Dan Sommer is the CEO and Co-Founder of Trilogy Education Services. Dan has launched partnerships with over 37 of the world’s leading universities, providing alternative forms of education on their campuses.
They have instructors teaching 200 classes every week. They have thousands of students who have completed Trilogy-powered programs, and 1,500 companies employ them.
In May, Dan secured a $50-million Series B and he’s been doing a lot of exciting things related to future work. Prior to Trilogy, he was the President of Zeta Global, also a large education company.
Interesting takeaways from this episode: learning how to learn, developing your superpowers, and being aware of not just engineering jobs but specific technologies companies are hiring for in different geographies!
| About: | |
| Lives In: | New York, NY |
| Current Job | CEO of Trilogy |
| Date Recorded | 9/15/2018 |
Show Notes:
[02:13] The impetus behind starting a company related to education services, why they named it Trilogy, and how they were able to scale things up
[06:45] Trilogy’s full-time programs and online offerings to students from diverse backgrounds. They also offer part-time programs.
[09:40] A bootcamp demonstrates your design to learn different skills, but first, learn how to learn in the context of your career.
[13:02] In the aim to make learning a pleasurable experience, Trilogy has collaborated with universities that have a hands-on approach and desire to teach relevant skills.
[15:40] If you’re considering attending a bootcamp, don’t look at it as an end goal, but rather, a starting position. Always have a mindset of staying relevant.
[17:39] Dan cites stories of success from people who joined Trilogy and finding talent in tech through internships and on-the-job training programs.
[24:15] Dan’s insights into coding bootcamps and how do you know which bootcamp is the right for you (questions to ask yourself and what language you need to learn)
[31:20] The importance of college experience but also realizing it’s just one piece of the lifelong learning. Future-proof yourself by developing a specialty.
[36:00] How students loans are affecting the economy and education in general, why universities get a bad rap, and why Dan thinks the future of higher education is bright
[39:37] Types of industries you can specialize in and how Trilogy leverages feedback in improving their programs
[49:26] Look for mentors around you! Make those connections. Surround yourself with people more experienced than you and allow yourself to learn.
[51:22] Dan’s daily routine: exercise + journaling. Plus, Dan shares some productivity hacks to set yourself up for success.
Contact Info:
Dan Sommer
Email: dan@trilogy.com
Facebook: @trilogyed
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/danielsommer
Articles & Mentioned Resources:
Learning Resources
James Clear’s Productivity Guide
Personal Projects/Partnerships:
