Episode #82
10+ Years on TPT: What We'd Do Differently and What We Got Right From the Start
What does a TPT product made by a third-year teacher in 2014 have in common with one made by a 15th-year veteran in 2026? More than you'd think — and less than you'd expect. In this episode of Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All, Amanda and Jess go all the way back to their very first TPT products and trace how they've grown as sellers over more than a decade — what they've changed, what they wish they'd done sooner, and what they're surprised still works exactly the way it did on day one. Amanda pulls up her original government simulation — a simple PDF that's been her bestseller for over 10 years — and debates whether to revamp it or leave it alone. Jess shares how her approach to product creation has completely changed now that she's a veteran teacher with 1,000 students and a paper allotment that wouldn't cover a single week. The result is an honest, reflective conversation about what actually matters when you're building a TPT store for the long haul. In this episode, you'll learn: Amanda's origin story: starting her TPT store in 2013 while pregnant, six years into teaching, thinking it was just a fun hobby — and having no idea she was entering a decade-long business Jess's origin story: reading about Deanna Jump making a million dollars on TPT, opening a store, and taking two full years before releasing her first product at the end of her third year teaching Why Amanda's original government simulation — a straightforward, day-by-day PDF with no bells and whistles — is still her top seller after 10+ years, and why she decided not to overhaul it The case for simple products: sometimes "everything in one student-facing PDF" is exactly what teachers want, and overcomplicating a product that already works is a mistake How to add a Google Slides version without making anything editable — Jess's trick of saving PowerPoint pages as images so teachers can project them but can't steal the content Why every product should now offer multiple modes: printable, projectable, and discussion-based — because paper allotments, 1:1 devices, and classroom norms have all changed dramatically since 2013 How teaching experience makes you a better product creator: Jess's shift from "just a PDF" to products with discussion guides, scaffolding, and multiple delivery options came from 15 years of knowing what teachers actually need Why AI slop isn't replacing quality TPT products — and why both Amanda and Jess believe teachers can tell the difference between human-made and AI-generated resources The confidence that comes with age: Amanda on being more focused and confident now despite feeling scattered, and Jess on finally being willing to put in the extra effort she skipped as a new seller What hasn't changed in 10 years: the fundamentals of making something you've used in your own classroom, solving a real problem, and keeping it simple enough that a teacher can download it and use it tomorrow Watch this episode on YouTube to see Amanda's original government simulation as her Zoom background (backwards eagle and all), her Suzuki Celerio reveal from Uruguay, and Jess's giant green Band-Aid heart. Subscribe and leave a five-star review — and remember, if you share this podcast with 10 other people, you'll have good luck forever.
