The Smart Way to Research Other Courses

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

When you’re creating your first course, it’s easy to think you have to come up with something 100% original, like you’re inventing fire.

But here’s the thing: other people have already built and launched courses in your space. That’s not a threat, it’s a resource.

Researching other courses isn’t about stealing. It’s about learning what works, spotting what’s missing, and figuring out how to put your own spin on it.

What You Can Learn by Looking Around

When you study other courses, you start to notice patterns:

• Structure. How do they break down lessons? Short and snappy, or long and detailed?

• Delivery. Is it video, audio, text, or a mix?

• Promise. What transformation do they sell, and how do they word it?

• Gaps. What feels unclear, overcomplicated, or missing altogether?

You’re not copying, you’re collecting data.

Adapt, Don’t Clone

The goal isn’t to say, “I’ll just do exactly what they did.” That’s lazy, and your audience deserves better.

Instead, ask yourself:

• What would make this clearer?

• How could I explain it in a way that feels more human?

• What do I know, from my own experience, that they left out?

That’s how you evolve the idea into something sharper, simpler, and uniquely yours.

Why This Approach Works

Researching what’s already out there saves you from blind spots. You’re not guessing, you’re adapting based on real-world examples.

And here’s the kicker: your lived experience, your teaching style, your way of breaking things down, that’s what makes your course stand out.

So no, you’re not stealing. You’re doing what every smart creator does: learning from what exists, then raising the bar.

Final Thought

You don’t need to copy anyone. But you also don’t need to start in the dark.

Research other courses. Learn from them. Adapt the good, fix the weak spots, and evolve the idea into something that only you could teach.

That’s the smart way forward.