Project 24
Review

A 24-Month System for Building Income-Generating Niche Websites and YouTube Channels

Easy
  • Last updated 20/09/2025
by Ricky Kesler & Jim Harmer

What you'll learn ? Overview

We spent considerable time analyzing Project 24, and here's what we discovered: it's not your typical "get rich quick" blogging course. Created by Jim Harmer and Ricky Kesler of Income School, this membership program takes a refreshingly realistic approach to building profitable websites and YouTube channels.

What caught our attention first? The 24-month timeline. In an industry flooded with "make $10k in 30 days" promises, these guys actually tell you it'll take two years to replace your full-time income. That's either brutally honest or terribly pessimistic, depending on your perspective.

The program isn't just one course, it's an evolving library of training modules. You'll find the core "60 Steps" blogging course, a parallel YouTube course, and specialized trainings on everything from E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) to the mysteriously named "Battleship Method" for keyword research.

But here's where it gets controversial: Project 24 teaches you to completely ignore link building. Yes, you read that right. In a world where every SEO expert preaches the gospel of backlinks, Income School says "forget about it, just create great content." It's like telling a chef to make a five-star meal without salt, sure, it's possible, but why make it harder?

The philosophy centers on what they call "Search Analysis" rather than traditional keyword research. They want you to focus obsessively on answering user questions through "Response Posts" and creating comprehensive "Staple Posts" that Google can't help but rank. We appreciate the user-first approach, though we question whether it works in competitive niches.

Perhaps the most valuable component (according to members we researched) is the private community forum. It's where beginners ask questions, share wins, and get feedback from both peers and the Income School team. Think of it as group therapy for aspiring bloggers, minus the awkward circle seating.

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Is this course for you?

👉

Prior experience needed

Beginner (No Prior Experience Needed)

👉

Time commitment

moderate Moderate (5–10 Hours/Week)

👉

Learning style

Self-Paced (Work On Your Own Schedule)

Best suited for:

Complete beginners who want a single system to follow, people overwhelmed by conflicting SEO advice, those who value community support over advanced tactics

Instructor

Ricky Kesler & Jim Harmer

Co-founders of Income School and Project 24 Legitimacy Score: 9/10
Ricky Kesler and Jim Harmer are renowned online entrepreneurs and educators who have revolutionized the field of digital content creation and passive income generation. As co-founders of Income School and creators of the popular Project 24 program, they have empowered thousands of individuals to build successful online businesses through strategic blogging, SEO optimization, and content marketing.
Jim Harmer began his journey as a photographer and blogger, successfully monetizing his photography website before transitioning into online education. Ricky Kesler, with an MBA from UNC Chapel Hill, brought his business acumen to the partnership. Together, they launched Income School in 2015 and introduced Project 24 in 2018, leveraging their combined expertise in niche website development, SEO, and digital marketing to create a comprehensive training program.
• Built a portfolio of websites generating over 90 million pageviews annually
• Developed Project 24, a highly successful online course with thousands of students
• Grew their YouTube channel to over 250,000 subscribers
• Published multiple e-books on blogging, photography, and affiliate marketing
• Created a thriving online community of digital entrepreneurs
• Regular speakers at affiliate marketing and blogging conferences
• Hosted numerous webinars for Project 24 members and broader audiences
• Featured guests on various entrepreneurship and digital marketing podcasts
• Conducted live Q&A sessions and workshops for their online community
Jim and Ricky are prolific content creators, regularly sharing insights on their YouTube channel and blog. They focus on SEO strategies, website monetization techniques, and practical tips for aspiring bloggers. Their transparent approach, including sharing real data from their own websites, has garnered a loyal following in the digital marketing space.

Course Details

  • ⏱ Duration730
  • 📶 DifficultyEasy
  • ⌛ Access Yearly
  • ⏰ Time investmentModerate (5–10 Hours/Week)

🧠 Prerequisites

None, explicitly designed for complete beginners


💻 Requirements

Computer, stable internet connection, basic writing ability


💸 Hidden Costs

Domain name ($15/year), web hosting ($60-240/year), optional Acabado theme ($349)


🙋‍♂️ Support Options

Private community forum, live virtual masterminds, members-only podcast, direct team responses in forums

Course content

  • The Blogging Course - 60 Steps: Niche selection, branding, content strategy (response posts, staple posts), writing techniques, basic monetization
  • The YouTube Course - 60 Steps: Channel setup, video creation, YouTube-specific keyword research, video SEO optimization
  • The Battleship Method: Their proprietary strategy for finding low-competition keywords that are "easy wins"
  • E-A-T for SEO: Building expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness signals for Google
  • Monetization Mastery: Affiliate marketing, display ads, creating info products, email marketing
  • Specialized Mini-Courses: Pinterest for Bloggers, Web Security, No-BS Podcasting, Project 24 Photography
  • Live Masterminds: Regular virtual events for Q&A and advanced strategies
  • Community Forum Access: 24/7 access to the private member community

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Feedbacks

Overall sentiment

Our research revealed a fascinating divide: beginners absolutely love Project 24 for its clarity and structure, while experienced SEOs often react with horror at the "no link building" approach. It's like watching a cooking show where half the audience applauds the chef's innovation while the other half screams about food safety violations.

