Gagan Biyani helped create Udemy, a $3B online learning giant. Now he’s building the next evolution of online learning: cohort-based courses (CBCs).
Why this idea pops
- Shifts from passive to interactive learning
- Leverages community and accountability
- Uses urgency and scarcity (limited seats)
- Helps creators charge premium prices
- Builds strong retention through live feedback
Real-world proof
- Maven raised over $25M building CBC tech
- On Deck built a multi-million dollar business running structured cohorts
- Ship 30 for 30 grew to thousands of writers paying monthly
- Reforge sells $2K+ programs with small-group learning
When you move from “watch anytime” to “learn together,” you turn content into an experience—and experiences scale differently.
