Startup Institute - CLOSED

If you are considering the Startup Institute program you are probably at a point in your career or life where you feel like something needs to change. Skills. Professional network. More meaningful or interesting work. I was in that same position... and... Read More while I'm working in a great role, I'm honestly still figuring out the right path for me. But I'm in a far better position because of Startup Institute.

In my case, I felt like my career was stalling after years of user research / design experience at a large corporation. I had fallen into the routine of going 'door-to-desk' and 'desk-to-door'... and enviously watching startup life from the sidelines. From the sidelines, I learned about the Startup Institute program and saw it as the perfect combination of personal accelerator (skills, confidence) and safety net (community). It has lived up to those expectations and beyond!

I am approaching one (1) year since graduation (Fall '14). As someone who was once on the sidelines, I think you should jump in and test the waters!

Startup Institute was one of the best decisions I've ever made. After 8 years in a consulting role, I was itching to try something new but didn't have many paths that appealed to me. I know I didn't want to go through 2 years of an MBA program but I wanted... Read More some of the same outcomes. Startup Institute gave that to me and now I feel like I'm finally back on track with my career. If you're considering Startup Institute, my advice is to absolutely do it. You'll be thankful you did =)

Startup Institute was a turning point for my career path. I had traditional management training through various experiences in my career before starting SI. I was interested in pursuing opportunities in tech while also leveraging my management skills.... Read More I also wanted to up my collaboration skills since I had a keen interested in working with young, intelligent people. I took the Product Management and Design track and loved working with a real company. I'm not a highly technical person, and with this track, I didn't need to be! I got a taste of the start up life and also made some great connections that lead me to my current job. If you have the passion and ambition to work with different kinds of people and know how to leverage the resources that SI will provide you, you will most definitely succeed in taking the next step in your new tech-based career.

Startup Institute is a great place for career changers and those looking to get started in the NY Startup Tech scene. As a recent SI graduate, I was incredibly happy with my experience and know that I made the right decision to leave my previous career... Read More in finance. You will find students with various backgrounds, from recent grads to experienced professionals, that are more than willing to help each other in any way. This attests to the staff’s diligent admission process in terms of admitting intelligent and selfless individuals that can provide value to the NY Startup community. I’ve met a fantastic group of people and continue to keep in touch with them post-SI. In addition, the staff was amazing and always supportive. Expect to be running 100% throughout the 8 weeks as you will be challenged constantly. At times it will be stressful and overwhelming but that’s the whole idea. Startup life is not easy and you will be challenged. Be prepared to work both during class and out of class to improving your technical skills. One thing I would note is that applicants should be prepared to put themselves out there. You will be expected to network and go on meetings with people in the NY tech community as soon as Day 1. Introverts will certainly have difficulty with this. Finally, I recommend coming in prepared for the technical skills, regardless of in-track session. While it is not impossible to enter without any prior knowledge, having some knowledge or experience prior to joining SI will certainly help you during the program (especially with the jam packed schedule that you will be subject to).

I am very pleased with my experience at Startup Institute because of the people, the instructors and the opportunity that came about.

I completed the Sales and Business Development program in 2013. At the time the curriculum was solid but I have heard... Read More it has improved immensely. Startup Institute does a great job at introducing the skills needed to be a successful employee at a startup. However, it is up to you to take those skills and practice them.

The best part about Startup Institute is the networking opportunities. The skills and lessons are only about 50% of the experience at Startup Institute. The other half is the networking and opportunities that will fall into your lap.

Startup Institute is hands down one of the best springboards for a person to get involved with the flourishing startup community in Boston!

2 Years ago, I finished up at Startup Institute. I went in with no direction and no idea what I really wanted to do and I came out with a job and a network to help my career get on track. I can honestly say I would not be where I am today if it wasn't... Read More for the support and guidance I received at SIB. Additionally, some of the best people I know I met at the Startup Institute and it continues to help me as my career progresses. I would highly recommend Startup Institute for anyone, anytime, anywhere!

Startup Institute's Web Development Track offers a great survey of current technologies used in web development. You get out of it what you put into it -a lot of self study and additional work is required, which should be expected from any coding program.... Read More Since some topics are covered only briefly they are able to cover a wide range of topics, giving you a great idea of the state of technology today. You are learning from people who are currently working in these fields -they are not instructors by profession, but are generally taking a few hours off of their real jobs to teach their sections. This setup is a little strange at first for those coming from any standard education experience, but the workshop style lessons encourage you to learn as much as you can in the time allotted. There is pretty much no way to do everything they throw at you (internship, lesson homework, group projects, networking events, etc) which is intentional and requires you to prioritize your time effectively. This is just one of many non-track-specific work lessons they provide throughout the 8 week program. The breadth of knowledge is exactly why I applied to Startup Institute -the promise that I would not only become a confident junior web developer, but would also learn how to thrive in a high-velocity startup environment was delivered ten-fold. I initially sought out a coding bootcamp to get myself from coding hobbyist to professional. The fact that I had my first paid position as a full-stack developer as soon as the program ended is enough proof that it was more than worth it.

Attending Startup Institute was the best decision I've ever made, career-wise. I had been itching to leave my former career as a Healthcare IT professional and transition into Web Development. Unfortunately, teaching yourself in your spare time can only... Read More get you so far. Taking a leap of faith and leaving my boring-but-stable work behind for an 8 week immersive program forced me to leave my comfort zone and network with some of the most brilliant, creative and genuine people I've met in Boston. For those looking to deep dive into a very focused technical program, Startup Institute may not be for you. When I attended two years ago, the curriculum was not quite polished, and much learning was done outside of the classroom. (If you plan on being a developer, however, you'll soon realize that the learning process never stops, and there are tons of resources out there to get you up to speed with the latest technology.) But more importantly, you learn HOW to learn, which is an invaluable skill that transcends any field of study. If you're interested in meeting awesome people, connecting with some of the most innovative startups around, getting a pretty good technical education, AND learning how to acquire the soft skills and emotional intelligence required of top performers, you won't be disappointed.

Now that statement might seem like an exaggeration, but I stand behind it. After spending years in design school, crafting my architecture skills I entered the workforce. Naturally, like many other of my fellow architecture colleagues, I got a job in... Read More something completely unrelated from my field. I started my own company and went through the roller coaster ride of a first time startup. After the experience, I was captivated by the life of a startup. I knew I wanted to be creative, to design, to possibly do UI and UX. I also knew that I did not want to invest in another four years of study before getting back in the entrepreneurial saddle. After some searching I found the startup institute. I thought it would be a great way to quickly gain some real world skills and get out there. Man was I blown away by the program. I learned all the necessary skills I needed to excel at a design position, but that isn't really the point of SI. The soft skills, the networking, the self-worth, the perseverance, the encouragement of your classmates, the all nighters with your colleagues, the bonding over a few beers, the nervousness of being nudged out of your comfort zone, the joy of accomplishing something you've wanted your whole life. All of that and more, and it's only an 8 week program. My "diploma" from SI is one of my most cherished possessions and hangs proudly on the wall by my desk in my office as Creative Director. The startup institute is the best decision I could have made and am extremely lucky I got the chance. Imagine what you could accomplish in those 8 weeks.

The Startup Institute made it possible for me to go from a research assistant working in a lab to a full-time data scientist at a startup. It provided me with the resources I needed to quickly get up to speed on what it takes to work at a startup. It... Read More also provided me with a life-long network that has played a huge part of my success thus far. The students and instructors are great.