Praised points

  • Crystal-clear roadmap: Members consistently praise how the step-by-step system removes overwhelm and analysis paralysis
  • Supportive community: The private forum receives glowing reviews for providing motivation, accountability, and real-world advice
  • Quality-first approach: Students appreciate learning to create genuinely helpful content rather than gaming Google's algorithm

Criticisms

  • Anti-link building stance: Experienced marketers argue this severely limits growth potential in competitive niches
  • Echo chamber effect: Some former members report the community discourages questioning core methods
  • Recurring fees: The $279 annual renewal after year one strikes some as steep for continued access

Testimonials

"The Income School team is head and shoulders above everyone else when it comes to helping others get started on their blogging journey." – Matt, verified member

"Project 24 really helped me get my blog off the ground with easy to follow steps." – Reddit User

"I appreciated the honest timeline of 2 years to build a full income, no hype here." – Quora Contributor

"The community support kept me motivated during tough phases." – YouTube Commenter

"Would have liked more on backlinking and advanced SEO." – Forum Member

Social insights

Reddit threads about Project 24 often turn into heated debates. On r/juststart and r/blogging, we found passionate defenders sharing their success stories alongside critics warning newcomers about the limitations of avoiding backlinks. The consensus? It's an excellent starting point for beginners, but you might need to learn "real SEO" to scale beyond hobby income.

Video review

Marketing Analysis

Claim Verification

The promise to "replace your full-time income in 24 months" is ambitious but framed realistically. Our research found members typically achieve $500-2,000/month within this timeframe, with full-time replacement being exceptional rather than typical.

Price History

Started under $400 at launch, now $499 for year one with $279 annual renewals. Price increases have been gradual and announced in advance.

Upsell Practices

Primary upsell is the Acabado theme. It's recommended frequently but not aggressively pushed. Members successfully use other themes without issues.

Student Success

We verified multiple success stories through the official site and independent forums. Reddit users in r/juststart have documented reaching Mediavine ad thresholds (50k sessions/month) within 12-18 months following Project 24 methods.

Platform & Delivery

Learning Platform

Custom-built LMS that's functional but not fancy. Think Honda Civic, not Tesla, it gets you where you need to go without the bells and whistles

Content Accessibility

All videos stream 24/7 while membership is active. Text summaries included but no downloadable content mentioned

Mobile Compatibility

Browser-based access works on mobile, though desktop provides better experience for actual content creation work

Technical Requirements

Modern browser, stable internet for video streaming

Red flags check

😬

Complaints

The main complaint isn't about deceptive practices but philosophical differences. The "no link building" stance generates the most criticism, though this is a strategic disagreement rather than an ethical issue. Some international students mention the price feels high relative to their local economies.

😬

Refund policy issues

30-day money-back guarantee with no widespread reports of issues. We couldn't find information about pro-rated refunds after 30 days, which suggests they don't offer them.

😬

Marketing practices

Refreshingly transparent. They set realistic expectations with the 24-month timeline and don't use fake scarcity or countdown timers. No "only 3 spots left!" nonsense here.

😬

Community feedback

The community receives overwhelmingly positive feedback. No reports of toxic behavior, aggressive moderation, or censorship of legitimate criticism.

Is this course legit?

Value For Money

At $499 for the first year, Project 24 sits at the upper end of mid-ticket pricing. You're paying for structure, community, and ongoing updates rather than revolutionary information. For beginners who would otherwise waste months bouncing between free YouTube videos, the structured approach justifies the cost. The renewal fee becomes harder to justify once you've consumed the core content.

Conclusion

After extensive research, we can confirm Project 24 is absolutely legitimate, though perhaps not for everyone. It's the training wheels of the blogging world: perfect for learning the basics but potentially limiting as you advance.

The program excels at what it promises: providing beginners with a clear, actionable roadmap to build content-based businesses. The 24-month timeline sets realistic expectations, and the community support helps maintain momentum when motivation wanes. We particularly appreciate their focus on creating helpful content rather than chasing algorithm tricks.

However, the elephant in the room remains their anti-link building philosophy. While this simplification helps beginners avoid overwhelm, it's like teaching someone to drive but telling them to never use fifth gear. Sure, you'll get there, but you're handicapping your potential speed.

For complete beginners with $499 to invest and realistic expectations, Project 24 offers excellent value. You'll learn the fundamentals, join a supportive community, and likely earn back your investment within the first year. Just understand that as you grow, you may need to supplement your education with more advanced SEO strategies, including the forbidden art of link building.

Think of Project 24 as SEO kindergarten: essential for building a foundation, but not where you'll want to stay forever. And at these prices? At least it's a very nice kindergarten.

FAQs about this course

Project 24 is a membership program teaching people to build profitable niche websites and YouTube channels over a 24-month timeline, with the goal of replacing traditional employment income.

Initial year costs $499, then $279 annually for continued access to updated content and community. Domain and hosting add roughly $75-255/year.

For low-competition niches, their content-focused approach can work well. However, in competitive markets, avoiding backlinks significantly limits your growth potential.

No, the methods work with any WordPress theme. Acabado is optimized for their system but absolutely not required.

You can choose to renew for $279/year to maintain access to courses, updates, and community, or leave with the knowledge you've gained.

While possible, it's not typical. Most successful members report earning $500-2,000/month within 24 months, with full income replacement being exceptional.

Yes, the strategies work globally, though the price may feel steep for students in countries with weaker currencies relative to USD.

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Project 24 screenshot
Project 24 Review
$ 499
Total score: 8,0/10 ⭐
  • Duration730
  • DifficultyEasy
  • Release Date01/2018
  • Format Self-Paced or Membership
  • AccessYearly
  • Time InvestmentModerate (5–10 Hours/Week)
  • Payment Options One-Time
  • LanguageEnglish
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Our Methodology

At IsThisCourseLegit, we're committed to providing objective and transparent evaluations. Our rating system is based on rigorous criteria evaluated by experienced entrepreneurs who have built and sold successful online businesses.

Our Rating System

Each course is rated on a scale of 1-10 across key categories including content quality, value for money, community support, results potential, and update maintenance. The overall score reflects our comprehensive assessment of the course's value and effectiveness.

Our Process

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Project 24 Review