tradecraft

I was in your shoes once. Fueled by an unsatisfying job, I researched and agonized over the "right" program to shell out a small fortune and risk a career and industry change into design and tech. I get it.

I chose TC because it was in SF (go where the opportunity is), small class size (my cohort was 7), precieved selectiveness (filter out non-motivated folks), comprehensive curriculum and real client work. But I graduated with a different understanding of why TC was the best choice so I'm going to give a run down of what I found most valuable in the curriculum, instructors, projects, networks and finish with some words of advice. 

Curriculum: It's an intense amount of material to learn and practice in such a short time so ramping up on the basic technical skills before is key (eg Sketch). Once at the program you'll learn the approaches and frameworks in the design thinking process that is in my opinion the core of great product designers.  

Instructors: Nick and Misha give great foundational courses in introducing nontech folks like myself into the SV culture and mindset. Zac, lead design instructor is one of the best teachers I've had while Ariane, the head of careers, is there for you every step of the way (she helped me prep for an interview at a last minutes notice). Thomas, the growth instructor is also excellent. 

Projects: You'll be involved in several and they are a hit or miss depending on the group dynamic, client, and scope of work but at the same time that's reflective of real life. The value here is understanding through the experience your strengths/weaknesses, which part of design process you actually enjoy (research, UX, hifi?), and what type of role you are best suited for (lead, sublead, member?) etc...

Network: Aside from instructors, hands down the most valuable and greatest resource. I cold emailed and drank countless coffees talking to 20+ alumni. Folks from the earliest TC days were happy to chat and dispel their wisdom and there's a sense of community and support I can't see any comparable program having.  I 100% would not have the role I have now without the network. 

Advice

1. TC is a kitchen. You can shape the program to fit you. You want to part time intern and part time TC? Go for it. You hate sitting in lectures and just want to network your way to a job? It's been done. You interested in both growth and design? Or design and BD? You can. Just be aware of the tradeoffs and whether this approach is going to get you what you want.  I realized for eg I wanted to be a PM and not a designer so I focused on parts of the curriculum relevant and sat out on others. 

2. If you're obsessed with a product, company, person, industry, problem, TC is the perfect place to work on a project you either start yourself or bring in. You'll have the support of instructors, peers and low downside if you fail. I can't emphasize enough the importance of owning your projects and work. 

So yea, stop reading and apply already. This is a commitment and an investment in your potential future self that's worth it. 

Joining Tradecraft was the best decision I ever made for myself. I graduated TC in September 2017 and landed a job as a product designer a couple months later. I am 100% sure I could not have done it without the help and support of TC. What sets Tradecraft apart from other programs is the real world experience gained from working with startups in the Bay Area and the amazing community which includes staff, students and mentors. Even after graduation, the staff is still available to help you through your first, second, third job etc. in your new career. Unlike other programs, TC really values fostering a sense of community, even after graduation. 

As many other reviewers have mentioned, you really get what you put into it. TC provides the environment and tools to help you succeed but it’s up to you to do as little or as much as you want with it. The real learning curve starts in your new job but TC gave me the foundations to build upon. I am an extremely shy and introverted person but with the help and guidance of TC, I learned to send cold emails, ask strangers out for coffee, and became comfortable with design interviews; things I never thought I was capable of doing. If you told me a year ago I’d become a design consultant at the company I’m now at, I would have laughed (and then cried) in your face. TC literally changed my life.

The BEST part about TC is the people you’ll meet. It’s amazing to be surrounded by people in the same boat as you, with similar interests and all trying to achieve similar goals. When you go through the highs and lows of learning a new skill and job searching together, it’s hard not to become close. I’ve learned so much from my peers and remain close with them. I took a job in my home state but still go back to SF every few weeks to visit the friends I met in the program.

As I write this review, I am more than 6,000 miles away from home. In July 2017 I moved to San Francisco to go through Tradecraft and get a job in a Silicon Valley startup. I had the chance to chat with two people who people made the same move I was making and had achieved the goal I was after. All I knew, was that I was going to have to work harder than ever to make it a reality. Nothing more.

At Tradecraft, nothing is handed to you, it is all earned. In these 12 weeks, you do not only learn (in my case) Growth Marketing, but you learn to navigate through startup culture, you learn about yourself, and you find out what you are made of.

• Expect to go through a well-rounded Growth curriculum that will allow you to to take on that role upon completion of the program.
• Expect to put yourself in uncomfortable positions, that will make you question what you are doing, constantly.
• Expect to surround yourself with amazing people that want you to succeed and accomplish your goals.

