Why we cap every cohort at 30 seats

The Loh o Qalam Team · July 9, 2026 · 4 min read

Every Loh o Qalam cohort has the same hard limit: 30 students. It isn't a marketing number. It's a decision we make every time we open a new batch, even when demand would let us take twice as many.

The reason is simple: a mentor teaching 30 people can still learn their names, hear their recitation, and notice when someone stops showing up. A mentor teaching 300 can't do any of that — they can only present.

What changes at 30

At this size, a mentor can call on a specific student and expect a specific answer. They can hear an accent and correct it. They can notice a student who's gone quiet for two weeks and follow up before that student disappears entirely.

Why we don't raise the cap

Raising it would mean more revenue per class and a longer waitlist we could point to as proof of demand. It would also mean the thing that makes a live class better than a recording — a mentor who is actually paying attention to you — stops being true.