How Content Overwhelm Kills Memberships, And What to Do Instead

Last August, I joined an online surfing membership run by one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen.

In the first month, I progressed more than I had in 40 years of surfing.

No hype. Just clear teaching, simple drills, and changes I could feel in the water.

It was brilliant.

As you can imagine, the membership started to rapidly grow and so did the content.

Not better. Just bigger.

The problem wasn't the coach

The problem was the membership became “everything for everyone”.

They started adding:

• beginner theory
• surf etiquette
• basics for people who’d never surfed before
• advanced pro-level breakdowns

All in the same place.

If you were brand new, it was probably helpful, and if you were an advanced surfer, there was something in there too.

But I wasn’t either.

I was a different type of customer

I was a 50+ guy getting back into the water after navigating mid-life and all that it throws at us.

I’m not trying to surf like a pro.

I’m trying to progress consistently for my age, and make the most of the surfing days I’ve got left.

But each time I logged in, I had to filter through more content that wasn’t for me.

And the more they added, the harder it got to find what I actually needed.

It got to a point where I realised I was paying for stuff I’d never use.

So I left.

I told them exactly why

After I cancelled, I got the usual automated message asking what they could do better.

I replied.

I said, if you ran a course or membership specifically for 50+ male surfers getting back into the water, I’d have stayed.

I’d have happily paid for it.

I’d probably have paid more, because the coaching was that good.

But I never heard back, and that was that.

The lesson for coaches

Most coaches think value comes from adding more.

More videos. More modules. More resources. More bonus stuff.

It feels generous.

But to the customer, it often feels like work.

Value is not content.

Value is progress.

Your job is not to build a library.

Your job is to get someone from:

• where they are now
  to
• where they want to be

…in the shortest, clearest steps possible.

That’s transformation.

That’s what people pay for.

Content stuffing creates three problems

1. Overwhelm
   People don’t feel supported. They feel behind.
2. Confusion
   They don’t know what to do next, so they do nothing.
3. Low retention
   They cancel, not because you’re not good, but because the experience isn’t built for them.

The fix is simpler than you think

Stop building “one membership for everyone”.

Pick a person. Pick a moment in their life. Solve that problem.

Build:

• a clear starting point
• a clear outcome
• a clear path between the two

Then keep the content tight.

If you want to add more, add it as:

• optional depth
• separate tracks
• add-on programmes
• different tiers

Do not dump it all into one place and call it value.

If you want people to stay, give them a path

The best memberships don’t feel like Netflix.

They feel like a coach in your pocket.

• Simple
• Relevant
• Sequenced
• Progressive

That’s what keeps people paying.

Because they’re getting better - not busier.