MasterClass
An online learning platform with classes taught by celebrities and experts.
MasterClass grew by knowing its users and expanding from the authority it had. A thoroughly tested purchase quiz drove significant revenue, and SEO built from Gordon Ramsay-adjacent topics let a butter lettuce page rank for about 400 keywords and beat Food Network. Lesson: help users see why the product fits them, and cover every subtopic of a keyword.
- 1User starts quizFriction added before purchase
- 2Quiz asks who they areAlso asks what they're interested in
- 3Products get recommendedMatched to the user's answers
- 4Revenue pays offGains show further down the funnel
From Anthropic's head of growth on friction
What was said about MasterClass
MasterClass's purchase quiz drove significant revenue by learning who the user is. MasterClass's purchase quiz was thoroughly tested and became a significant revenue driver. Asking users who they are before purchase pays off further down the funnel.
Calm's quiz was also thoroughly tested. Anthropic's head of growth cites both as evidence that the right friction helps, and says Anthropic's long onboarding flow, which asks who users are and what they are interested in and then recommends products, performs well in its data. Quote: "the right friction helps and and adding more friction usually works if you do it the right way". High-volume teams can confirm quickly by testing this on their own flows.
Head of Growth (Anthropic): Anthropic is automating its own growth
Its purchase quiz was tested thoroughly and drove significant revenue, showing that knowing who the user is pays off down the funnel.
MasterClass's purchase quiz drove significant revenue by learning who the user is. MasterClass's purchase quiz was thoroughly tested and became a significant revenue driver. Asking users who they are before purchase pays off further down the funnel.
Calm's quiz was also thoroughly tested. Anthropic's head of growth cites both as evidence that the right friction helps, and says Anthropic's long onboarding flow, which asks who users are and what they are interested in and then recommends products, performs well in its data. Quote: "the right friction helps and and adding more friction usually works if you do it the right way". High-volume teams can confirm quickly by testing this on their own flows.
The ultimate guide to AEO: How to get ChatGPT to recommend your product | Ethan Smith (Graphite)
Ethan's proudest win was ranking MasterClass for butter lettuce against far stronger sites like Allrecipes and Martha Stewart, despite its much lower authority.
The ultimate guide to SEO | Ethan Smith (Graphite)
It began with topics adjacent to Gordon Ramsay, like beef wellington and poached eggs, then branched into food generally. Its butter lettuce page ranks for about 400 keywords, including health benefits, which competitors skipped, and it outranked Food Network. A team with no SEO background became very strong.
When to invest in new acquisition channels | Adam Grenier (Uber, MasterClass)
Adam led marketing there. Its video storytelling suits OTT, and it onboarded the influencer platform Grin though rivals looked about equally good. Calling it 'education and entertainment' was too bland, so content that satisfies deep curiosity like a biography showed the problem better.
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