From Stalled To Scalable: How To Push Your eLearning Program Over the Finish Line

Launching an eLearning program can feel like an endless uphill climb. You start with a spark of excitement and a clear vision for transforming how your business teaches, trains, or scales its knowledge. But somewhere along the way, that excitement fades. The planning sessions drag on. The technology options multiply. The “we’ll launch soon” meetings turn into months—or even years—of delays. I’ve seen this story play out hundreds of times, across companies of every size. And the truth is, most eLearning programs don’t stall because people aren’t capable. They stall because teams overthink, overbuild, or get overtaken by other “higher ROI” projects.

Over the past decade, I’ve helped everyone from startups to S&P 500 companies move from stalled to scalable. Along the way, I’ve learned that finishing and launching an eLearning program doesn’t require more time or money. It requires focus, clarity, and a shift in mindset. In this post (and in the YouTube video linked here and podcast episode linked here) I’m going to share the three biggest reasons eLearning programs fail to launch—and my proven three-step process to finally push yours over the finish line and start generating real ROI.

The first roadblock: analysis paralysis

When I built my first eLearning program back in 2019, it took me nearly a year to make a single decision: which platform to use. I researched, compared, and debated every option under the sun. And when I finally launched, I realized I’d picked the wrong one. A year later or less, I switched platforms entirely. In hindsight, I wasted nearly two years of progress simply because I was stuck in analysis paralysis.

This kind of overthinking is the number one reason eLearning programs stall. It’s easy to get caught in an endless cycle of “figuring things out.” There are three pillars to any eLearning initiative—technology, content, and distribution—and each one can become a rabbit hole. But in my experience, technology decisions trip up teams more than anything else. Larger companies, especially those making $50 million or more per year, tend to overanalyze every feature and integration. Meanwhile, smaller teams often move faster and get their programs live within months.

The irony is that most of these choices don’t determine success. The technology should serve your program, not define it. That’s why I created the E-Learning Platform Finder™, a free tool that matches organizations to the best-fit platform in seconds. You answer a few questions, and you get a personalized recommendation—plus a free trial, a step-by-step “Made Simple” setup course, and a Platform-to-Profit strategy session with me to maximize ROI. It’s everything I wish I had when I started out.

The second trap: making your program too big

The second reason eLearning programs stall is scope creep. You start with a simple idea: maybe a single course for customers or a training program for new hires. But then the vision expands. Suddenly, that one course turns into a full digital university, complete with certification pathways, gamification, and twenty different modules.

I’ve been there. When I built my first program, I thought, “Why stop at one course when I can build a whole library?” But that ambition delayed my launch by months. When I finally scaled back to a pilot, I realized that success comes from iteration, not perfection. Think of your eLearning program like a TV show: every show starts with a pilot episode. The producers test audience reactions, tweak the script, and only then commit to a full season.

It’s the same in eLearning. Start with a pilot course—the single piece of content that will have the biggest impact on your learners or your business. Launch that, learn from it, and build from there. You can always scale later. The goal isn’t to build a perfect program from day one. The goal is to build a profitable, sustainable one that grows with your audience’s needs.

The third derailment: higher ROI distractions

This third reason hits close to home for many organizations. You start building your eLearning program with good intentions, but as soon as another project with a more “proven ROI” pops up, the eLearning initiative gets pushed aside. On paper, that makes sense. Why invest in something new when existing operations are already generating revenue?

But here’s the truth: a well-built eLearning program is one of the highest ROI investments you can make. It can create a scalable profit center, reduce training costs, and free up your top performers to focus on higher-level work. When done right, it becomes an engine that multiplies impact across every department. The problem isn’t that the idea loses value—it’s that teams forget to measure ROI from the start.

That’s why the first step in my process is to start with ROI. Before designing a single slide or choosing a platform, define why you’re building this program. Is it to generate new revenue? To train employees more efficiently? To retain customers? Your “why” determines your “how.”

Step one: start with ROI

Every successful eLearning program starts with clear ROI goals. I learned this during my time as an IT auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where I spent years analyzing how technology drives financial performance. The same principle applies here: every eLearning initiative should directly connect to revenue generation or cost reduction.

To do this, I use the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. It means that 80 percent of results come from 20 percent of efforts. In eLearning, that 20 percent might be one key course, one audience, or one process that drives most of your results. If you focus on that essential 20 percent—and, ideally, the top 4 percent that drives 64 percent of outcomes—you’ll accelerate your success dramatically.

For example, one of my Enterprise Learning Accelerator™ clients, CoStar Group, generates the majority of its online learning revenue from just two certifications: CHIA and CAHTA. Within those, CHIA alone drives about two-thirds of total revenue. That’s their 4 percent. By doubling down on it, we helped them increase ROI, reduce costs, and modernize their learning system without unnecessary complexity.

Step two: focus on the 20 percent (or 4 percent)

Once you’ve identified the top 20—or better yet, 4—percent of efforts that produce the most value, the next step is to focus relentlessly on them. I apply this in my own business every day. While I offer multiple online courses, my flagship program, eLearning Simplified Academy, generates more than 90 percent of my course revenue. That one program is my focus because it consistently delivers the greatest results for learners and my business alike.

The same principle applies to internal corporate training. Most organizations have one training program that makes the biggest impact—whether it’s onboarding, sales enablement, or leadership development. That’s where your energy should go. By scaling what already works, you reduce costs, simplify workflows, and amplify ROI.

Focusing on the 4 percent doesn’t mean ignoring the rest; it means optimizing for the highest leverage first. Once that core program is thriving, you can expand confidently, knowing your foundation is solid and scalable.

Step three: select the right tech without overthinking

Finally, it’s time to talk about technology—but not the way most teams do. Too many companies start here, believing that choosing the perfect platform will solve everything. In reality, the tech should be the last decision you make.

By the time you reach this step, you’ve already defined your ROI and identified your essential 4 percent. Now, your technology should simply support those goals. For most internal programs, I recommend TalentLMS, a robust yet affordable learning management system that can handle up to 1,000 users for under $10,000 a year. For customer-facing online courses, Kajabi remains one of the best all-in-one platforms available for less than $5,000 annually. Both options deliver enterprise-level performance at a fraction of traditional LMS costs.

To put that in perspective, many companies I work with spend anywhere from $50,000 to over $1 million a year on legacy systems. That’s 5x to 200x more than they need to spend. Modern, lean platforms can produce equal—or better—results while freeing up budget for growth.

If you’re unsure where to start, my eLearning Platform Finder™ will give you a personalized recommendation and a free trial so you can test before you invest. You’ll also get access to one of my Made Simple courses to help you and your team get set up fast, along with a Platform-to-Profit strategy session to ensure you’re maximizing ROI from day one.

From stalled to scalable

The difference between a stalled eLearning program and a scalable one comes down to clarity, focus, and action. Start with ROI so you know why your program exists. Focus on the top 20—or 4—percent that creates most of your results. Then, choose the right technology to support those priorities without overcomplicating the process.

I’ve seen companies save six figures annually and transform their learning departments into profit centers simply by following this process. The best part? You don’t need to overhaul everything or wait another year to launch. You just need to take the first step—today.

If your company is ready to scale its learning initiatives, modernize outdated systems, and finally see measurable ROI, I invite you to learn more about my Enterprise Learning Accelerator™ partnership. Together, we’ll not only finish your program but turn it into a sustainable engine that saves your organization millions over time.

From stalled to scalable—that’s where your eLearning journey truly begins.