From Failure to Fortune: 5 Powerful Lessons I Learned Creating My First Online Course

We were convinced it would succeed when we launched our first online course. We had the knowledge, the passion, and what we thought was a rock-solid course packed with value.

Despite all our efforts, we sold just 15 courses. We had put in hours of work, weeks of planning, and the best content we could create, yet barely anyone bought it. We had given it our all, and still, it flopped.

That was over 12 years ago, and while it stung at the time, we learned more from that failure than we ever expected. Failure is often the best teacher—if you take the time to understand what went wrong.

So, I want to share five key lessons from that experience to help you avoid the same mistakes.

Lesson 1: Clarity Beats Quantity – A Focused Niche is Key

Mistake number one? Trying to appeal to too many people with broad content. I figured that the best way to sell more courses was to cast a wide net and attract as many students as possible.

Big mistake.

The broader my course, the more unclear my messaging became. Without a well-defined audience, my marketing was weak, my course lacked focus, and students didn’t feel like it was designed for them.

Since then, I’ve learned the power of niching down. When you create a course for a specific group with a specific problem, everything gets easier—your marketing, your messaging, and ultimately, your sales.

This is the same advice I now give to the people I coach in building expert-led online courses, coaching programs, and memberships. Find your niche, and serve it well.

Lesson 2: Content Alone Won’t Sell – Marketing Matters

I made another classic mistake: I assumed that because my course was high-quality, students would naturally find and enrol in it.

They didn’t.

It takes more than great content to make a course successful. Without a clear marketing strategy, my course remained invisible. No one knew it existed, and I had no plan to attract or nurture potential students.

The fix? Marketing needs to start before your course even launches.

• Build an engaged audience.
• Use email, social media, and SEO to generate interest.
• Have a launch strategy—not just hope.

My most significant shift was realizing that creating a course is only half the battle. The other half is getting it in front of the right people.

Lesson 3: Engagement is Everything – Passive Learning Doesn’t Work

Having worked with over 250 online course creators, I’ve seen how common this mistake is. Subject matter experts, like myself back then, often focus too much on delivering information and not enough on keeping students engaged.

My first course was content-heavy with little interaction, so my few students lost interest and dropped out.

The bigger the course, the more complicated the content, the more engagement strategies are needed to keep students on track.

What works?

• Quizzes and interactive exercises to reinforce learning.
• Discussion forums or community spaces for peer interaction.
• Actionable assignments that encourage real-world application.

Passive consumption isn’t enough—engaged learning leads to completion and success.

Lesson 4: Simplicity Wins – Overcomplicating Kills Progress

This lesson goes hand in hand with the last one.

I tried to pack too much information into my course, thinking that more content meant more value. Instead, I overwhelmed my students.

Long lessons, complex topics, and too much theory made it hard to complete, and most people gave up before finishing.

What changed?

• I started breaking content into short, digestible modules (5–15 minutes max).
• I restructured my courses to create a clear learning path.
• I built quick wins so students felt a sense of progress early on.

Now, I design courses simply by focusing on what students need rather than cramming in everything I know.

Lesson 5: A Bad Platform Can Ruin a Good Course

Ten years ago, online course platforms were limited, and I didn’t put enough thought into choosing the right one.

The result?

• Poor student experience (clunky navigation, difficult access).
• No engagement tools to keep learners active.
• No scalability for future growth.

That first-course failure wasn’t just about the content but also the platform.

Now, I always advise course creators to choose their platforms wisely.

• Does it support student engagement?
• Is it easy to navigate and track progress?
• Can it scale as your course grows?

An excellent course on the wrong platform can limit your success before you even start.

Turning Failure Into Growth

If you’re considering launching an online course or coaching program, I hope these five lessons help you avoid costly mistakes, disengaged students, and unnecessary frustration.

Your first course won’t be perfect—and that’s okay. The important thing is to learn, iterate, and improve. Every mistake is a step toward something better.

If I could go back 10 years and tell myself one thing, it would be this:

"Failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s part of the process."

Now, build something great.

And if you need help getting it done, drop me a line for a quick chat to see how we can help you.