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CXL Institute Review 2023 - Is it worth the HYPE? (My Experience)

Updated: Mar 10


Is CXL worth it?


CXL is pretty darn awesome.

Some content is slightly outdated, some of it is a drag. But other than that, I think the growth marketing minidegree and all-access pass is superb.

Hi, I’m Khushi Lunkad. I'm a growth marketer working for SaaS and Ecommerce companies. I discovered my passion for growth marketing in 2018. Since then, I have completed over 60 online courses on Coursera, Edx, DataCamp, Hubspot, Facebook Blueprint, Google Academy, Copyhackers, Chase Dimond, Foxwell, CTC etc.

It’s been 20 months since I completed CXL’s minidegree and so far, I’ve managed to work with the best minds in the world. People know what CXL is and what is stands for.



My unsponsored review doesn't pocket a 50% commission


This article has no affiliates links, and it's 100% unsponsored. Unlike all the other reviews out there that will earn a 30-50% commission if you purchase using their affiliate links. I have no incentive and I will not try to sell CXL to you. 🤗


Review of ConversionXL’s growth marketing courses:


  1. CXL’s beginner’s courses were more actionable than the advanced courses from Google Academy.

  2. Their All-Access Pass is a little pricey and may be an opportunity cost for some.

  3. Most of the teachers at CXL institute are good at both — their work and teaching.

  4. Some (1–2) teachers are good at what they do but their teaching styles didn’t suit me.

  5. Know the Certificate requirements before you sign up. CXL does not take the quality of their education lightly. And I compare this with 60+ courses, some worth $4000 and some completely free that I have taken. You need to get 90% of the questions right to pass and the questions are tricky.

  6. But, it’s actually one of the best entry-level courses out there, no joke. The videos are incredibly well-edited and concise = 0% rambling. I’ve benefited greatly from the training at my job and consistently impress my colleagues by just applying the learnings.

  7. Every video has a transcript that you can search. Most lessons come with downloadable slides, lots of templates and reading material. The instructors share everything that they’ve got without any hesitations.



But, this is what an instructor at CXL shared with me 😐


"CXL is very tactical. Some courses are also very beginner level. Some are good, of course. But I think overall Reforge is far more advanced." - An instructor at CXL

So, what should you do?


I don't really want to confuse you, but it is what the industry believes.


CXL is tactical. It will get you started in the field and you won't find a better starting library elsewhere.


Top experts in the industry, including the head of growth marketing at Loom and an EIR at Reforge, reviewed my resume. They noticed CXL and praised its credibility. Completing a 100-hour course shows hard work. So your efforts won't be in vain.



CXL is better than free courses and some paid courses


Here's what I regret:

  1. I was on Peep’s mailing list for quite a while and I wish I had decided to take this course earlier on rather than taking free courses on Google with their analytics and adwords.

  2. I didn’t store information properly in the initial days. But you can do better.

  3. CXL is even better than paid courses like Growthschool. Boy was I pissed after spending $300.




Who is CXL not for?

  1. CXL is probably not for you if you have no experience with marketing. A basic foundation in marketing is necessary to make the most out of the course.

  2. If you’re a founder trying to learn marketing instead of hiring someone else, please don’t do that. CXL is too intense. Hire a marketer, a consultant, or even a mentor.

  3. This course isn’t for you if you just want a certificate, even though you get one. This course is for you if you want to get ridiculously good at data-driven marketing.

  4. If you’re not at all technologically savvy.

  5. If you're too senior in your marketing career, and already know your way around most of the stuff.

  6. If you want to specialize say in Google ads, then CXL might not be the right choice. You're better off going for a specialized course like God Tier Ads. View a list of all the courses I've taken.



If you checked any 2 of those 6 statements, please reconsider before investing your time and resources.



Other important details (I’m doing a brain-dump)


I think they also give you access to a Facebook group. CXL shifted between a circle.so community and a FB community; not sure if any of them are still active today. The FB community helped me back in 2020 but now I have over 10+ Slack channels to get help.