learningbudget

Most companies offer learning budgets, but employees struggle to find quality resources worth expensing. There's a paradox of choice - thousands of courses exist, but which ones are actually good? Which conferences are worth attending? Which books are genuinely useful?

I built Learning Budget to solve this: a curated directory of high-quality learning resources across different professions, with built-in tools to request manager approval.

live project

the problem

Learning budgets often go unused, not because employees don't want to learn, but because:

  • Discovery is hard - Finding quality resources takes research
  • Trust is uncertain - How do you know a course is actually good?
  • Approval is awkward - Crafting an email to your manager feels uncomfortable
  • Organization is messy - Resources are scattered across the internet

I wanted a single place where professionals could find trusted resources pre-vetted for their role.

the solution

Learning Budget is a filterable directory of courses, books, conferences, and newsletters organized by:

  • Profession - Software engineering, product management, design, etc.
  • Type - Courses, books, conferences, newsletters
  • Skill level - Beginner, intermediate, advanced
  • Price - Including free resources

Each resource includes detailed descriptions, pricing, and specific skills covered, making it easy to evaluate if something fits your needs.

ask to expense

The feature I'm most proud of is the "Ask to expense" button. It generates a pre-written email template explaining why the resource is useful, including:

  • Resource name and type
  • A description of what it covers
  • The price
  • A link back to the Learning Budget page for more details

This removes the friction of requesting approval. You just copy the template, personalize it slightly, and send it to your manager. What was previously an awkward conversation becomes a professional, well-reasoned request.

tech stack

Built with modern web technologies optimized for SEO and performance:

  • React Router 7 with server-side rendering
  • Supabase for the database and real-time data
  • TanStack Query for efficient data fetching and caching
  • Tailwind CSS with shadcn/ui components
  • PostHog for analytics

The SSR ensures search engines can index all the resource pages, helping people discover content through Google searches like "best React courses for software engineers."

seo and discovery

Each resource gets its own page with proper meta tags, descriptions, and structured URLs. This creates hundreds of indexable pages that target specific queries.

I implemented a sitemap generator and used prerendering for long-tail keywords, maximizing discoverability through organic search.

content curation

Learning Budget's usefulness comes from curation. Not every course or book makes the cut - resources need to be genuinely high-quality and worth the investment.

Products include skill tags with difficulty levels, shown as visual indicators (beginner = green, intermediate = orange, advanced = red). This helps users quickly identify if a resource matches their current level.

engagement features

Features that increase engagement:

  • Email subscription for new resources
  • Reviews widget showing feedback
  • Click tracking to understand which resources are most popular
  • Related products based on role and type
  • Sorting options by popularity, price, or newest

The "show more" pagination keeps the initial load fast while allowing exploration.

monetization thoughts

While I built this primarily as a learning project, there's clear monetization potential:

  • Affiliate links for courses and books
  • Sponsored placements for educational companies
  • Premium listings for resource creators
  • API access for HR platforms

The click tracking infrastructure already exists to support affiliate programs.

lessons learned

Building Learning Budget taught me:

  1. Curation creates value - Aggregation alone isn't enough; editorial selection matters
  2. Reducing friction leads to action - The email template feature increased engagement considerably
  3. SEO requires structure - Proper meta tags, sitemaps, and SSR are non-negotiable
  4. Niche targeting works - Focusing on specific professions made the content more useful

reflection

Learning Budget demonstrates how a simple directory can become useful through thoughtful features. The "Ask to expense" button turned a passive catalog into an actionable tool.

The project also reinforced the importance of understanding user psychology - people don't just need information; they need confidence and ease when making decisions, especially when those decisions involve company money.

While the site started small, its structure allows for continuous growth as new resources are added, making it increasingly useful over time.