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Life update:
I'm joining @weskao & @gaganbiyani as their 1st employee to build a platform for cohort-based courses.
This all came together pretty quickly but feels like an opportunity years in the making.
Here’s why:
I'm joining @weskao & @gaganbiyani as their 1st employee to build a platform for cohort-based courses.
This all came together pretty quickly but feels like an opportunity years in the making.
Here’s why:
When I joined @thinkful in 2013, we started building a bridge between MOOCs and CS degrees.
We helped adults learn web development to become freelancers, build their startup idea, or up skill at their jobs.
Everything changed when we focused entirely on career-switchers.
We helped adults learn web development to become freelancers, build their startup idea, or up skill at their jobs.
Everything changed when we focused entirely on career-switchers.
We had our north star: # of accepted job offers in a year.
Our motto: “1 life changed every day” 365 accepted job offers.
The entire company became a “lead to hire” funnel.
~35% graduation rate was good for a self-paced online course, but we knew we could do better.
Our motto: “1 life changed every day” 365 accepted job offers.
The entire company became a “lead to hire” funnel.
~35% graduation rate was good for a self-paced online course, but we knew we could do better.
In Jan 2016, @darrellsilver asked me if I wanted to start a full-time bootcamp.
Challenge accepted.
How do you design engaging lectures online?
How do you build camaraderie within a cohort of students?
Would pair programming work? Group projects? Demo day?
Challenge accepted.
How do you design engaging lectures online?
How do you build camaraderie within a cohort of students?
Would pair programming work? Group projects? Demo day?
. @DNFriedman & I hauled ass to launch the first cohort just 3 months later!
I still remember the goosebumps when everyone introduced themselves over video on day 1.
For the next month, I lived & breathed the student experience to ship improvements on a daily basis.
I still remember the goosebumps when everyone introduced themselves over video on day 1.
For the next month, I lived & breathed the student experience to ship improvements on a daily basis.
It was soon obvious that this cohort-based format would more than double completion rates.
A group of students learning together drove accountability & emotional support.
We had a playground to tinker with active learning: https://twitter.com/wes_kao/status/1326951122267987973
A group of students learning together drove accountability & emotional support.
We had a playground to tinker with active learning: https://twitter.com/wes_kao/status/1326951122267987973
Strong completion rates empowered us to take on more risk from the student.
We became the first online school to offer ISAs. No tuition until you get a job!
The goal posts moved from 1 life changed every day to 10. https://twitter.com/patel0phone/status/1328903251631157248
We became the first online school to offer ISAs. No tuition until you get a job!
The goal posts moved from 1 life changed every day to 10. https://twitter.com/patel0phone/status/1328903251631157248
I shifted towards growth & helped launch bootcamps in new verticals.
Fast forward to late 2019. Thinkful was acquired by @Chegg
I started getting obsessed with creators & the passion economy. I read everything @ljin18 wrote.
I have receipts! My first @RoamResearch page:
Fast forward to late 2019. Thinkful was acquired by @Chegg
I started getting obsessed with creators & the passion economy. I read everything @ljin18 wrote.
I have receipts! My first @RoamResearch page:
There was something special happening at the intersection of online learning & the passion economy.
@ankurnagpal & @shl were posting ridiculous growth numbers.
@sethgodin’s altMBA had scaled dramatically.
@david_perell & @fortelabs’s courses were category creators.
@ankurnagpal & @shl were posting ridiculous growth numbers.
@sethgodin’s altMBA had scaled dramatically.
@david_perell & @fortelabs’s courses were category creators.
"People follow people not brands”
What if this applied to learning?
I talked to hundreds of creators & joined all sorts of creator-led communities & courses.
That's when I discovered @weskao. She was the secret sauce behind many of these. Could we productize her expertise?
What if this applied to learning?
I talked to hundreds of creators & joined all sorts of creator-led communities & courses.
That's when I discovered @weskao. She was the secret sauce behind many of these. Could we productize her expertise?
