| | Anonymous | Startup Institute was recommended to me by one of my mentors. I had recently relocated to the Boston area after graduating college and knew that I wanted to join the local startup ecosystem, but had no idea how to go about it. What was certain is that I would have to work very hard to get there. My military background helped a great deal, but I still needed the skills and connections to succeed. I applied to Startup Institute and soon passed both the assessment and interview process. My class began in October 2017 as a Web Design fellow.
From the very beginning, I felt welcomed and supported by the great staff, as well as the rest of the cohort, which consisted of individuals from all walks of life. We became like a little family by the end of the program. All of those factors had affirmed that I made the right choice. What I loved about Startup institute is that it wasn't just another bootcamp. While there were skills to be learned, that wasn't the only focus of the program. We listened to stories from alumni who are now entrenched in the startup world and are doing quite well for themselves. We were also given guidance on startup best practices and how to succeed once we left the program. The in-track lessons were my favorite because I got to learn the basics of the web design process. It was up to me, however, to learn and grow as the program progressed. I will admit that I was one of the least experienced, but with passion and perseverance I supercharged the process to a new career as a UX/product designer.
What you should expect from the program is to work very hard and remain consistent. There will be moments when you will feel like you're not progressing, but keep going. The learning curve eventually sorts itself out. The one advice I can give is the be confident in your abilities, continue to learn, even when you're not in class. This is an investment and you get out of it what you put in. I attended coffee chats with several alum, asked a million questions, and spent a great deal learning my new craft. What helped me do well after the program was always maintaining a sense of curiosity to learn and reach the next stepping stone...and lots of confidence! Startup Institute understands that in order to succeed in a startup you need a great network, a deep desire to learn, adaptability, and focus.
After the program, I joined a Boston startup accelerator as a UX Designer. It is an opportunity that I would have never been considered for had I not attended Startup Institute and proven myself to be a good candidate. My journey went from learning about Web Design to providing product strategy and design to a cohort of 10 startups. I am grateful for the SI team for seeing my potential and believing that I could get it done. It is one of the best decisions I've ever made! |
