The course business is a sustainable business model that can have a huge impact, although many people tend to underestimate its potential. It may not be a new or revolutionary idea, but it's effective, and if executed well, can be quite successful.
It was owned by Bertelsmann, which is a large publisher, a multi-billion dollar publisher. Book of the Month Club now has 100,000 active paying customers, which means they're in the revenue range of 10 to 15 million a year in recurring revenue. I suspect I've always thought that it would not work.
The website in question has 50 million registered users and reportedly receives 200 million monthly direct uniques, possibly making it worth a quarter of a billion dollars if sold.
This podcast episode discusses how companies can predict trends and improve their future revenues by looking at data points and utilizing research tools like WGSN to track popular topics.
The finance content space has seen multiple successful companies, including The Penny Hoarder, Money Supermarket, and Money Saving Expert, with revenue ranging from $40 million to $500 million, by writing about finance products and linking to affiliate deals of credit cards and insurance.