Hey r/founder,

I’ve been working on an online learning platform focused on structured, course-based content.

The core idea:
Students don’t lack content — they lack organized learning paths.

There’s a huge amount of educational content online, but it’s fragmented. So I’ve been building something that structures lessons into full courses with a guided flow (instead of jumping between random videos).

So far I’ve:

• Built the platform from scratch
• Structured a few subjects into full learning paths
• Designed a “watch + playlist” style experience

But I’ve hit a few challenges:

1. Retention

People check it out, but don’t stay long.
Trying to figure out if that’s UX, content quality, or just lack of trust.

2. Competition with free platforms

Realistically, YouTube already has everything.
So I keep asking: what makes someone stay on a structured platform instead?

3. Monetization

I’m aiming to turn this into a sustainable product, but:

• Ads feel weak early on
• Paywalls kill growth
• Freemium is tricky without strong differentiation

Would love input from anyone who has built:

• EdTech products
• Content platforms
• Marketplaces

What would you prioritize fixing first — retention, differentiation, or distribution?

Happy to share more details if useful.