It's Thursday morning, and my Youtube feed has another video from someone I respect 'Online courses are dead.'

Is it true?

The answer isn't simple. It's both yes and no – and understanding why could be the difference between building a thriving online education program or watching your efforts disappear into the digital void.

The Death of Traditional Courses

Let's start with the uncomfortable truth. Traditional, static pre-recorded courses are drowning in a sea of mediocrity.

The numbers don't lie. The average completion rate for a pre-recorded course sits at a dismal 15%. That means 85% of people who buy your course will never finish it.

They'll never get the transformation they wanted and it's not because your content wasn't good!

Add AI-generated content to the mix, and we're facing an unprecedented flood of generic material. Anyone can now create a "comprehensive course" on virtually any topic in a matter of hours.

The market is saturated with promises that sound impressive but deliver little genuine value.

But here's where it gets interesting.

The Rise of Something Better

After years of delivering online education at scale – and watching both spectacular successes and crushing failures – I've discovered something powerful: The future belongs to a strategic trio: Course, Community, and Coaching.

This isn't just theory. This is what's working right now, in 2025, for professionals who want to build profitable, scalable and sustainable online education businesses in their spare time.

Let me break down why each element is crucial:

1. Courses: The Foundation That Scales

Courses aren't dead – they're evolving. They still provide the essential foundation for any scalable education business. Here's why they matter:

• Scale while you sleep: Your best content works for you 24/7
• Stop repeating yourself: Capture your expertise once, deliver it infinitely
• Flexibility for busy lives: Your audience can learn on their schedule not yours

But here's the critical shift: courses alone aren't enough anymore. They're the foundation, not the entire building.

2. Community: The Human Connection AI Can't Replicate

Community adds the critical element that no AI can duplicate: genuine human connection and accountability.

When people connect, share experiences, and support each other, transformation happens naturally. I've watched countless breakthroughs occur in our community spaces – moments where theory suddenly clicks because someone shared their real-world application.

Think about it: when was the last time you completed something challenging entirely on your own?

Most of us need that gentle nudge, that encouraging word, that "oh, that's how they did it" moment that reminds us we're not alone in the struggle.

3. Coaching: Where Information Becomes Transformation

Here's the secret weapon that separates successful online educators from the rest: coaching turns information into transformation.

This is where real change happens. Where theory becomes practice. Where your expertise truly scales because you're not just delivering content – you're guiding implementation.

Coaching allows you to:

• Address individual challenges in real-time
• Adapt your approach to different learning styles
• Celebrate breakthrough moments as they happen
• Provide the accountability that drives completion rates from 15% to 85%+

The Compound Effect

When you combine all three elements strategically, something remarkable happens. You create what I call the "compound effect" of online education:

Consistent transformation for clients + Sustainable business model + Genuine impact and income at scale

This isn't just about surviving in the online education space. It's about thriving by delivering real value that AI simply cannot replicate.

I love it when the lights go on for my students as to how these three work together to create impact and income at scale. (Check out some testimonials here)

Making It Work for You

The beauty of this approach is that you don't need massive budgets or complex technology to start. Here's how you can begin implementing the trio in your area of expertise:

Start Simple:

• Course: Record on your phone if needed – content quality matters more than production value
• Community: Use free platforms like Discord or the kickstarter version of Kajabi
• Coaching: Begin with a pilot group and scale from there

Focus on Design, Not Tools:
The magic isn't in the technology you use (although that helps with the scalability). It's in the intentional design for transformation. Every piece of content, every community interaction, every coaching moment should be designed with one question in mind: "How does this move my students closer to their desired goal?"

The Future is Human

Here's what most people miss about AI's impact on online education: AI can create content faster than ever, but it can't hold someone accountable on a tough Tuesday.

It can't celebrate breakthrough moments in real-time. It can't adapt coaching to individual learning styles or build genuine peer connections.

The Course + Community + Coaching model isn't just surviving the AI revolution – it's thriving because of what makes us uniquely human.

Your Next Step

As you consider your own online education journey, ask yourself: How could you implement this trio in your area of expertise?

The professionals who embrace this evolution now will be the ones building sustainable, transformational businesses while others are still arguing about whether courses are dead.

The future belongs to those who understand that education isn't about information delivery – it's about bringing transformation to people's lives.

And transformation? That's beautifully, irreplaceably human.

If you want help implementing any of this - that's why I'm here!