I read something from Stu McLaren last week that made me rethink how to measure success.

When Stu first started building memberships, he obsessed over three things:

1. Running paid ads
2. Creating content
3. Onboarding new members

And it worked — for a while.

But then, like a soda that's been open for too long, his revenue went flat.

Why?

Because his existing members were bailing just as fast as new ones were joining.

All the effort he put into attracting new people didn't matter one bit if the people already in the program weren't succeeding...

Or sticking around.

When it comes to online education programs—like courses or memberships—it’s easy to zero in on list growth and launch size.

But the key difference-maker isn't how many people join. It's how many people succeed.

If a thousand people join your program but only ten see results, something’s wrong. Your impact is more important than your volume.

That’s the true sign of a successful program. It’s about how many people achieve success, not just how many sign up.

I’m curious—when you think of your students, what small change could help them get results faster?

Hit reply and tell me. I’d love to hear.

~ Chris

P.S. I’ve been experimenting with ways AI can coach students behind the scenes, helping them get unstuck, stay motivated, and actually reach the finish line. I’ll share more about that soon.