Go from Designer to Founder
4.9
(5 ratings)
3 Weeks
·Cohort-based Course
Considering taking the leap? Learn how to de-risk the move, leverage your skills beyond design and craft a pitch that gets your idea funded.
Go from Designer to Founder
4.9
(5 ratings)
3 Weeks
·Cohort-based Course
Considering taking the leap? Learn how to de-risk the move, leverage your skills beyond design and craft a pitch that gets your idea funded.
Course overview
Designer founders start here.
👋 Steph here – I'm a design leader and former Product Design Manager at Cruise. I founded Huddle in 2021 and have since raised over $3.5m. I believe designers are uniquely positioned to build the next wave of big, impactful companies.
I'm often asked by fellow designers about how to go about starting a company, what it's like to be a founder, and how to raise money. I've collected my insights into this 3-week sprint/course.
Beyond my teaching, this course is an opportunity to meet other designers that also have the entrepreneurial itch. We'll learn together and support each other's endeavors during this course and after.
If you've been thinking about starting a company on the side or are actively making moves, this course is for you.
Who is this course for
01
Ambitious designers that are exploring starting their own company.
02
Side-hustle designers ready to pursue an idea full-time.
03
Design leaders looking to be more entrepreneurial in their current role.
What you’ll get out of this course
Find the founder path that's right for you.
Explore the routes you can take, whether part-time or full-time, venture-backed or bootstrapped.
Craft a pitch that gets you funded.
Decide on the right funding route and create a pitch that takes your startup to the next level.
Lean into your design superpowers.
Discover how your own creative strengths and passions make you a powerhouse startup builder.
Step beyond design.
Learn about how to tackle the parts of company-building outside of product and design.
Live Lessons with a Designer Founder.
Each module is taught live by Steph with time for questions and roundtable discussions.
Go from Designer to Founder
Course syllabus
Week 1
Mar 26—Mar 31
Week dates are set to instructor's time zoneEvents
- Mar
26
Live Module 1: The Designer Founder
Live Module 1: The Designer Founder
Tue, Mar 26, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
- Mar
28
Live Module 2: Taking the first steps
Live Module 2: Taking the first steps
Thu, Mar 28, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
Modules
- Leaning into your design superpowersLeaning into your design superpowers1 Project
- Taking the first stepsTaking the first steps1 Project
Week 2
Apr 1—Apr 7
Week dates are set to instructor's time zoneEvents
- Apr
2
Live Module 3: Craft your founder path
Live Module 3: Craft your founder path
Tue, Apr 2, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
- Apr
4
Live Module 4: Find complementary collaborators
Live Module 4: Find complementary collaborators
Thu, Apr 4, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
Modules
- Craft your founder pathCraft your founder path1 Project
- Find complementary collaboratorsFind complementary collaborators1 Project
Week 3
Apr 8—Apr 11
Week dates are set to instructor's time zoneEvents
- Apr
9
Live Module 5: Designing a pitch
Live Module 5: Designing a pitch
Tue, Apr 9, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM UTC
- Apr
11
Optional: Founder Office Hour (1/2)
Optional: Founder Office Hour (1/2)
Thu, Apr 11, 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM UTC
- Apr
11
Optional: Founder Office Hour (2/2)
Optional: Founder Office Hour (2/2)
Thu, Apr 11, 9:00 PM - 9:30 PM UTC
Modules
- Designing your pitchDesigning your pitch2 Lessons • 1 Project
Bonus
Modules
- Recorded SessionsRecorded Sessions5 Lessons
4.9
(5 ratings)
What students are saying
The next wave of designer founders
Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb @ Config 2023
Designers make great founders because they're naturally creative problem solvers, can tap into emotions and have taste.
Vision-to-reality is faster and sharper because there is less playing telephone.
Designers make great founders because they're naturally creative problem solvers, can tap into emotions and have taste.
Vision-to-reality is faster and sharper because there is less playing telephone.
What people are saying
Ridd
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Steph Engle
Kyle Makishuk
Course schedule
3-4 hours per week
Live Modules with Q&A
Tuesdays & Thursdays • 1pm - 2pm EST
Steph will teach each module live, leaving time for Q&A. These will happen every Tuesday and Thursday.
Founder Roundtable
Last Friday • 1 - 2pm EST
The magic of a live cohort. To close out the course, put everything you've learned into action. We'll get together as a group and talk about where you landed and your next steps.
1:1 Coaching Session (for early signup)
30 min
The first 5 people to sign up will receive a complimentary 30-min coaching session.
Weekly Journaling
1-2 hours per week
You'll be given weekly prompts related to the modules to apply the learnings yourself or your idea. These entries will help reflect, put the lessons into actions, and be a resource to you beyond this course.
Raise your first round of funding
This is my personal guide for how to pitch your startup and raise capital as a designer founder. It's powered by my insights of raising over $3.5M with no natural network.
As part of my course "Go from Designer to Founder," I'll be advising other designers on how to take the leap to start their own company and raise capital. We'll go into more detail during the course, but you can use this guide to get started.
Get this free resource
Meet your instructor
Steph Golik
Founder at Huddle
Meet Steph, a former Product Design Manager with over a decade of experience that is now the founder of Huddle and has raised over $3.5M in funding.
She's here to give real-life examples and insights on how to navigate the transition using design strengths and passion as a guide.
Learning is better with cohorts
Active hands-on learning
This course builds on live workshops with real-time Q&A.
Meet fellow future-founders
Learn alongside and collaborate with other designers beginning their entrepreneurial journeys too.
Get support along the way
Sign up early to get a free coaching session and use the cohort chat to get async support from your instructor and fellow learners.