Is it better for MasterClass to focus on producing more courses or improving the quality of existing ones?

Introduction

The trade-off between producing more courses or improving the quality of existing ones is a critical decision for MasterClass. This scenario touches on content strategy, resource allocation, and user experience. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining the product ecosystem, stakeholder impacts, and potential outcomes, then propose an experiment to guide our decision-making process.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm thinking about MasterClass's current market position. Could you share any recent changes in user growth or engagement metrics?

Why it matters: Helps understand if we're in a growth or optimization phase Expected answer: Steady growth but plateauing engagement Impact on approach: Would lean towards quality improvement if engagement is an issue

• Business Context: Based on the subscription model, I'm curious about our retention rates. How do they compare to industry benchmarks?

Why it matters: Retention directly impacts revenue and lifetime value Expected answer: Slightly below industry average Impact on approach: Would prioritize quality to improve retention if below par

• User Impact: Considering our diverse course offerings, I'm wondering about our user segmentation. Do we see significant differences in engagement across course categories?

Why it matters: Helps identify if quantity or quality is more critical for specific segments Expected answer: Variation in engagement across categories Impact on approach: Might suggest a hybrid strategy, focusing on quantity in some areas and quality in others

• Technical: Given our platform capabilities, I'm curious about our current content production capacity. Are there any technical limitations to scaling course production?

Why it matters: Determines feasibility of rapid course expansion Expected answer: Some scalability challenges but manageable Impact on approach: Would influence the balance between quantity and quality based on technical constraints

• Resource: Thinking about our instructor relationships, I'm wondering about our pipeline for new courses. How does our current instructor acquisition rate compare to our course release targets?

Why it matters: Affects our ability to increase course quantity Expected answer: Steady but competitive instructor acquisition Impact on approach: Would impact the feasibility of a quantity-focused strategy