I left Tradecraft with incredible connections, friendships, and mentors. I was given the tools that I needed to put myself in a position to win as the first Growth hire in a Series A startup.

Remember, at Tradecraft, nothing is handed to you. You get what you give. If you show that you are willing to work, that you are open to being advised, coached, and mentored, you will be putting yourself in a great position. You will have the support you need to go through these 12 weeks, as well as the support you need post Tradecraft. You’ll join an incredible community that will stand behind you when you most need it.

I went to two onsite bootcamps and one online bootcamp until I ended up at Tradecraft.

After attending all of them, I was still wandering around lost and unsure of my future. Although my time at these other camps were valuable and contributed to where I'm at today, it was Tradecraft that truly sealed the deal. 

Tradecraft provided me the tools, the knowledge, the people, and opportunities that I couldn't have got anywhere else. I think the most helpful thing that boosted my resume and portfolio is the real world experience that I got from clients partnered with Tradecraft. Being in SF and working to solve problems that various startups were facing gave me unparalleled work experience that I could not have gotten anywhere else.

I moved to the Bay Area in mid-2016 to work on a startup idea but about 6 months in, I decided not to pursue it. This experience taught me a couple of key things: 1) Coming from a non-tech background, I needed to build some hard skills which I lacked and 2) I needed to build a better network and support system being new to San Francisco.

Around the same time, I heard about Tradecraft through a friend who had just graduated from the program. With his recommendation, I decided to take the leap and applied for the Growth track. After completing the program and taking some time to reflect, I've got to say that Tradecraft has exceeded my expectations.

Overall, the experience was incredible. I've made some amazing connections and met people that I can truly call friends. There's something about being thrown in the deep-end for 12 weeks to figure out what your goals are, what you should aim for etc that teaches you a lot about yourself.

As far as curriculum goes, you get a well-rounded understanding of growth and the various aspects you need to be aware of. It's also an opportunity to think about which parts of growth and marketing you find interesting that you may want to specialize in. However, the most valuable part of the curriculum was working on real projects with real startups. This is a great way not only to put your skills to practical use, but also building your leadership skills by working on and leading teams. I also ended up doing the BD & Sales track, although to me the most valuable parts of this track were what I would called Startups 101. The name of the track, in that sense, is a bit misleading and is much more than just BD and sales.

Thomas is a fun, engaging instructor and most importantly, he was always available to help clarify something you might have trouble with or push you to make the most of your potential. For BD & Sales, Misha made the classes super interesting with the readings he assigned beforehand, all of which are valuable and useful far beyond the 12 weeks of the program. He also recommends several frameworks that he's found useful in his own experience as a founder, which unlocks your ability to think about BD, sales and startups in a more structured way.

In terms of job assistance, Ariane puts things into perspective right from week 1 and its clear that you need to start thinking about jobs well before the end of the 12 weeks. She also helps you hone your story, be aware of your weaknesses and offers the opportunity to practice interviews with her so you are well prepared when the time comes. I was also lucky enough to meet my future employer at a mentor talk hosted at Tradecraft, another invaluable part of the program (which you get to attend even after the 12 weeks are complete).

Ultimately, I went in looking to gain valuable, hard skills, and build a network I trusted and left with much, much more!

FINAL NOTE: If you are looking for a program that lays it all out on a platter, Tradecraft is probably not for you. But if you are willing to roll up your sleeves, put in the work, and enjoy the grind, then Tradecraft is the perfect ecosystem to make you thrive and prepare for startup life.

I am soooo beyond thrilled that I decided to enroll in the Tradecraft program!

I graduated from the TC growth track a few months back after starting my career in sales. I knew I wanted to shift from being on the phone all day to the more analytical strategy side of business and TC was the conduit I chose to help me with the transition.

Investing in my future with Tradecraft was not a decision I made lightly, but it ended up as one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I would highly recommend the program to anyone who is serious about wanting to shift their career to a related field in start-ups and motivated to put in the work to enable their success.

As a career switcher looking to prepare myself for the new direction I was heading was, I mainly decided to enroll because I wanted to gain consultative experience working with real start ups on growth projects. My goal was to gain real world experience and credibility when speaking as to why companies should entertain the idea of hiring me for an analytics based growth role. The projects that original fueled my interest were great but merely a sliver of the amazing program TC has to offer. TC teaches you to navigate stressful schedules on short notice, to network and publish effectively to enhance your career profile, to learn what you need quickly and to iterate on your learning even quicker, to work effectively and efficiently in diverse groups and much, much more. At Tradecraft, you learn the tools and skills and gain the support to be successful in all aspects of life. 

