About two years ago, The Starter League set out to teach absolute beginners how to code. Since then, they’ve expanded their offerings to include HTML, CSS, and design.
To date they’ve graduated over 600 students from all over the world. A true success story on so many levels.
One thing they’ve noticed along the way is that their best students return back to take additional classes in different disciplines. They may start learning Rails, but then they want to learn advanced HTML/CSS. And then they want to learn visual design.
Further, these students seem to want more than just the independent skills – they want the whole integrated package. They want to know how to build a product and turn that product into a sustainable company.
Announcing Starter School: A truly unique program
So today The Starter League announces their newest — and most ambitious — initiative: Starter School.
Starter School is an intense, full-time, 9 month program. It’s basically the grad school for people who want to learn how to build software and start companies. It’s small and hands on: there are only slots for 52 students. This way every student can get the attention they deserve.
They’ve lined up an outstanding roster of teachers, and put together a thorough, full-time, 9-month program where you’ll learn everything you need to know to build the back-end, design the front end, and bring your product to market. It’s the most well-rounded curriculum I’ve seen yet.
A few folks from 37signals will be teaching. Ryan Singer will be teaching product design. Mig Reyes will be teaching visual design. I’ll be dropping in to teach a few things, too.
Tuition for the 9 month program is $36,000. The inaugural class will get $3000 off. To help, I’ll also be providing partial scholarships for three highly motivated, sharp students. Other scholarships will be available too. Details will be provided after you submit an application.
If you want to learn the whole stack – programming, design, and business – from some of the best, don’t delay. This is a one-of-a-kind program. Apply to Starter School today or just find out more.
Disclosure: 37signals is an investor in The Starter League.
Jacob
on 18 Jun 13$36,000 !!!
For that kind of money, why not use it to bootstrap and start your own business … and forgo this class.
Jason Fried
on 18 Jun 13Jacob, if you’re ready to launch your own biz, and you know how to write the software, and you know how to design the software, and you know how to market and sell the software, then you absolutely should put that $36,000 towards your business.
This school is for people who don’t know how to do any of that, but want very badly to do that. We’ll teach them how.
Chad
on 19 Jun 13@Jason Fried
What’s strange about this offering, and to Jacobs points, is that you and the rest of the crew at 37signals have spent the past 10 years on this blog preaching how you should not quite your job, go into debt etc and instead building your product during nights and weekends – and learn on the way the things you don’t know.
I won’t even attempt to link to the numerous prior blog post stating as such but instead will simply link to google depicting such past posts.
As well as your Getting Real books
I would even go so far to state that not spending this kind of crazy money and instead learning on your own, after hours from full time work, has been your company mantra for the past decade that help drive you in the tech community.
This class offering completely goes in the face of all of that.
John
on 19 Jun 1337 Signals has done a ton of good for people, and they and their partners can charge whatever they want for their classes.
Marc.
on 19 Jun 13‘It’s small and hands on’ for 52 students! Come on.
Tim
on 19 Jun 13I think what a lot of people are missing are the connections you can build in this class. To network with other eager (and well off) students along with some of the best minds in the industry. This type of exposure is invaluable.
You’re basically getting exclusive access to these people, something that would be very difficult to do on your own.
Francis
on 19 Jun 13I find it unbelievably irresponsible of 37signals by offering this course at such outrageous prices.
37signals has written about for years how difficult it is to build a revenue generating product, let alone a profitable one.
Just look at 37signals themselves. They weren’t able to make Breeze work, so they shut it down. Same with Tada & Writeboard and Sortfolio they sold.
However, even though they have countlessly written about building products in your spare time. Learn on your own. Bootstrap yourself. No debt. Be profitable from day one.
This is the complete opposite.
37signals is near guaranteeing that a huge portion (probably majority) of these student will go bankrupt personnel when their product fails and all they have to show for it is $36k in debt to 37signals.
Kurt
on 19 Jun 13Imagine what an education like this would cost at a university in the US. They will get done in 9 months what a university would probably need 4-6 years to cover. I think $36,000 is a bargain.
Anonymous Coward
on 19 Jun 13@kurt
This isn’t being advertised as a replacement for university. It’s being advertised as “grad school”.
Quoted from their site:
“Starter School is the grad school for people who want to learn how to build software and start companies. “
Kurt
on 19 Jun 13@ Anonymous Coward:
You’re right. Grad School is even more expensive so from that perspective the price is even more of a bargain.
Anonymous Coward
on 19 Jun 13“I find it unbelievably irresponsible of 37signals by offering this course at such outrageous prices.”
37signals isn’t offering this course. The Starter League is offering this course. Just three of the few-dozen teachers are from 37signals.
Anon
on 19 Jun 13Never heard of any of them apart from one person to be honest.
Neal Sales-Griffin
on 19 Jun 13I’m a co-founder of The Starter League and I’m leading the Starter School program this fall. I’m happy to answer questions here, and feel free to reach out to me directly by email ([email protected]) or by phone (773.272.5734).
