators
- Comprehensive community support system
- Long-running, reputable podcast since 2008
- Practical, actionable advice from real experience
- Multiple learning formats (courses, podcast, YouTube, community)
Cons
- Some advanced courses are paid
- May be overwhelming for complete beginners due to content volume
- Primarily focused on online/digital business models
Pricing
Free resources available including Smart From Scratch course and 0 to 100 Emails Challenge. Paid courses available for advanced topics (pricing not specified on homepage).
