My newsfeed has featured the same ad for years, hidden between the messages from distant friends and former colleagues. An older man or woman, often known from a movie or book, looks at me with a serious face. Usually, he or she sits in a comfortable leather armchair in front of a bookcase or in a brown-hued interior. “Hello,” says the person, after which he or she introduces himself, “welcome to my MasterClass.”

MasterClass, which has broadcast “online classes” by celebrities such as David Lynch, Paul Krugman and Neil DeGrasse Tyson since 2014, was out for my money. Just under 200 dollars to be exact — twice as expensive as Netflix or Disney+. When I finally gave in, I immediately got the question from others who had been flooded with similar ads on social media for years: is MasterClass worth the money?

The first impression

When I created my account, I initially started browsing all the published lessons. In total, 83 celebrities have recorded courses that are divided into 9 categories. The largest are “Film & TV” (14 teachers), “Music & Entertainment” (14 teachers) and “Culinary Arts” (13 teachers). The category “Science & Technology” (2 teachers) is a lot smaller.

The lessons, which are undoubtedly recorded with a gigantic film crew, usually last about three hours and are divided into separate videos that each focus on a different subject. In addition, each lesson also has a manual — a ten-page PDF with a summary of what is shown in the videos.

In total, there are an estimated 300 hours of teaching material on MasterClass. Quite a lot — but not infinite. The team behind the platform is also aware of this, which is why they are looking for additional reasons to keep attracting subscribers to the platform, like launching networking forums, for example (though they are not yet used very much).

The courses

So far, I’ve taken four courses. The first was presented by Bob Iger, former Walt Disney CEO and an influential figure when it comes to leadership after the publication of his book “The ride of a lifetime”. In terms of content, his lessons are very similar to the book, which would undoubtedly have benefited you if you hadn’t read it, like me, just a month or two ago. Apart from that, it’s an absolute must-see for anyone who wants to learn more about management or wants to take a look behind the scenes of some important deals.

The second lesson I took was an absolute hit. Jeff Goodby & Rich Silverstein, two big names in the marketing world, who, in a few hours time, reviewed how they set up a storyboard, which tricks help you win a pitch, how to make a commercial exactly the right length …

You felt the two were having fun while making their MasterClass — and maybe even realized this could be a business card that could lead to new projects. With other teachers that sentiment is completely missing, and the lecturer is so soporific that you get the feeling they just did it for the money. Just because you have a household name does not mean you are a competent teacher, Margaret Atwood.

Chris Voss is the fourth teacher who had me as his pupil. Both my father and sister read his book “Never Split the Difference”, in which he explains how to negotiate. It’s the kind of book that has been on the airport’s bestsellers for years and that combines entertainment with learning — a tightrope that some can walk better than others.

And that’s exactly how MasterClass is often feeling. The things you learn on the platform are not the life lessons that a father would tell his child on his deathbed, but there are almost always three really interesting insights in every course. It remains a fairly large (time) investment, but if you enter with the appropriate expectations and, for example, can share an account with a friend when MasterClass does one of its ‘Buy One, Get One’ deals, it is worth it. It feels a bit like buying a ticket to a big conference — but one that you can follow while cooking at home with a gin and tonic in your hand. At the end of the day, your life has not changed, but at best, you have renewed energy to make something.

Yet you do not always want to see the same names at conferences. You want new impulses to be stimulated. That’s why MasterClass, where a new lesson is only added every once in a while, is a nice one-off investment. When this subscription is over, I will probably return for new lessons within five years.