Why Most Courses Fail (The Feedback Loops You're Missing)

I recently went on my friend Joe Casabona’s show Streamlined Solopreneur and he shared a story about teaching a university class where the students were supposed to have certain prerequisites… except they didn’t. He had built the entire curriculum based on assumptions that simply weren’t true.It’s such a perfect example of what I see happening inside memberships and online programs all the time.We pre-build the curriculum, map out the syllabus, and record all the videos. And then we never stop to ask: Are people actually getting it?In this episode, I’m sharing why feedback loops are the most overlooked growth lever inside your community, how I learned to build real-time iteration into my teaching at General Assembly, and why treating your community like a product is the key to better engagement, stronger retention, and faster member results.I also share why I believe this is the core issue with most on-demand courses and why so many creators are shifting from course models to membership models in 2026.If you’re teaching live, running a membership, or designing a program right now, this one will help you rethink how you measure what’s actually working.Listen to my interview on Streamlined Solopreneur: Your Members Don't Want More ContentInterested in working with my team? Book a discovery call hereLet's be friends:Connect with Becky on Instagram or LinkedInRead the newsletter at beckypierson.comLearn more about Affinity Collective