You've poured months—maybe years—into creating this course. The late nights recording. The endless editing. The marketing campaigns. The student success stories.
And now you're staring at your dashboard, watching sales trickle to almost nothing, wondering if you should update it again or finally admit what you've been avoiding:
This course might need to die.
Here's the uncomfortable truth most course creators won't tell you: not every course deserves to live forever. And holding onto a dying product isn't loyalty—it's the sunk cost fallacy dressed up as dedication.
Let's talk about when it's time to let go, and how to do it without feeling like you've failed.
The Sunk Cost Trap That Keeps Creators Stuck
You've invested $10,000 and 500 hours into your course. So when sales flatline, your brain whispers: "I can't abandon it now. Think of everything I've put in."
This is the sunk cost fallacy—and it's killing your business.
Here's the reality: the time and money you've already spent are gone regardless of what you do next. The only question that matters is whether continuing to invest in this course is the best use of your future resources.
Sometimes the answer is yes. Often, it's not.
7 Signs It's Time to Sunset Your Course
How do you know when a course has run its course? Look for these warning signs:
1. Sales Have Declined for 6+ Months
A bad month happens. A bad quarter is concerning. Six months of declining sales—despite marketing efforts—is a pattern. If your course isn't selling even when you're actively promoting it, the market may have moved on.
2. The Content Is Fundamentally Outdated
There's a difference between a course that needs a few updates and one that's obsolete at its core. If the software you taught has been replaced, the strategy no longer works, or the industry has fundamentally shifted, updating might mean rebuilding from scratch.
3. You've Lost the Passion (and It Shows)
Students can feel when a creator has checked out. If you dread answering questions about this course, avoid promoting it, or cringe when someone mentions it—that energy transfers. Passion isn't optional in course creation.
4. Student Outcomes Have Declined
Early students got results. Recent ones don't. If your completion rates have tanked and success stories have dried up, your course may no longer deliver on its promise. That's not just a business problem—it's an ethical one.
5. Support Requests Outweigh Revenue
When you're spending more time troubleshooting outdated content than the course earns, you've entered negative ROI territory. Your time has value. Calculate it.
6. The Market Is Saturated
Sometimes a topic that was fresh when you launched now has 50 competitors—many of them better or cheaper. If you can't differentiate anymore, the window may have closed.
7. It's Cannibalizing Your Better Products
Here's a subtle one: sometimes an old course confuses your audience or competes with your newer, better offerings. Killing the old course might actually boost your overall business.
The Hidden Cost of Keeping Courses Alive
Every course you maintain is a tax on your attention. Even "passive" courses require:
- Answering student questions
- Updating broken links and outdated info
- Managing the tech stack
- Mental bandwidth and decision fatigue
That energy could go toward your next breakthrough product. The opportunity cost of maintaining a dying course isn't just money—it's the course you're not creating, the audience you're not building, the growth you're not experiencing.
Sunset vs. Update: A Decision Framework
Before you pull the plug, ask yourself these questions:
Update if:
- The core content is still relevant and valuable
- Updates would take less than 20% of the original creation time
- You're still passionate about the topic
- There's clear market demand
- Student outcomes are still strong (just need polish)
Sunset if:
- The fundamental premise is outdated
- Updates would essentially mean creating a new course
- You've lost interest in the topic
- Market demand has significantly declined
- The course no longer delivers promised results
The 80/20 rule applies here: if 80% of the content needs rework, you're not updating—you're rebuilding. Consider starting fresh instead.
How to Sunset Gracefully (Without Burning Bridges)
Retiring a course doesn't mean abandoning your students. Here's how to do it right:
Set a Clear Timeline
Give yourself and your students a transition period. A typical timeline might look like:
- Week 1: Internal decision and planning
- Week 2-4: Final promotional push (more on this below)
- Week 5: Announce sunset to existing students
- Week 6-12: Wind-down period with full access
- Week 12+: Course closed to new students, existing students retain access
Communicate Transparently
Your students deserve to know what's happening. Send a clear email explaining:
- That the course is being retired (and why, if appropriate)
- What this means for their access
- Any alternative resources you recommend
- How to contact you with questions
Honesty builds trust. Most students will respect your decision to prioritize quality over quantity.
Protecting Your Existing Students
You have ethical obligations to people who've already purchased. Consider these options:
Option 1: Lifetime Access (Recommended)
Let existing students keep access to the content forever, even after you stop updating. This is the minimum ethical standard.
Option 2: Migration to a New Course
If you're creating a replacement course, offer existing students a significant discount or free access. They've already invested in you once—reward that loyalty.
Option 3: Refund Window
For very recent purchasers, consider offering refunds. If someone bought your course last week and you're sunsetting it next month, the right thing to do is obvious.
Option 4: Resource Package
Can't offer access forever? Create a downloadable resource package—worksheets, templates, key lessons—that students can keep permanently.
Extracting Final Value Before Retiring
A sunset doesn't mean leaving money on the table. Before closing enrollment:
Run a "Final Sale" Campaign
"Last chance to enroll" is powerful marketing. Run a limited-time discount, be transparent about the course retiring, and let urgency drive final sales.
Bundle It With Other Products
Can't sell the course alone? Bundle it as a bonus with your other offerings. It adds perceived value at no additional cost to you.
License the Content
Some creators license retired courses to other educators, companies, or platforms. Your content might have value to someone else even when you're done with it.
Repurpose the Best Parts
That brilliant module on productivity? Turn it into a blog series. Those worksheets? Become a lead magnet. Nothing has to be truly "wasted."
The Emotional Side of Letting Go
Let's be real: sunsetting a course feels like admitting failure. It's not.
Markets change. Skills evolve. Interests shift. The course that was perfect three years ago might not serve anyone well today—and that's okay.
Holding onto something that no longer works isn't perseverance. It's resistance to growth.
Give yourself permission to grieve the end of this chapter. Then give yourself permission to move on.
Learning From the Experience
Before you close the door completely, extract the lessons:
- What worked well that you can replicate?
- What would you do differently next time?
- Why did sales decline—market shift, marketing failure, or product-market fit?
- What feedback patterns emerged from students?
Document these insights. They're the tuition you've paid for your next course.
When NOT to Sunset (False Alarms)
Not every slump means death. Don't sunset if:
- You've only had 1-2 bad months. That's noise, not signal.
- You haven't actually tried marketing it. Some courses die from neglect, not obsolescence.
- The content is still accurate and valuable. Maybe you need a new sales page, not a funeral.
- Students are still getting results. Outcomes matter more than sales volume.
- You're just temporarily burned out. Take a break before making permanent decisions.
Give your course a fair chance before pulling the plug. But don't give it life support indefinitely.
What Comes Next: The Clean Slate
Here's the liberating truth: sunsetting a course creates space.
Space for:
- A better course on the same topic (done right this time)
- A completely new direction you're excited about
- More focus on your successful products
- Rest and recovery before your next creation
The end of one course is the beginning of your next chapter. What do you want to build now that you have room to breathe?
Your Action Steps
Ready to make the call? Here's your roadmap:
- Audit your courses using the 7 warning signs above
- Calculate the true cost of maintenance (time, money, mental energy)
- Apply the decision framework to determine sunset vs. update
- Create a sunset timeline if retirement is the right call
- Communicate clearly with existing students
- Extract final value through sales, bundling, or repurposing
- Document your learnings for future reference
- Plan what's next with your newfound freedom
Next Step
Thinking about what comes after? Read How to Validate Your Next Course Idea Before You Build to make sure your next creation is built on solid ground from day one.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your business is let go of what's not working—so you can fully commit to what will.