Startup Institute - CLOSED

Startup Institute was literally the best thing I could have done. I spent eight years at a big financial company before deciding it wasn't for me and leaving. I did a year or so of software project management but had no virtually no web experience, no... Read More understanding of technical marketing or HTML and CSS, and not much of a network. Startup Institute changed all that.

I went into the Product & Design (or similar, as it was called then) track, and learned the basics of HTML and CSS, among other helpful technical things, which was great. But what was even more helpful was the incredible exposure to the local startup community, as well as the amazing quality of the other students. It really felt like a family, and I have stayed in touch with many of my classmates.

I was able to land a gig I would not have otherwise, and I was and continue to be inspired by my time there. Best decision of my recent life!

I developed a network of engineers, designers, marketers, salespeople and most importantly friends in one summer. Most of those friends are at startups or starting their own companies at top incubators.

I worked on real projects for real startups to develop... Read More and test the skills I learnt in the classroom and got a feel for everyday startup life. Coming from an investment banking background this was essential training and gave me a skill set which made me credible in tech on day 1. I now work as a PM working for Amazon on their Instant Video app.

I joined Startup Institute (SI) because I was fixated on the idea of learning how to code. I wanted to be able to build cool, interactive websites and I thought this would be a good way to start. Within a few days of the program, I quickly learned that... Read More making a transition into a new career is not entirely about learning new skills. Anyone can learn how to code. There are hundreds of cheap and free resources online that teach you how to do this! The more challenging piece to crafting a new career is about networking and getting to know people in the industry so you can earn that first lucky break and get a foot in the door. I thought back to the months of frustration I experienced being unemployed after I completed a masters program in photojournalism, mostly because the university had failed to connect me with any working professionals in the industry making it difficult for me to find a job.
StartUp Institute excels at facilitating and teaching people how to network. It helps you identify those parts of your past experience that are relevant to the career path you want to take now, and teaches you to leverage and play up these areas while speaking to potential employers. They organize a number of events where you have opportunities to meet working professionals. (Advice to prospective students: Seize these opportunities, and put all the energy you have into them as soon as the program begins!) For people confused about what specific area they want to focus on (Design is a wide field, comprising visual design and research) SI designs in-track sessions, where you get just enough exposure to a broad swathe of topics so you can figure out what piques your interest. To summarize: Startup Institute will not make you a domain expert on any particular topic, but it helps you focus your thoughts in a particular direction and it helps you meet people who may be interested in employing you for those specific skills. Oh, and did I mention? The people who run SI are the coolest ever! I have never met a set of folks who are so generous with their time, knowledge, care and attention as the SI staff. You will find more than career mentors here. You will find shoulders to cry on. Lunch buddies. Peers in the industry and rock-solid friendships. For this last reason alone, this experience has been entirely worth it for me. Thanks, SI!

Pros (This list is in no particular order).

1. Highly selective admissions process which means every cohort has amazing, talented students who most definitely can make a difference in the start-up world. The fact that majority of the students get hired... Read More within 2 months of completing this program is one of the many testimonies to show the high quality of the students.

2. Be part of an ecosystem that welcomes career transitions - you will be cheered, encouraged and supported for wanting to make a career change and will be guided through every step of this transition.

3. The most supportive staff who genuinely cares about their students' interests and careers - not just during the program but also after the program. They go above and beyond to ensure students transition to their career of choice seamlessly.

4. Access to the Boston Start-ups - You will have the opportunity to meet and introduce yourself to just about any start-up in Boston.I cannot say enough about the amazing and effective network Startup Institute has built for its students. The high quality of the students graduating from SI has built tremendous credibility among Boston Start-ups which has indirectly helped grow the network.

5. Opportunity to meet wonderful, talented people with great stories - Through my cohort I have met some of the kindest and brightest people I have ever known. As a cohort, in the short 8 weeks we went through ups and downs together and have built an extended family that we can rely on. Each student has an amazing story to tell - I have learnt so much from my classmates and have built some really strong friendships through the course.

Cons

1. The 8-week course does not aim at making you experts in your field of choice (you cannot achieve that in 8 weeks or even 52 weeks!). What it does is provides you a reliable and comfortable platform to make a career change, build a network and tell your story - all while building skills in your area of choice. You have the opportunity to focus a lot of your time on skill building if you choose to, but SI has not explicitly built this into the course.

