Last week, Amy Porterfield—one of the biggest names in the online course space—announced that she’s no longer selling Digital Course Academy. Her signature program. The one that’s made her $60 million.

And whether you’re a fan of Amy’s or not, I think this announcement is a really important signal about what’s happening in the industry right now.

Because here’s the thing: Amy isn’t shutting down Digital Course Academy because she’s bored or because she wants a new challenge—or at least, that’s not the full story. She’s shutting it down because the model has changed.

And if you’re sitting there with an online course that’s not selling the way you thought it would, or you’re struggling to get the results you were promised, or you’re blaming yourself for not being able to make it work—I want you to hear this.

It’s not you. The model shifted. And most people didn’t tell you.

What Just Happened

If you’ve been watching the online course space over the last couple of years, you’ve probably noticed that things have gotten harder. Courses that used to sell easily aren’t selling the same way anymore. Webinars that used to convert at 5-10% are now converting at 1-2%. People are launching to crickets.

And a lot of course creators are quietly struggling—wondering what they’re doing wrong, wondering if they just need to post more or show up more or launch more.

But the reality is, it’s not about working harder. The model has fundamentally changed.

What Actually Changed

Here’s the reality: the market shifted in about five different ways all at once, and it created a perfect storm that made the old course model a lot harder to execute.

Buyer behavior changed completely. People are making buying decisions faster than ever—but they’re also more skeptical, more distracted, and way less patient with long nurture sequences.

Then AI came in and suddenly everyone has access to information and how-to content for free, which means the value proposition of a DIY course isn’t as compelling anymore.

The market is completely saturated now—people have bought courses before, they’ve been burned, and they’re skeptical of promises that sound too good to be true.

The algorithms changed. Facebook ads used to love lead magnets and email nurture sequences. Now they want fast conversions and direct sales.

And the price point that worked before just isn’t working now. That mid-tier DIY course sweet spot of $500-$1500 is getting squeezed out because it’s too expensive to be an impulse buy but not expensive enough to justify the lack of support.

People either want something cheap and quick, or they want high-touch and premium. The middle is disappearing.

Why This Announcement Matters

Digital Course Academy was teaching people two core things: how to create a mid-tier DIY online course, and how to sell it using webinars.

And both of those strategies are two of the strategies that have been hit the hardest over the last couple of years.

The fact that Amy is shutting down the program that teaches this model is a really important signal. Because if the person who built a $60 million business teaching this model is walking away from it, that should tell you something about where the industry is right now.

So Are Courses Dead?

No. Absolutely not.

Online courses are not dead. But their role has changed.

Five years ago, your online course could be the center of your business. You could build your entire business model around selling a $500-$2000 DIY course and make really good money doing it.

That’s a lot harder now.

But that doesn’t mean courses don’t have a place. It just means their place is different.

This Isn’t About You

If your course isn’t selling the way you thought it would, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. It’s not because you’re not good enough or you’re not posting enough.

It’s because the model shifted.

And unfortunately, a lot of people were still teaching the old model long after it stopped working.

So if you bought a program in the last couple of years that taught you to create a mid-tier DIY course and sell it with webinars, and it’s not working—it’s not your fault. You were just taught a strategy that was already past its prime.

But the good news is, you can pivot. You can take what you’ve built and reposition it. You can adapt to what’s working now.

Want to Hear More?

I break down exactly what’s working in 2026—including the three strategies the big players are using right now, what I think Amy’s probably doing next, the two-part funnel stack that’s replacing the old course model, and the exact four steps you need to take if you have a DIY course right now—in the full podcast episode.

Listen to the full episode here.

The online course industry has changed. But that doesn’t mean the opportunity is gone. It just means you need to be willing to see your course differently.

Want help pivoting your course business to what’s actually working? Drop me a DM on Instagram @hellofunnels and let’s chat.