Drip, Evergreen, Cohort, and Self-Paced

Self-Paced

Students get access to all content immediately and work through it at their own speed. No deadlines, no live sessions, no group schedule.

Best for: Most online courses. This is the default model for Teachable, Kajabi, Thinkific, and GoHighLevel courses.

Pros: Students love the flexibility. You build it once and sell it indefinitely. Zero scheduling logistics.

Cons: Completion rates are lower without external accountability. Students can feel isolated.

Drip (Drip Content)

Content is released on a schedule. Students can’t binge the whole course on day one — new modules unlock over days or weeks.

Example: Module 1 available immediately, Module 2 after 7 days, Module 3 after 14 days, etc.

Best for: Courses where later lessons overwhelm students if they haven’t practiced earlier material. Also used to stretch engagement over time, which reduces refund requests.

Pros: Creates a shared timeline even in self-paced courses. Reduces overwhelm. Keeps students coming back.

Cons: Impatient students hate waiting. You need to configure drip settings in your platform.

Cohort

A group of students starts and finishes the course together on a fixed schedule. Usually includes live sessions (Q&A calls, workshops) at specific dates and times.

Example: “The next cohort starts March 1. We meet live every Tuesday at 2pm EST for 8 weeks.”

Best for: Premium courses, coaching programs, and any course where live interaction adds significant value.

Pros: Built-in accountability. Students form connections with each other. Higher completion rates. You can charge more.

Cons: You have to show up live. Enrollment windows are limited (you can’t sell every day). Scheduling across time zones is a headache.

Evergreen

A course that’s always available for purchase. No launch windows, no deadlines, no cohort schedule. Someone buys today, they start today.

Best for: Most courses. This is the model we recommend for first-time course creators.

Pros: You can sell 365 days a year. No launch stress. Works with automated email sequences and evergreen funnels.

Cons: No urgency spikes (cohorts and launches create natural urgency). You need a consistent traffic source.

Evergreen Funnel

An automated sales system that runs continuously. Traffic comes in (ads, SEO, social media), enters your email sequence, and gets pitched your course — all on autopilot. Every person goes through the same sequence based on when they entered, not when you sent it.

Related term: Per-person deadline funnel — each student gets their own deadline (e.g., “This special price expires 72 hours after you first saw it”). Tools like Deadline Funnel make this possible.

Live vs. Recorded

• Live course — you teach in real time, usually to a cohort. Sessions are recorded for replay.
• Recorded course — you pre-record everything. Students watch on their own schedule.
• Hybrid — recorded core content plus live Q&A sessions.

Most successful courses start as live (taught to a beta group), then become recorded (polished and evergreen) after the live version is validated.

Asynchronous vs. Synchronous

• Asynchronous — students and instructor don’t need to be online at the same time. Self-paced courses are asynchronous.
• Synchronous — everyone participates at the same time. Live webinars and cohort calls are synchronous.

Most online courses are primarily asynchronous with optional synchronous elements (live Q&A calls, office hours).

Enrollment Window

A limited period when students can sign up for a course. Used with cohort-based courses and live launches. “Doors open March 1, close March 15.”

Also called: Cart open, registration window, open enrollment.