Outcome Led Growth (OLG): 5 ways to enable Learning as a Service (LaaS) in EdTech

This essay is inspired by principles of Product Led Growth (PLG) by Bessemer Venture Partners, and used by some of the best SAAS companies in the world.

Outcome Led Growth (OLG) is when the learning product sells itself without any additional intervention. All the magic happens inside the product & it becomes a stand alone distribution vehicle for learner adoption, retention & expansion. This can happen using 5 principles:

1. Delivering a eureka moment instantaneously

The ability to delight the learner asap & to deliver an epiphany about the value of the product without friction

E.g: Helping the learner learn something unique about themselves (using assessment) to book the right coach (BetterUp)

2. Establishing a clear initial entry wedge

Ensuring a targeted use case for learning along with a simple & precise solution, helping learners grasp what problem the product solves & adopt the solution with minimal support

E.g: Levelling up on learning in a few mins (Duolingo)

3. Creating value instead of extracting value

The ‘try it before you buy it’ model where learners experience value first hand without any risk & eventually become engaged, loyal learners

E.g: On the fly leadership learning for unlimited number of workplace situations (Bunch)

4. Generating virality via network effects

Relying on initial champion’s adoption to drive awareness & adoption

E.g: Helping toppers with access to a much coveted set of difficult questions & solutions, then giving them ability to share their performance with others (nLearn)

5. Employing a transparent pricing & packaging model

A per learner tiered pricing model that gets more expensive as the unit of learning value increases

E.g: Access to self paced content → Instructor workshops → Customised capstone → On demand coaching (Multiple creators)