We had to think very carefully about structuring this program, what we should teach, who should teach, how many students we wanted, how long should it be, and what the tuition needed to be to run it sustainably. I’d love to talk more about what goes into starting a school, and what went into our decisions for Starter School. It’s not an easy thing to do, but I enjoy the challenge. And I’m invigorated by the opportunity to meteorically disrupt software and business education.
Ted
on 19 Jun 13@Neal
A few questions (posted here because I feel like others will benefit from reading the answers)
1. Who’s the target student? Is it someone straight from undergraduate or someone older?
2. Is this an accreddited course?
3. How does someone get a student loan in the event this is not an accreddited institution?
4. I see you have to “apply”, does that imply that even if I have the money – I could be rejected from taking the class?
5. What happens if only a few students sign up for the course? Will the school be cancelled? I only ask because I’m concerned given how Breeze was shutdown so quickly because not enough people signed up for it. And it’s important for me to know that if I’m going to make a 9 month commitment, the Starter League will make the same commitment regardless of the attendance.
6. Has any thought been put into this to reverse the process and make this offering a startup incubator where instead of the students paying, you and 37signals makes financial investments in the students to build their product. Eg YCombinator style.
cici
on 19 Jun 13So for nine months, 1,872000.
that’s fresh
Jason Fried
on 19 Jun 13Ted: “6. Has any thought been put into this to reverse the process and make this offering a startup incubator where instead of the students paying, you and 37signals makes financial investments in the students to build their product. Eg YCombinator style.”
I can answer that one for Neal. No, this isn’t an incubator and we have no interest in building an incubator.
GeeIWonder
on 19 Jun 13What are the requirements to pass the course?
Re: networking yes you are networking with 52 people that are desperate and about to be in debt $36K,
It’s impressive, but it’s no panacea.
Jeremy
on 19 Jun 13What exactly is this being marketed to? Who has $36,000 laying around and 9 months to spare?
Travis Topham
on 19 Jun 13I’m a graduate of the Starter League program.
After graduation I landed two clients. 1 – $35k / 3 month project 2 – $140k / 4 month project.
Both because I could lead a small dev team to a shippable product.
I’m now back in Chicago developing my own software and thinking of going back through the Starter School. If I could learn the basics of dev in three months, I can’t imagine what I could do in nine.
Too bad everyone is so focused on price rather than value.
David Andersen
on 19 Jun 13Dear Complainers,
Here is my three-step solution to your ‘problem’:
1. Start your own school. 2. Offer it for whatever magic price point you think it should be. 3. Wake up to reality.
Neal Sales-Griffin
on 19 Jun 13Ted, these are great questions. Here are my responses:
1. Who’s the target student? Is it someone straight from undergraduate or someone older? Check out this answer on our FAQ page. Additionally, we don’t filter on age, or by the number of degrees you have. What matters most to us is that you’re passionate about solving a meaningful problem with the software and business skills we can teach you.
2. Is this an accreddited course? Copying my answer from our FAQ page: We are not. There are pros and cons to seeking accreditation. It gives us access to government money, but it also requires a more rigid structure for how our school can operate (grades, reports, slow-moving approval mechanisms). Not being accredited has enabled us to be agile and flexible so we can easily improve our program without bureaucracy.
3. How does someone get a student loan in the event this is not an accreddited institution? Another borrowed response from FAQ page.
Let me know if I’ve answered your questions Ted. And thank you for taking the time to share them!
- Neal
GeeIWonder
on 19 Jun 137. If the selection process is completely up-front and success is guaranteed then why don’t you just charge $36,000 for a ‘this person is ok’ by us certificate and a few networking sessions?
Devan
on 19 Jun 13$36K? For an investment in yourself? I think it’s cool.
I remember years ago being amazed, when my brother in law, who is a mechanic, showed me a $500 self adjustable wrench that he used all the time at work. I remember thinking “Who the hell pays $500 for a wrench? I can buy one at K-Mart for $20!”.
He’s now paid for the wrench ten thousand times over in the past decade. Meanwhile, my shed is littered with a bevy of broken, corroded and useless cheap wrenches…
GeeIWonder
on 19 Jun 13i.e. How is your school more school like than golf club like?
GeeIWonder
on 19 Jun 13@Devan
Yeah, but the wrench does something.
We have, above, a convincing testimonial from a guy who’s doing so well he’s about to plump down $40K again. This is the same logic compulsive gamblers use.
You’ll notice Neal SG’s respone to the accreditation process is not all about being a wrench and entirely about why not to do it from a people who run the course perspective, really. No one is arguing that accreditation would not be useful to investors or others. No one is arguing that two people who take this course are in any way or to any degree distinguishable.
I have lots of respect for everyone involved, honest, but this sounds like a school/program devised entirely by people with contempt (or at best, a complete lack of understanding) for both.
This is a nice idea, but it’s a club, not a school. Any teaching is incidental.
