Briefings Magazine

The Softer Side of Success

When MasterClass launched in 2015, it offered a small number of technical classes taught by titans in their fields—Serena Williams teaching tennis, Dustin Hoffman on acting.

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As the e-learning platform has evolved, it’s expanded beyond insider tips and tricks. Today, it offers courses not only in such specific areas as writing, cooking, and playing chess, but also broader training in the softer qualities that make for mastery.

With production values to rival those of any of the major streamers, the courses have become part self-improvement TED Talk and part behind-the-scenes celebrity narrative—a combination which has audiences eagerly paying the $180 annual membership. As MasterClass has continued its international expansion, its viewership has more than doubled in size. Meanwhile, the company has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in additional investment.

For the professional seeking something beyond technical instruction, try a course on cultivating empathy, persuasion, or creativity. Then go to work, whatever that may look like, and practice. Because if there’s one thing the experts will say, it’s that any skill, soft or hard, requires reps more than anything else.