Here’s a pattern I see often:

A membership launches with clarity - with one promise. One path. One problem it exists to solve.

And it works.

It gains traction. It builds trust. And soon after, momentum takes over.

And then the operator might add a new course, bonus workshop, private chat group, a loyalty tier, or a new discount program.

And then comes the second loyalty tier. The second community space. The second podcast feed…

And when viewed in isolation, all of it feels valuable.

But when experienced from the member’s side, these things can become complex noise that has to be navigated and dealt with.

And nothing is better at killing member loyalty than complex noise.

Let’s dive in.

There’s a tipping point I see in every membership business:

The moment when adding more starts subtracting value.

At first, new features can deepen your member’s experience.

But you have to remember that with every additional benefit you choose to add, you’re asking more from your members.

More time. More attention. More engagement.

And before you know it, your core promise is now competing for attention against a stack of extras.

Your onboarding becomes overwhelming.

Your members stop progressing because they’re lost in choice.

And here’s the irony: Such complexity often comes from a good place.

We add because we want to serve.

We add because we want to give more.

We add because we think more = better.

But in a world where members are already stretched thin, I can tell you that members want simplicity and substance over everything else.

Because in membership, people don’t pay for features - they pay for clarity.

And when clarity gets lost among features, member trust erodes with it.

Complexity doesn’t make a grand entrance into your membership.

Instead, it creeps in quietly - often unnoticed.

And for an operator who’s deep in the details of the business each day, it’s nearly impossible to detect.

But after years of helping other operators build sustainable memberships, I’ve seen a clear set of symptoms that point to the need to simplify.

Here they are:

I’ve never seen simplification be detrimental to an operator. In fact, some of the most successful membership programs do one thing - but do it incredibly well.

Complex noise makes it impossible for members to tell what really matters. And that’s precisely the hidden cost of more benefits and more features that don’t move your people forward.

There’s a reason the most successful operators aren’t in a rush to add.

It’s because they understand this truth:

The clearer your product becomes, the more deeply it will be valued.

Members don’t stay because you offer the most. They stay because they trust you to guide them toward what matters.

And trust is built through clarity, not volume.

So I’m asking you to consider this question:

If you could only offer one part of your membership, what would it be?

And if that’s the part members value most, then why is anything else competing for their attention?

Think about it.

🤝 A quick thank you: I appreciate you taking the time to read this newsletter. I know how busy you are and I don’t take it lightly. Every week you show up here - and I notice. So thank you.

Tell me: How can I help you with your membership? Respond to this email and let me know (I always read every reply).

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See you next Tuesday.

-Michael