Sure, it doesn't HAVE to cost money.

I make a living doing consulting on user acquisition and funnel optimization for other companies, and I feel like I run into the same sorts of objections when selling work.

Clients that have any sort of tech staff often want to do several sit downs to try to get free directional consulting, then try to implement in house.

Learning to program is another similar path. Sure many people CAN program without a $X000 course (1000 pounds sounds really low, esp here in Chicago with dev bootcamp and starter league).

It's not that they CAN'T do it themselves, it's that they WON'T.

Code schools are like personal trainers. Everyone who pays for a personal trainer knows they can get stronger lifting heavy objects and they can get thinner by eating less cookies, but after years of thinking "I could do that", they capitulate. Having:

    - an expert resource available on hand
    - someone else invested in your success

makes the learning process faster and more the desired outcome more probable.

It's not that it has to be expensive, it's that sometimes that's the activation energy to go down the path that actually leads where you want to go, rather than the fantasy world that you could achieve.