#138 2026 Membership Predictions
Not to be dramatic but... literally everything is changing.
My roots are in technology. I'm trained as a user experience designer and product manager. Before building my business I worked my way up a custom software agency leading and designing innovative apps for companies like Berkshire Hathaway, RE/MAX Real Estate, and countless startups in healthcare, marketing, aviation, and more.
While my predictions have mostly focused on human connection and community in the past, we're dealing with a renaissance of the intersection of these two things. Human connection + technology.
And I am uniquely positioned to have an opinion on these two things. Here's what I'm asking myself:
How can we build more human connection & transformational experiences, while managing the new expectations that rapid technology advancements in AI is creating in our lives?
My 2026 predictions are my answer to this question. Let's dig in –
(1) Shorter, Personalized Programs
We’ll see a lot of lengthy courses & programs die off 📉, and AI powered learning journeys optimized for time to value take off 📈.
No one wants to watch 100 hours of video to reach their goal anymore… and the amount of content is no longer a selling point. We want speed to implementation and action.
This looks like short lessons with custom GPTs and micro-products that speed up the process. The question to ask is:
How can I get my clients results as quickly as possible and leverage the latest tech to do it?
(2) You Need Unique Expertise
Your IP, unique approach, frameworks, unique methodology all matter now more than ever.
Your programs and educational curriculum should not just be "teaching what you know", but following your proprietary method.
By having these methodologies in your business, that gives you a blueprint to create better educational experiences, learning journeys, and personalized product experiences (like assessments), that will differentiate you in a crowded market.
Working with you to go through your unique, proven methods will stand out against the robots. It also gives you a repeatable process that you can fine-tune and ensure works for your customers.
(3) Innovation Is Mandatory
The best membership businesses already know and do this... that's why they have excellent retention + growth.
But now it's mandatory to survive.
If you don't keep up with technology shifts, you will fall behind. Your program will fall short to competition & your churn will increase.
This means a lot of businesses will need to revisit their signature programs this year and make improvements. Improvements like:
Adding AI experiences that speed up time-to-value and updating their approach to education content (see prediction 1).
Designing experiences focused on connection. Community will make your product sticky.
Implementation programming that focuses on helping your members reach their goals.
Adding in-person opportunities (meet-ups, retreats, etc.) that bring your members together in real life.
Using an all-in-one platform that has everything easily accessible for your members to use
(4) Prioritize Retention & Trust Building
This isn't new, but the problem is exacerbated by AI.
People are really burnt out on buying courses, memberships, and programs that did nothing for them. We've all felt bamboozled by a "program" with grand promises. Right now, people trust AI more to guide them toward their goals than other people.
But we can change that. And it starts with serving your current customers SO well that they're raving about their results to anyone that will listen. If you're not sure where to start, see prediction 3.
Also... have you ever run the numbers on how much your revenue will increase if you improve retention by 5% 👀? It might blow your mind.
(5) Flexible Programming & Async Options
The number one reason people leave memberships is because they're overwhelmed. You'll see this in your exit forms – "the membership is great, it's just that there is so much and I don't have time to do it all".
These stats were in Circle's 2026 Trends Report:
People are tired, overstimulated, and overwhelmed, so communities are intentionally shifting to lighter, more flexible ways to engage:
More async options (60%)
Bite-sized content + micro-learning (50%)
Rotating / seasonal programming (21%)
Skimmable summaries (21%)
Intentional rest periods (20%)
Overall, less pressure.
Async options can look like short video drops with to-dos in your community, voice memo content, quick assignments and accountability threads.
It's all about giving people their time back. Can that 1 hour call be a 7 min loom instead?
This comes down to having variety for different learners, and then helping your members discern which path is right for them based on their time available, flexibility, learning style, and preferences.
Let's Recap
The memberships that will win in 2026 are not louder, bigger, or more content-heavy. They are faster to value, clearer in their expertise, more intentional about connection, and deeply respectful of people’s time and trust.
Technology is not replacing your programs, but it is raising the bar for what members expect from them. The opportunity right now is to design experiences that feel unmistakably human while being powered by smarter systems, better structure, and clearer pathways to results.
Action steps you can take this month:
Audit time to value. Look at your core program or membership and identify the fastest moment a member can experience a meaningful win. Cut or compress anything that delays that outcome.
Name and document your methodology. Write out your proprietary framework or process, even if it feels obvious to you. This becomes the backbone for personalization, better education design, and future AI-powered experiences.
Choose one innovation upgrade. Do not overhaul everything. Pick one improvement that strengthens connection or implementation, such as a micro-learning flow, async accountability thread, or updated onboarding experience.
Design for energy, not volume. Reduce pressure by offering fewer but clearer paths to engage. Make it easy for members to know what to focus on based on their time, capacity, and goals.
If this list feels energizing and slightly uncomfortable, that’s a good sign. This is the work that separates “nice communities” from category-defining ones. And it’s exactly where I’ll be spending my time with clients this year.
Ready to future-proof your membership?
Starting in February we're taking 20 businesses through our framework to scale their communities at 1/10 (!!!) the typical cost to work with Affinity. If you're interested and want first dibs on a spot, join the waitlist.
This is for advanced membership creators ready to innovate their products and scale.