Tradecraft's goal is to prepare each and every student for the next step in their particular career journey in order to get them on the right foot for where you want to be 5-10 years from now. I can confidently say TC set me up to succeed in my goals and accelerated my timeline to have me on track to get where I want to be faster than I had even hoped.

The TC community is one of the most amazing groups I have ever been a part of. Other Tradecrafters are spread throughout the tech world and are always quick to jump at the opportunity to help others involved. Everything at TC is taught to you in terms of value and everyone works hard to create the most value possible for the collaborative network. From your cohort members to other students attending at the same time as you to all graduates and the whole TC staff, everyone is there to enable each other's success and continuously take the network to the next level.

Because of the TC network, I was connected to and able to land the best opportunity I could have imagined after graduation in a role that I am excited to show up for on a daily basis. I couldn't be happier or more grateful for what the program has done for me and my career.

Special shout outs to Misha, Russ, Thomas, Nick, Ariane and the rest of the TC crew for creating such a special place that has meant so much to so many :)

As cheesy as my headline is, that is how I feel about Tradecraft. I came into the program already having startup experience but I wanted to get to the next level fast. I had been working in operations/logistics and "sexy" SV companies but I wanted to ideally start my own company. I signed up for the growth track and on day one told Misha I had an idea for a company I had been playing with. He pushed me to pursue it immediately and the rest became history. 

My entire TC cohort and many of the people around became engrossed in helping me make this dream a reality. People I never knew before volunteered hours to help me build a website, landing pages, and proper content. Ariane, Misha, Russ, and Nick spent countless hours giving me feedback and giving me the support I needed when I wanted to give up. 

I made it a goal to network aggressively and met 2-3 people a week through the TC network. This helped tremendously as these people have become my family here in SF and my sounding boards. After a month of graduating, I honestly decided I didn't want to pursue the startup idea but I had multiple job offers lined up. It's not that TC put them on my lap, they just gave me the tools and support to make it happen. 

If you're stuck on the money part, let it go. You'll make the money back two fold.

I finished the program about two months ago now. I enrolled in the growth marketing program and took some product design classes. Here is my background:

After I left my job as a product marketing manager at a game company, I had to leave the country because of my visa situation. I was debating whether to leave right away or spent all my savings on enrolling in a bootcamp program. I was looking at Tradecraft versus Hack Reactor. I know everyone wants to be a coder now, I was no different. However, I know I couldn't see myself coding, so I chose to broaden my skill and get to be part of this community.

My overall experience has been amazing. I've met new friends in the program who have various background, but now want to break into tech startup. Everyone is so talented, and they work hard to achieve their goals, but one thing that stood out is we never forget to think about how we could help others along the way. Throughout this amazing network, I also got to know a few alumni who are now my mentors.

In terms of curriculum, I didn't gain much out of the growth marketing because I already have some experience with it. But Thomas (growth lead) was a wonderful resource for you to dive deeper into the area that you're interested in. I learned a lot more from product design program because it is something challenging that I had to push myself to go through. Zac and Jake (design leads) are very helpful.

Because my goal wasn't to stay in Silicon Valley right after graduation, I didn't benefit much from the job search process. However, this is not to mention that I got to know the co-founders of the company that I'm working at right now in Indonesia through Misha (co-founder of Tradecraft).

Throughout the program, you have to push yourself. It is just like a startup. It's not much structure. You get what you put in. Good luck!

I finished the Tradecraft growth track about 6 weeks ago. I'm in my mid-twenties and have had a few jobs that I fell into mostly by chance through social connections. They weren't bad jobs or companies, and had I been more proactive and intentional about pursuing career goals, I probably could have found great success at those companies.

But I wasn't, and I didn't -- I was frustrated with my work and didn't really understand why. All I knew was I needed a change.

After leaving my previous role and making (and breaking) several new life plans, including living abroad and applying to MBA programs, I stumbled upon this exact webpage and read reviews about Tradecraft.

On one hand, I wondered why anyone would pay such a high price for a three month program when there were online programs with roughly equivalent curricula for a fraction of the cost or none at all. On the other, I was struck by the almost universally perfect reviews -- the online programs couldn't match that.

Anyone considering grad school along with Tradecraft will realize that the price is roughly equivalent, but with far less commitment and time between investment and realized benefit. My fear with an MBA was finding out 2 years and $200k later that it was the wrong move. The fact is, if you want to make an investment in your career, it will cost you significant time and money. In that sense, Tradecraft is like a condensed version of grad school.

