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Why do some cohort-based courses succeed while others fail?
In today’s episode, we explore the future of cohort-based learning and how Maven is helping instructors succeed with less overhead.
Gagan is the co-founder and CEO of Maven. In the past, He’s also been a co-founder at Udemy and CEO at Sprig. Today, he shares his journey across Maven and Udemy, with some valuable insights.
We cover:
Why do most online courses suck? | 13:49
Product Management category on Maven | 18:10
Importance of Product Managers | 22:06
How Maven Builds Product | 30:34
Hiring a Growth PM | 52:23
How Maven Grows | 55:54
Maven vs Skool | 01:05:20
Gagan’s exit from Udemy | 01:08:41
Founder Mode and Being a Founder | 01:22:02
Here are the Key Takeaways
Here were my favorite lessons from our conversation:
1. Cohort-Based Learning is Evolving
The initial wave of cohort-based courses, like Write of Passage and Alt-MBA, featured high-cost models that were unsustainable for the long-term.
Maven represents the next phase, focusing on more scalable solutions that allow instructors to create courses with high margins (80-90%) and lower operational costs.
Maven's cohort-based courses have significantly higher engagement rates (80-90%) compared to traditional video-based courses (5-15%).
2. The Importance of Product Management in Startups
At the early stage, Product Managers often take on broad responsibilities and help to ship products on time by iterating quickly.
Having a strong Product Manager can unlock the potential of the entire team.
This enables engineers and designers to focus on what they do best.
3. Founder Mode and Leadership
Founders often need to take the lead in areas where no one else in the company has the full context or authority to act.
While it’s essential to empower teams, there are moments when the founder’s vision and ability to take decisive action is the need of the hour for driving the company forward.
Founder Mode helps avoid stagnation and ensures that the company stays aligned with its long-term goals.
4. Advice for Job Seekers
Focus on creating long-term value rather than solely pursuing immediate job openings.
Gagan suggests:
Plan for a 6 to 12 month job search: Manage your housing, track your finances, and make sure you have a sustainable runway.
Look for the right fit: Shortlist the specific companies that are the right fit for you and build a strong application for those instead of applying to any PM job.
This is an emotional journey more than a rationally hard problem. It will eventually work out for most people and they will get another job.
Do productive things to pass the time: Learn new skills, build personal projects, create content to boost your network and build a perception towards hiring managers.
Check out the full episode for more details!
Referenced
Where to find Gagan
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Up Next
We have some great podcasts coming from Hila Qu, George Harter, and Maria Cuasay. I’m so excited to share them with all of you. I hoped you enjoyed the special short episode with Guillaume Moubeche.
In the newsletter, check out this week’s latest piece if you haven’t yet: What Your Biggest Weakness Really Is.
Look out for these pieces up next:
How to Rock Your Annual Planning to Come Out Ahead Instead of Exhausted
Storytelling for PMs
The Multiplayer Lever: How to Drive Product-Led Acquisition and Expansion
Full Guide: Estimation Questions
I think you’re going to love them,
Aakash