Jared McKiernan
on 20 Jun 13“We’ve had a few students do bold things such as cash out their 401K, sell their car, relocate their entire family to save money, and even sell their home. The students that have given up the most tend to get the most out of the program.”
Gi to craft carefully worded, clever marketing copy.
Jared McKiernan
on 20 Jun 13And I accidentally hit post on the above comment…
But anyhow, I was meaning to say something about how you continue to craft carefully worded, clever marketing copy. I’m impressed by the clarity.
However, it’s also clear that pushing potential students into financially precarious positions through clever marketing is not a concern. You’ve continued to trumpet behavior such as a student who quit their job upon getting into Starter League as an alternate. If you deliver the goods, it’s all well and good to continue to pump the hype machine. But anyone who’s around Chicago has probably heard stories of how the Starter League grads are less successful than public-facing marketing materials would want you to believe.
You’re selling a dream – sure, this is legal. Just know that these are real people, and when their dreams aren’t delivered following the program, they still exist – and you still have their money. Upping the ante to $36,000? Better have the cards to back up that big bet.
Though really, the risk is minimal to 37signals & The Starter League principals.
David Andersen
on 20 Jun 13GeeIWonder – why don’t you argue why accreditation is important? What exactly does it have to do with being a wrench? I’d argue absolutely nothing on its face. Nearly every university in America is accredited. So what? You an still get a shitty education at many of them, maybe any of them.
You can offer an expensive wrench without some 3rd party saying – for a fee – “yeah, this is a damn fine wrench.” And really, part of being a big person in this world is taking a hard look at opportunities and deciding for yourself if the value is really there.
David Andersen
on 20 Jun 13correction: “You can still get…”
Tom Ordonez
on 20 Jun 13University of California Berkeley, Georgia Tech, University of Illinois Urbana, Purdue, University of Texas Austin are all within the top engineering schools in the US, cheaper than the Starter League.
I have nothing against the SL, I took Season 2 of Code Academy. Learned a lot. But a $36K -9 month program doesn’t promise you success. Even 37 signals is not bullet proof.
I love Basecamp sure. I thought of trying that new product that you just shut down. How much time and money did you spend on that product?
I know that the majority of students that took Code Academy with me realized that a 3-month program doesn’t make you a developer, even less business savvy. It is unrealistic to believe that $35K and 9months later you will become a superstar developer business person. Who would enroll? Those who are clueless about technology and business. The same people that buy into those “earn thousands of dollars from home” then to realize is not what they thought it was.
I love the expertise of 37signals and the ambition of the Starter League but you should sell a reality and not a dream.
Travis
on 20 Jun 13@GeeIWonder Great one liner: “This is the same logic compulsive gamblers use.”
Well played, but I like to eliminate risk with hard work.
Matt (Brazil)
on 21 Jun 13I’m from Brazil so unfortunately I’ll not take this course, but I think it can be a nice experience.
Well if you get “36/9” it means 4k mo. That seems affordable for who works with web-development in U.S. Plus the people that you will meet sounds a great deal.
Michael
on 21 Jun 13I thought about this for a few days. It really bothers me that you’re charging nearly full price for something that isn’t tested. You’ll be able to refine and tweak the program going forward; you can afford to make mistakes. The students in the program probably can’t afford to take it again. It really needs to work for them the first time, right away, but the students in this class will have the worst Starter School experience.
I’m not sure what you can do about it since you’re a business but please don’t take lightly whatever criticism you receive.
Bryan
on 22 Jun 13I think some of the comments are missing the point that this school is not targeted to someone who is looking to simply get a job as a developer/designer. It has been created for someone to complete and then start/run their own company and do many things themselves, at least early on.
If someone without the development/design/marketing skills that this school is teaching set out to start a company they would need to hire people with these skills. I believe to get talented people for these roles they would have to spend far more (in just a few weeks/months) than the $36k this school costs.
However, the tricky part for this to work is that it is full time and the income displaced for the person taking the class. That could be offset by working a part-time job nights and weekends, living with a friend/parents, etc. I like this idea, but this is the part I worry about. I think finding 50+ people willing to forego a year of “regular” income AND pop $36k is going to be a challenge. But we shall see how this shakes out.
I wish everyone involved the best of luck.
George
on 25 Jun 13Looks like I’m an outlier, but I’d signup (if I lived in Chicago). My situation is a little different - I’m a professor at a top university who’s coding skills are outdated. I’d love to update them and an intensive experience would be ideal. Sure - I could take similar classes for free at my university, but 1) they don’t offer all of them, 2) they don’t have a practical/entrepreneurial feel, 3) grading sucks and I just want to learn, and 4) sometimes you need an intense kick in the pants to learn. My only quibble with SS is that residency requirement (although I respect the rationale). If I could join via video, I’d take a sabbatical and sign up. Note, that I have no immediate interest in a coding career (or even in developing a commercial product), so I might not be the right market anyway.
This discussion is closed.