Going into 2026, there's ONE little-known media product "format" I'm bullish on.
Even though most founders and creators don't use it (or understand it) now…
It’s quietly been the #1 way to turn expertise into income for the past 100 years.
Now is the best time to take advantage of it before everyone does.
And no…
I’m NOT talking about courses, digital products, or private communities.
It does not require 1on1 coaching, consulting, or DFY services.
You don't need an audience of 10k-100k+ to sell it.
You don’t need to be a “guru” with hundreds of testimonials.
You don’t need to use AI, complicated tech, or fancy marketing
Still…
It's the best beginner-friendly offer to launch and make your first $100k+ fast.
It can also scale to 7-8 figures per year in sales.
I’m talking about…
Cohort-Based Courses.
In this post I’ll explain why…
Live cohorts are the best way to turn your expertise into income in 2026.
Almost no one is doing them!
And yes… cohorts are NOT courses
Live cohorts and traditional courses are entirely different!
I'll break that down in minute.
But first…
Here’s why cohorts work
Cohorts provide the BEST student outcomes.
Outside of 1on1 coaching (which can't scale), nothing gets customers better results than live cohorts.
My Results
Yesterday, I finished the 6th Write, Grow, Sell live cohort.
Since inception, I've:
Served 1,200+ paying students
Received 450+ testimonials and a 91 NPS
Driven $2.1M+ of highly profitable revenue
All from a program I love teaching and has made a positive impact on hundreds of people. The Write, Grow, Sell success stories are life-changing.
You don't need a big audience to make cohorts work.
I launched my first cohort in January 2024 to 4,245 people on my email list.
Even though I knew almost nothing about marketing and delivering cohorts back then, I made $105,637 in 30 days.
And it’s not just me…
Cut30: ~$1M+ lifetime revenue
Ship 30 for 30: ~$10M+ lifetime revenue
Amy Porterfield’s cohorts: ~$50M+ lifetime revenue
Building a Second Brain: ~$5M–$10M+ lifetime revenue
Ali Abdaal's YouTuber Academy: ~$5M+ lifetime revenue
Maven .com: 12 instructors made $1M+ and 100+ instructors have earned $100K+
Everyone who's stuck with a cohort and executed has made a lot of money.
But VERY few people are using cohorts. It’s still untapped.
Experiences > Education
Cohorts work because the alternatives don't work anymore.
Info products and courses are DEAD.
The education market now is different than it was before COVID and AI.
If you use the old model, you must adapt before profits shrink to zero.
Here’s why:
The way people learn, implement, grow their businesses, careers, and improve themselves — has changed.
People don’t need more content!
Your prospects are drowning under the weight of “just one more info product” they’ll never finish.
LLMs can teach more than most courses, customize advice to your situation, and answer questions instantly
Static content gets outdated fast. Pre-recorded courses age while AI provides up-to-date information
YouTube has killer content. There are tutorials, creators, and great videos for every subject (and they’re free)
Customers have less disposable income and free time. People are not stuck at home like they were 2020-2022.
Interest rates aren't zero. No stimy-checks.
And — the biggest disruption to the market you probably didn't expect is…
Ozempic!
Let’s be honest…
Most people impulse buy courses and info products
~12% of people in the US (and growing) have used GLP-1s which reduces impulse decisions.
The problem isn't access to knowledge — it's getting things done.
Customers need:
Clarity
Execution
Systems that actually do the work (not just explain how to do the work)
So, instead of selling content, training, and information…
Sell an experience that helps people execute the work to reach their goals!
Enter live cohorts.
They deliver all of that and more.
Clarity on what matters
A plan to execute from a trusted mentor
Community to hold students accountable and bond with
Gamification to make it fun and increase the odds students get results
Systems, templates, feedback, and examples that make it easy to implement what they learn
Cohort-based courses are 20X more engaging than recorded content.*
*According to Maven.com
While traditional courses have a 1%-5% completion rate.
(Most people never log in).
My Write, Grow, Sell cohorts get 26%-49% completion rates.
And MUCH better student outcomes.
This enables: Higher price points and word of mouth marketing.
The point is:
Live cohorts are a new and proven model for getting real student outcomes.
Without customer overwhelm, burn out, or buyer's remorse.
Cohorts BUILD your brand and reputation.
Instead of destroying it, like traditional courses and info products do.
See, I’ve been around the info and education space a long time.
I’ve NEVER seen a founder who offers a cohort called a scammer.
I’ve rarely see a live cohort with bad reviews.
The opposite is always true of traditional courses and info products.
So, I’m calling it now:
Cohorts will be the hot educational offer of 2026.
Yes, I know they've been done before.
Cohorts are how we learned in high school and college.
They’re proven. But still underutilized!
Do you want to launch a cohort?
It will be free — but only until December 31st.