Ed-Tech CASE STUDY

How Personalized Career Path Recommendations Can Unlock Higher Customer Lifetime Value in EdTech?

A Detailed 4 Phase Case Study covering Problem Discovery & Definition, Solution Development & Delivery

Problem Discovery

Context

Indian EdTech companies like UpGrad, Scaler, Great Learning, and Emeritus cater to learners pursuing professional upskilling and career transitions. While many learners complete a single program, their journey with the platform often ends there — even though most professionals have long-term, multi-step career goals.
From my own observations and research, I noticed a gap in helping learners navigate beyond their current course to their next logical step. Without clear guidance, learners turn to competitors or drop off entirely.

This represents a missed opportunity: increasing Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) by retaining learners through a personalized, data-driven recommendation of programs aligned with their evolving career paths.

Hypothesis

If we offer learners personalized career path recommendations based on their goals, skills, and program history, then they will be more likely to enroll in additional courses, increasing retention and LTV.

The Market

Competitors and adjacent industries are already leaning on personalization:

LinkedIn Learning suggests skills and certifications based on current role & aspirations.
Coursera Plus promotes subscriptions and bundles with themed pathways.
Skillsoft uses AI-driven dashboards to recommend next skills for enterprise learners.

Indian players like UpGrad and Great Learning largely rely on generic email campaigns rather than personalized dashboards.

Industry trend: Learners expect platforms to help them plan their careers holistically, not just deliver a single course. Personalized pathways are increasingly cited as a differentiator in user acquisition and retention.end.

The AUDIENCE

The target audience spans:

Age

23-45, skewing towards young professionals and students

Location

India, tier-1 and tier-2 cities

Income

Mid- to high-income professionals in early-to-mid career stages

Goals

Career transitions, promotions, advanced certifications

Pain Points

Unsure about what to learn next

Overwhelmed by too many options

Fear of wasting time & money on irrelevant skills

User Insights

From forums, App Store reviews, and surveys:

I wish they’d tell me what to do next based on my goals.

Source: Reddit

After my course, I get random emails but nothing really personalized.

Source: Udemy App Store Review

There are too many programs to choose from — I don’t know what’s best for me.

Source: Qoura Thread

A 2022 Deloitte study showed that personalized learning pathways can improve customer retention by up to 25% (Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report).

Big Takeaways

From the above problem discovery we extracted the below key Insights:

01


Learners value structured career guidance, not just transactional course delivery.

02


Competitors offering personalized pathways see higher retention & satisfaction.

03


Platforms currently underutilize learner data (skills, goals, history) to craft targeted recommendations.

04


Learners are more likely to buy again if they see a clear connection to their career progression.

User Journey

Here’s what a typical learner journey of an abandoned user on Udemy looks like today:

Person making an online purchase with a credit card on a laptop, showcasing modern ecommerce technology.

Program Discovery & Enrollment

Learner signs up for a high-value program (e.g., PG Diploma, Certification) after a lot of research and sales follow-ups.

Young adult with tattoos studying diligently with books and notes, highlighting concentration and learning.

Program Completion

Learner finishes the course, earns the certificate, and feels accomplished.

A serene portrait of a young man sleeping peacefully in a sunlit bedroom setting.

Post-Course Phase

Learner receives generic promotional emails about other unrelated courses.
Feels unsure about next steps, and starts exploring competitors or free resources.

Moody close-up of a black gaming controller in low light with colorful buttons.

Drop-Off

Learner disengages from the platform and is unlikely to return soon.

Problem Definition

What we intend to solve

Learners often disengage after completing a program because platforms fail to guide them toward relevant next steps, missing an opportunity to retain them and increase their lifetime value. We intend to solve these problems:

For The User

  • Gain clarity on their career roadmap.
  • Feel confident about the next skill to learn, saving time & effort.
  • Stay engaged and motivated to upskill further.

For The Business

  • Increase Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) by retaining learners beyond one program.
  • Strengthen brand as a trusted partner in long-term career growth.
  • Improve learner satisfaction and reduce churn.

Metrics of Success

  • Increase repeat enrollment rate by 15–20%.
  • Increase LTV per learner by 20%+.
  • Improve NPS/CSAT scores in post-course surveys by 5 points.

FEATURE PRIORITISATION & MVP DEFINITION

What should be included in the MVP?

For a successful pilot run, the following user stories/JTBDs are required to build.

Defining MVP

Additional Mandatory Module

Personalized career path recommendation module added to the learner dashboard, visible at course completion and accessible anytime.

Recommended Courses

Recommendations based on completed program(s), declared career goals, and trending market skills.

CTA

Clear CTAs and Exclusive Course Previews to enroll directly in recommended programs.

More advanced features like group discussions or live breakout rooms can come in later iterations

What possible options do we have to offer?


We explored three possible ways to implement personalized recommendations:

01

Dashboard Widget (Recommended MVP)

Adds a prominent, data-driven recommendation widget on the learner dashboard.

Includes “Why this course?” rationale for transparency.

Learners can opt to explore more or enroll instantly.

02

Dedicated Career Path Builder Tool

Full-screen, interactive tool for learners to input career goals and get a multi-step suggested learning path.

More engaging but more complex to build.

03

Periodic Email Nudges

Personalized program suggestions delivered via email post-completion.

