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The Problem(s) with (Most) Online Courses

CJ Chilvers
CJ Chilvers
— 1 min read

No one remembers a social media post.

Few remember a blog post.

Many remember a good book.

Courses haven't yet entered the hierarchy in my opinion, since most are abused. It's rarely what's best for the customer. There a few good ones, but for the subject matter my readers tend to be interested in:

  1. Most of the content can be found elsewhere for free without sacrificing quality.
  2. The vast majority of customers never come close to finishing the course.
  3. The content is often subpar to a book, while costing 10X the price of a book.
  4. It seems to suit the needs of the publisher far more than the reader. The short term money is good, but the long-term effect on a publisher's reputation is not. I know a publisher who hates courses and what they do to his readers, yet he feels it's necessary to put them out to grow his business. The money is too good to pass up. This is what will kill such courses in the near future.