I explored this startup idea for a few months but eventually started getting more involved with @beondeck, especially after the pivot to online.
The fellowship tapped into the essence of great learning communities.
Intentionality, spirit of service, and p2p knowledge transfer.
The fellowship tapped into the essence of great learning communities.
Intentionality, spirit of service, and p2p knowledge transfer.
I'd been riffing with David & Brandon for a few months and thought they (+ @eriktorenberg!) had the right amount of crazy ambition.
In June, I joined as Head of Education.
In a few months, we built a plan to drive learning, launched into new verticals, and hired a badass team.
In June, I joined as Head of Education.
In a few months, we built a plan to drive learning, launched into new verticals, and hired a badass team.
And - I can’t emphasize this enough - the ODF community is incredible.
If you are thinking about starting a company, there's no better place to start. Say hi on Slack :)
ps. I hereby claim lifelong membership to browntown
https://twitter.com/patel0phone/status/1292904293268250624
If you are thinking about starting a company, there's no better place to start. Say hi on Slack :)
ps. I hereby claim lifelong membership to browntown
https://twitter.com/patel0phone/status/1292904293268250624
But, it kept nagging me that I wasn’t following my interest in serving creators.
It was obvious when I took some personal time off for family.
I caught myself binge watching every episode of Means of Creation ( @ljin18 + @nbashaw) & Creator Economics ( @blakeir + @reedjd_).
It was obvious when I took some personal time off for family.
I caught myself binge watching every episode of Means of Creation ( @ljin18 + @nbashaw) & Creator Economics ( @blakeir + @reedjd_).
I needed to follow my gut. I put in my notice at On Deck & started exploring options.
I reached out to @gaganbiyani who I knew was planning to build a product to help creators launch cohort-based courses.
I reached out to @gaganbiyani who I knew was planning to build a product to help creators launch cohort-based courses.
His update was perfect: he had teamed up with @weskao as a co-founder!
The same person I wanted to "productize"!
And it turns out, we shared the same mission: https://twitter.com/wes_kao/status/1326951129729671168
The same person I wanted to "productize"!
And it turns out, we shared the same mission: https://twitter.com/wes_kao/status/1326951129729671168
Beyond mission & vision alignment, there was a lot to get excited about.
Gagan & Wes had strong technical cofounder candidates, instructors ready to start, and were closing a crazy seed round.
Downside? No product, no customers, no revenue. Big risks & unvalidated assumptions.
Gagan & Wes had strong technical cofounder candidates, instructors ready to start, and were closing a crazy seed round.
Downside? No product, no customers, no revenue. Big risks & unvalidated assumptions.
Yolo. I accepted an offer to join as employee 1.
We get paid to:
- deliver transformational outcomes with cohort-based courses
- create a new source of income / SKU for creators (h/t @hunterwalk)
- grow the # of great teachers in the world. https://twitter.com/patel0phone/status/1287514624523411456
We get paid to:
- deliver transformational outcomes with cohort-based courses
- create a new source of income / SKU for creators (h/t @hunterwalk)
- grow the # of great teachers in the world. https://twitter.com/patel0phone/status/1287514624523411456
It’s been a few weeks since joining and I could not be happier.
We’re working with some ~incredible~ instructors for our first few courses.
And soon, we'll work with many more :) https://twitter.com/patel0phone/status/1332160714740469767
We’re working with some ~incredible~ instructors for our first few courses.
And soon, we'll work with many more :) https://twitter.com/patel0phone/status/1332160714740469767
Come join in on the ground floor! 
We're hiring a Community Lead to define strategy & work hands-on with students.
Fill this quick form out if you’re interested: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12P30XMyQnGjlZu02iq0yTCCXeo5AekxF0Va_LGAUzzs/edit
We're hiring a Community Lead to define strategy & work hands-on with students.
Fill this quick form out if you’re interested: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12P30XMyQnGjlZu02iq0yTCCXeo5AekxF0Va_LGAUzzs/edit