2. In 8-weeks there is a lot thrown at you in terms of skills building, networking opportunities etc - Students need to quickly learn how to prioritize based on their goals, resources (time etc). The staff helps each student prioritize but students need to make a conscious effort to introspect what they would like to focus on. This is not really a con, but just something students should keep in mind while entering the program.

I spent 8 years in the finance industry before finally taking the leap to pursue my entrepreneurial dreams. After struggling to find the right fit for about 8 months I was introduced to Startup Institute. I went into it with the expectation that it would... Read More bridge the gap between my professional experience and desire to work with startups. It did just that. I had a job with a great company within 1 month of graduating and am now fully immersed in the startup culture in Chicago. There is no question that none of this happens without Startup Institute.

While the hard skills are important, and certainly arm you to start making an impact at a startup on day one, if we're honest, you can develop them in a number of different places. I'm an instructor at SI now, and will be the first to admit that what... Read More makes SI special isn't the way they teach Google Analytics or HTML, but rather, all the other stuff. It's the in-depth knowledge you get on the internal pains and strife of different stage companies and how you can help. The coaching you receive on job expectations and how roles can and will change with each new round of funding. And maybe most importantly, it's the tough look you get at yourself, how you interact with others, and how you can apply your best self to grow a budding company.

Eventually, the skills you learn at SI will be trumped by the skills you learn while on the job - it’s just fact. This industry moves too fast for that not to be the case.

But what you’ll always have, is what remains when you strip all that away. Arguably, it’s the most valuable thing Startup Institute imparts - which is the mindset to succeed and a network of people to help you do it.

Fresh out of school, I had big dreams, huge aspirations, but I faced an even larger quandary on how to reach my goals. Start-Up Institute equipped me with the skills I needed to perform at a high level working in the tech community in Boston. I learned... Read More a foundation of knowledge that accelerated my career growth and gave me the opportunity to work in a position that has been rewarding personally and professionally. But what really gives Start-Up Institute its stars, is the community that has been developed because of it. My classmates, staff, instructors, and alumni all contributed to an environment that I learned from, was inspired by, and grew friendships with almost daily. This program helped me develop personally, allowed me to define and identify what is important to me in my career, and be empowered with the skills and right people to reach my dreams.

Startup Institute is truly a life changing program, but only if you let it be. Success takes diving full force into the local startup community both inside and outside of the program. If you feel ready to finally do something you are passionate about... Read More in a company you want to work at, then I recommend checking out the Startup Institute.

I did the web design track and was in awe of how many local designers came in to talk and connect with us. You really have to prioritize your work and practice self-discipline to accomplish your work, but it is all worth it.

It may sound too good to be true, but I don't have any cons for this program, aside from the fact that when you're in it, you're IN IT. You have time for little else than breathing and sleeping. But all that you are kept busy with is useful, fulfilling,... Read More rewarding, and applicable. And it ends at exactly the time that it should (after 8 weeks.)
I am overwhelmed at the task of trying to fit all I learned at SI into a mere text box. You don't just acquire skills. You acquire the intangibles. The intangibles that (a) reveal insights about yourself that serve as a compass for time long after your first job out of there, and in areas far beyond just your job (b) equip you to be an immediate and effective contributor to a startup company (c) guide you in building your own personal network, customized to fit the skills, interests, and abilities that you can both acquire and offer. SI helps you package up the important pieces and themes of your life long before SI, and craft them into a toolbox to take with you through life long after SI. SI effectively combines tech, teamwork, education, emotion, introspection, intelligence, practice, and preparation into a holistic experience that will change anyone's life. From any background. They don't have a canned answer. They have mastered the perfect equation that can apply to anyone and launch them into success.

I was in an unhappy place. Aside from the generic pains of commuting over two hours each day to work in a corporate box based out of Burlington, I felt lost and stagnant in my career path. I knew I was meant to do something more than be one of many cubicle... Read More sitters. I wanted to design - to exercise creative liberties, work my analytic brain, and solve real problems by building unforgettable digital experiences. Most of all, I wanted to see the results of my labor manifest in real and visible progress. Startup Institute not only helped me find this, but guided me in trying to explain how a seemingly unrelated academic background in Biology and Business and subsequent professional experience in sales makes me a unique and valuable asset to a team as a UX Designer. The SI network is an unparalleled value of the program, and it will only continue to grow as the SI team keeps working tirelessly to help people find a career and lifestyle they love.