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Nick LaRusso and I got to know each other during his nearly six-year stint at Coursera, where his last role before leaving the company in 2025 was head of strategic partner development. Nick recently launched a consulting company, LCG, which builds on his nearly two decades of experience working with universities across leadership roles at Coursera, Pearson, Blackboard and other companies. I wanted to learn more about LCG and Nick’s latest career move, and he generously agreed to answer my questions.
Q: Tell us about LCG. What are the services you offer to universities? And how does LCG differentiate from other companies in the postsecondary consulting space?
A: Thanks for the opportunity, Josh. I’ve appreciated our partnership and your work helping universities innovate.
LCG was born out of a need I saw by both universities and the companies that offer products and services to educational institutions. Based on my experience and the feedback from many folks within academia, there is often a disconnect between how commercial entities sell products to universities and how universities make buying decisions.
LCG helps education companies drive growth by engaging universities more effectively. LCG assists in developing compelling value propositions, identifying target audiences and navigating the organizational complexities of a university. Most of my services are directed at companies working with universities, rather than the universities themselves. The indirect benefit to a university is helping ed-tech companies understand what is important to a university and how they make decisions. This saves a university time, as a company can create a more direct, more compelling case for how their offering can be of benefit.
Universities are not monolithic organizations—they are complex institutions with a range of stakeholders who often have different and sometimes competing priorities. Faculty, in particular, play a critical role in shaping decisions. These individuals dedicate their lives to advancing a field of study and sharing that knowledge with students. Too often, companies approach universities with messaging focused solely on product features—what their solution does—without acknowledging the unique needs, values and decision-making structures within a university. LCG helps companies focus on the what and why—the specific problems their solution solves and why it matters to each stakeholder—rather than getting lost in the how of product functionality. That reframing helps companies build more relevant, resonant cases for how their offerings align with a university’s mission and priorities.
Q: What are universities’ big opportunities and challenges in growing their online learning portfolios? How can universities differentiate their online degree and certificate offerings in an increasingly crowded marketplace and where learning acquisition costs continue to rise?
A: Before diving into online learning specifically, it’s worth noting that the lines between online and traditional education are increasingly blurred. The [ubiquity] of technology and online learning has opened up new opportunities for both universities and learners, and the distinction between online and traditional delivery is diminishing.
Content is becoming commoditized, yet many universities still believe everything must be built in house. In a world where AI and third-party content creation are ever increasing, it can be increasingly impractical to build everything from scratch. This commoditization, coupled with the perhaps unfair questioning of the value of university offerings, creates a significant challenge for universities to differentiate.
In my experience, the two greatest assets of any university are the faculty, who push their respective subjects forward through research and teaching the next generation of practitioners, and the university’s brand, which is how the public views the institution.
My advice to universities is:
- Have a clear vision for the role you want to play in education, e.g., research, instruction, vocational training.
- Know who you are ultimately trying to reach (e.g., traditional 18- to 22-year-olds, adult learners) and make the entry process as simple as possible, though an easier process does not mean lower admission standards.
- Focus on your strengths and don’t create work where it isn’t needed.
These are not mutually exclusive, however, having a position on each is critical. A university should have a clear understanding of the role they are to play in higher education. With thousands of higher education institutions in the U.S. alone, a university cannot be all things to all people. There is a role for our most elite universities with competitive admissions, just as there is a role for those institutions focused on access. Some universities are better organized to research and discovery, while others are better suited to teach and disseminate information. Recreating content already developed is not always the best use of time. However, bringing examples and experiences to the classroom is something each professor can uniquely offer.
Recognizing the needs of prospective students is critical. Some may need a short refresher on a topic, others may seek a degree from one of the most prestigious schools and still others may simply just need to complete a degree and really only care about speed to graduation. Universities, from Ivy League to community colleges, need to make the educational experience easier. That is not to say content or assessments should be easy; rather, the paths into a university, such as the transfer and acceptance of credits already earned. It is certainly possible for a university to address the needs of different types of students, but to be successful, it is necessary to have the processes in place that work for each group.
In the U.S., “certificate” can mean many things—weekend workshops, multimonth university programs or industry certifications. It’s incredibly challenging for a learner to decipher what offerings will best address their needs and will carry weight within their chosen profession. Universities must clearly articulate the value of their credentials, not just the curriculum. This ties back to much of my company’s work—focusing on the outcomes of the offerings rather than the bells and whistles of offerings.
Q: What advice do you have for anyone working in educational technology that will translate into long-term career progression and resiliency?
A: Perhaps the best advice I can give is to believe in the importance of education. While it is noble to want to work in the education space, what sets successful people apart is their authenticity. Those who believe that education is ultimately what moves our society forward are in a far better position to succeed than those that don’t. And those who work in education are very good at recognizing authenticity.
It is critical to have a position. That is, be able to bring something unique and thoughtful to the table. Those in academia have chosen to spend their time pursuing knowledge and [are], therefore, lifelong learners themselves. As you engage with universities, ensure you have a perspective worth sharing. Stay up to date on various technologies, embrace AI, take note of what others are doing and form your own opinions that can be shared with the companies and schools with which you engage. In my experience, the most successful people in ed tech are those who are open to learning and enjoying teaching.
To put it more commercially—focus on your buyer. Strive to understand what is important to a university and its many stakeholders, focus on the challenges education is facing. Working with universities is one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have—you are supporting, helping and guiding an institution whose mission is to advance our understanding of the world. Knowledge is interactive [and] stackable and, once created, exists forever. Remember what is important to those within a university—be it more time to do research, greater ways to engage students or facilitating the connection between formal education and societal trends. And there are certainly worse things than spending time at a university—walking the campus, seeing the excitement and wonder of the students as they learn to engage with the world.
And finally, always remember that ed tech and higher education more generally is a very small world. I still connect with people I may not have worked with directly for over a decade. Being respectful, patient and earnest are necessary traits for someone to have longevity and success in this field.