Very low-cost but risks low engagement due to inbox fatigue.

Rubik's Cube levitating over a hand with vibrant backdrop, creating a sense of whimsy and intrigue.
A monochrome image of a tall stack of books symbolizing education and knowledge.

Solution PRIORitisation

Solution Evalution & User Preference Signals

We evaluated these options by:

Analysing competitors success stories
Reading Learner’s feedback from Udemy reviews and forums expressing a desire for both flexibility and accountability
Considering operational complexity and scalability for most of the existing infrastructure of these platforms

Finding the optimal solution

We used the RICE Prioritasation Framework for selecting the optimum solution

#1

Dashboard Widget

RICE Score

162
Reach (9) – Visible to 100% of learners at course completion; easy to discover and engage with on dashboard.
Impact (9) – Directly influences next purchase decision at the moment of peak engagement.
Confidence (8) – Based on strong competitor precedents and clear user feedback.
Effort (4) – Moderately easy to build into existing dashboard with available learner data.

#2

Career Path Builder Tool

Rice Score

63
Reach (7) – Requires active learner input and exploration; lower engagement than a passive widget.
Impact (9) – High potential impact when learners use it, as it lays out a longer-term plan.
Confidence (7) – Concept validated elsewhere, but not yet tested on this audience.
Effort (7) – Complex UX flow, higher dev/design investment, more dependencies.

#3

Periodic Email Nudges

RICE Score

140
Reach (8) – Can be sent to all learners post-completion, but email open/click rates lower than dashboard impressions.
Impact (5) – Subtle influence; easy to ignore or forget compared to in-app experience.
Confidence (7) – Emails are already used effectively elsewhere for retention campaigns.
Effort (2) – Very low development effort, can build on existing email infra.

Insights

Dashboard Widget is most impactful, scalable, and visible at the point of high learner engagement (post-completion).
Email Nudges can supplement the widget but are not enough standalone.
Career Path Builder can evolve as a future feature after validating MVP. It can become a premium/advanced feature in future iterations.
Eyeglasses resting on business charts and documents, ideal for financial analysis themes.

FINAL SOLUTION

MVP: Personalized Career Path Recommendation Widget


Positioned on learner dashboard post-course completion. Includes rationale: “Why this course is right for you”. With a CTA: Enroll now or learn more

Displays 1–3 recommended next programs based on:

Completed program(s)
Declared career goals (collected during onboarding or updated anytime)
Market skill trends & demand

Solution Delivery

Launch & GTM Strategy


We propose a phased rollout strategy, designed to minimize risk and optimize adoption:

Phase 01

MVP Pilot

Release the Dashboard Widget to a small cohort of recent graduates from high-enrollment programs.

Monitor engagement: impressions, CTR, and enrollments from recommendations.

Phase 02

Wider Rollout

Expand widget availability to all course completers across programs.

Enhance messaging:
“Your Next Step Awaits — Take the Next Leap in Your Career” displayed prominently on the dashboard.

Follow-up emails nudging learners to act on their recommendations.

Phase 03

Full Personalization Suite

After validating the MVP, evolve into a full-fledged Career Path Builder as a premium feature.

Position as a differentiator for professional learners seeking structured, long-term upskilling plans.

Channels

In-app banners, push notifications, and emails highlighting the benefits of a personalized path.
Success stories of learners completing multiple programs through guided paths.
Blog post explaining the new features.
In-app announcements & product tours.
A person uses a smartphone to browse social media in front of a laptop, emphasizing modern technology and lifestyle.

Measuring success

To ensure the features are driving impact

We need to define following success metrics

North Star Metrics

Repeat enrollment rate within 12 months (target: +15–20%).

Leading Indicators

  • Engagement with the widget (CTR > 20%).
  • Dashboard impressions and usage metrics.

Lagging Indicators

  • LTV per learner increase (target: +20%).
  • Post-course NPS/CSAT improvement (+5 points).

Counter Metrics

  • Irrelevant or poor recommendations leading to learner dissatisfaction.
  • Clicks without conversions indicating misalignment.

Monitoring Setup

  • Real-time analytics dashboards tracking widget engagement, enrollments, and feedback sentiment.
  • Post-enrollment surveys capturing perceived relevance of recommended courses.

Future Iterations

Once the MVP proves effective, we can expand the offering through:


Develop a Career Path Builder Tool, where learners can actively map their multi-step career journey with platform guidance.
Enable mentorship matching for learners seeking advice before selecting next programs.
Introduce progress milestones for learners completing multiple recommended programs.
Offer premium personalized career planning as a paid service.
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Closing

SUMMARY

We identified that learners disengage post-course due to lack of clarity and confidence in their next step. By introducing a Personalized Career Path Recommendation Widget, we deliver relevant, actionable guidance at the moment of peak engagement, boosting retention and increasing LTV.

This phased strategy ensures we test and validate with real users, creating a scalable, sustainable solution. Over time, it positions the platform not just as a course provider but as a long-term career partner.

What I learned about Myself

This case study taught me the value of finding simple, high-leverage interventions over flashy, complex features. I strengthened my ability to prioritize based on both user and business value, and learned how to craft scalable roadmaps that evolve with validated data.

Most importantly, I realized that even small nudges, delivered at the right time, can have an outsized impact.

Thank You FOR READING

If you made it till the end

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