What Course Studio does

Rare Days (formerly Course Studio) is a Vancouver-based product studio founded in 2020 that partners with category-defining creators and companies to design, build, and launch digital products, brands, communities, memberships, and software. Its service portfolio spans strategy, brand development, websites, apps, community platforms, and membership infrastructure, with a horizontal segmentation approach targeting two primary client types: individual creators (e.g., Dr. Becky, Colin & Samir, Codie Sanchez, Rhett & Link, Sophia Amoruso, Shan Boodram) and enterprise clients (e.g., Notion, Telus Health, DailyOM/Ziff Davis, Kajabi, Augment, Skool). The firm claims 97 clients across 204 projects, with cumulative client-side revenue generation exceeding $400M.

The business operates as a professional services / agency model with quote-based, custom engagement pricing — no public pricing, no API, no disclosed proprietary technology stack, and no self-serve software product beyond the adjacent "Wobo" digital workbook tool referenced on the company website. Revenue mechanics are project-based with direct client partnerships acquired through portfolio-driven inbound interest, referrals, and thought leadership content (notably the "Hidden Gems" newsletter). The company is privately held with a single disclosed funding round of $1M in October 2020, is led by co-founders Tonner Jackson (CEO) and Mark Proudfoot, and operates with a headcount band of 11–50 employees. No parent company, subsidiaries, M&A activity, patents, regulatory actions, or ownership structure beyond founder-led private status are disclosed.

The company's differentiation rests on creative quality and a curated client roster rather than on technology ownership or platform scale. Recent positioning has broadened from the original "Course Studio" focus (course platforms) to a broader product studio identity, evidenced by the rebrand to Rare Days and an expanded services taxonomy including apps, brand, community, memberships, strategy, and websites.

Name

Course Studio

Legal name

Rare Days

Website

https://course.studio

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rare Days is a Vancouver-based product studio that partners with category-defining creators and companies to design, build, and launch digital products, brands, communities, memberships, apps, and websites, serving a mix of individual creator clients and enterprise customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Product Design Studio

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Product studio services
• Digital product development
• Brand strategy services
• Membership platform development
• Creative agency services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Professional Services / Agency Work: Rare Days generates revenue through providing strategic and design partnership services to creators and companies, including community building, software product development, brand evolution, and membership platform creation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Course Studio, now operating as Rare Days, is a product studio that partners with category-defining creators and companies to design, build, and launch digital products. Its services span six capabilities: App development, Brand development, Community building, Membership platform creation, Strategy, and Website design and build. Engagements are delivered as custom professional services rather than as a packaged software product.

Product overview

Rare Days (formerly Course Studio) is a product studio offering a portfolio of services including strategy, brand development, websites, apps, communities, and memberships. It is not a single unified software product but rather a suite of professional services and capabilities. The company has partnered with 97 clients on 204 projects, helping generate over $400M in revenue for creators and companies. Notable client work includes building membership platforms, ecommerce experiences, community platforms, and brand identities for creators like Dr. Becky, Colin & Samir, Codie Sanchez, and Rhett & Link.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rare Days Product Studio Partnership End-to-end product studio engagement for category-defining creators and companies, spanning strategy, brand, apps, communities, memberships, and websites. Delivered as custom professional services with quote-based pricing.
• App Development Services Design, build, and launch of bespoke software applications for creators and companies, including consumer apps and content platforms (e.g., Good Inside parenting app for Dr Becky).
• Brand Development Services Brand strategy, visual identity design, and brand evolution services for creators and companies (e.g., Skool brand and visual identity evolution, Kajabi Heroes brand refresh).
• Community Building Services Design and launch of online community platforms and initiatives for creators and companies (e.g., Notion community launch, Mythical Society membership community for Rhett & Link).
• Membership Platform Services Design, build, and launch of membership-based platforms and revenue-generating initiatives (e.g., Telus Health content library and membership platform, DailyOM revenue initiatives, Mythical Society membership).
• Strategy Services Strategic advisory and partnership services supporting product, community, and brand initiatives (e.g., strategy partner role in Notion community launch and DailyOM revenue initiatives).
• Website Design and Build Services Design and development of bespoke websites and ecommerce experiences for creators and companies (e.g., Colin & Samir course platform, Kajabi Heroes ecommerce experience, Ryan Trahan website).

Quantifiable outcome

• 97 clients partnered with
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NotioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare Days supported Notion as a strategy and design partner to launch their community initiative. This represents a flagship partnership demonstrating Rare Days' ability to work with major productivity software companies.
• Telus HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare Days built a content library and membership platform for Telus Health, Canada's leading health technology provider. This project demonstrates Rare Days' capability in building subscription and membership-based platforms in regulated industries.
• DailyOMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, DailyOM partnered with Rare Days to launch multiple revenue generating initiatives. This partnership shows Rare Days' ability to execute on multiple projects for enterprise clients.
• KajabicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare Days created an ecommerce experience for Kajabi Heroes as part of their brand refresh. This partnership highlights Rare Days' design capabilities in the creator economy space.
• AugmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare Days partnered with Augment to design, build, and launch the modern business school for entrepreneurs. This project demonstrates Rare Days' capabilities in educational technology and platform development.
• SkoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare Days evolved Skool's brand and visual identity to match the energy of their rapidly growing creator community. This partnership showcases Rare Days' brand design and evolution capabilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Work & Co: Product studio that designs and builds digital products for category-defining brands. Highly comparable to Rare Days: similar boutique model, similar target clients (premium brands seeking strategy + design + engineering), and similar end-to-end product delivery approach.
• Clay: Design and engineering agency working with tech-forward and consumer brands on digital products, brand, and web experiences. Directly comparable on capabilities (strategy → brand → digital product) and client caliber (Notion-adjacent software and consumer brands).
• Huge: Large digital experience agency offering strategy, design, and technology services to enterprise clients. Comparable on the full-stack capabilities mix (strategy, brand, product, web) and enterprise client tier, though at substantially greater scale.
• Ustwo: Digital product studio with a partnership-style model for designing and building apps, brands, and digital experiences. Comparable product-studio positioning, similar emphasis on category-defining projects, and similar end-to-end delivery model.
• Instrument: Independent brand and digital experience agency serving enterprise clients across strategy, design, and technology. Comparable on integrated brand-plus-product offering and on enterprise client base.
• Pentagram: Partnership-model design firm covering brand, digital, and product work. Comparable on the partnership delivery structure (rather than traditional agency hierarchy) and on prestige positioning with category-defining clients.
• Code & Theory: Digital-first creative and technology agency focused on end-to-end brand and product experiences. Comparable on the full-lifecycle offering (strategy through engineering) and on enterprise and consumer-client mix.
• Red Antler: Brand strategy and design agency specializing in launching and evolving consumer-facing brands. Comparable on brand-led product work and on category-defining client roster (e.g., direct-to-consumer and consumer tech).
• Manual: Creative and digital agency combining brand, design, and product capabilities. Comparable on the integrated strategy/design/technology offering and on premium client positioning.
• IDEO: Design and innovation consultancy with deep capabilities in strategy, brand, and digital product. Comparable on the consulting-plus-studio model for ambitious clients, though at significantly larger scale and broader industry footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rare-days/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/raredaysahead
• Xx.com/coursestudio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Course Studio