But, the emphasis of Tradecraft is very different from a typical grad school or any other three month bootcamp. The curriculum checks a box to ensure that you know enough to get the job you want (hence the lower rating). Tradecraft's real thesis is that you'll get where you want to be if you:

1) Define clear career goals for years down the road, then reverse engineer it to find out what you should work on today and tomorrow to achieve that.

2) Cultivate a network and provide value to that network - those people will help you get to your next opportunity on the road to achieving your long term goals.

3) Practice at full speed with real client projects as you learn these subjects.

That sounds simple and intuitive and can even be accomplished without a structured program, but is more easily said than done. Tradecraft greases the rails for you to build on those ideas (*note: it's still on you to do the work - there's not a lot of hand-holding here) with instructors to answer questions and discuss concepts, career coaching to encourage and guide you, and a network of hundreds of current students and grads to meet, collaborate with, and keep one another accountable.

Coming from out of state, that was crucial in my decision to enroll in Tradecraft and ultimately stay in the Bay Area. The people I've met through the program are some of my best friends (and my primary social group out here), and everyone I've met has been likeminded and ambitious in pursuing their career goals, which helps enormously in staying on track. Tradecrafters are often found at the office working late into the night, but keep the social atmosphere welcoming and fun -- you might find these same people at Temple nightclub on Friday night.

And now, after job searching for several weeks, with the majority of my promising job leads coming from the TC network, I am working in growth marketing at an awesome company with several other TC alumni.

I might have found my way to this position and mentality after wandering on my own for a while longer, but I doubt I could have done so in just three months in a new city without the guidance of Tradecraft. In a couple more months, my newfound (doubled) income will pay off my tuition debt. But, Tradecraft's valuable network, mentors, and other resources will continue to be available to me into perpetuity, as long as I make the effort to be available and valuable to them as well.

If that kind of network and experience sounds helpful to your career, I strongly encourage you to apply and have a conversation with Nick about Tradecraft.

I had been researching programs to help me get into design as a full-time career. Previously, I was working in sales at tech startup in SF but I couldn’t see myself doing it long term. I heard about Tradecraft at a Design Details Meetup. It winded up being the best professional decision I’ve made since moving to the bar area. Here’s why I had a great experience: 

Real Projects
My projects at Tradecraft were activities I could actually use in my portfolio. I had the opportunity to work on real problems with engineers and founders. I learned how to manage a team of designers. All of this was critical for landing a job post-TC.

Intense Curriculum
Having played around with a few online curriculums, I determined that I wanted a full-time, immersive program to help make this career move a reality. At Tradecraft, there was enough traditional class work to have an understanding of my craft, but there were also tons of supplemental materials for a deeper dive on certain topics.

Incredible Team
The small cohort sizes helped me build a relationship with multiple members of the Tradecraft team. They really helped me understand what I can do to provide value and feel good about my career and my story. In addition to the staff, I was surrounded by a bunch of really smart driven people both in my cohort, and in the cohorts before and after my time there. I still lean on the community for feedback and support.

I hope you got something out of this review, but as I look to the other reviews on this site, I feel like I’m echoing a lot of what was already said. In closing, if you are seriously considering Tradecraft, I hope you are willing to invest the time and energy into getting the most out of this program. Do as much work as you can ahead of time. Just like anything in life, you get out of it what you put into it. With Tradecraft, there’s no limit to the value you can extract if you’re willing to do the work! 

By the end of my senior year of college I knew that I wanted to be designing experiences for users. I was intrigued by the tech scene in the Bay Area and wanted to be part of the innovation that was happening there daily. While graduating with a liberal arts degree gave me all the desirable “soft skills”, what I lacked was the marketable “hard skills” that would land me a junior level design role. I signed up for Tradecraft after doing a bit of research but still not really knowing what I was signing up for.

It was a dive into the deep end. I was a new grad, with work experience that extended no further than random summer internships and on-campus tutoring jobs, looking to take on a highly technical role at a startup. Tradecraft was the transformative experience I needed: not only did I become a stronger designer, I was able to confidently talk about my design skills and understand myself as an employee and coworker on a deeper level.

Tradecraft gives you the tools, resources, and mentorship to excel. I now have the most amazing mentors, friends, and support network. Just a short two months after graduating from Tradecraft I found myself on a three person design team at a startup doing way more than I ever could have dreamed of right out of college.