Even though I advocate for semi-self-study, why I started considering a school format

Just now, I asked the following question on X (formerly Twitter).

Those who have been following my posts for a while might know that I myself have been recommending semi-self-study for learning programming, web production, and business design, and I haven't really recommended being directly taught by someone through a curriculum.

This is because, whether it's programming, web production, or business design, ultimately, if you don't research and solve problems yourself, you won't become a person who can think and act independently in practice. Furthermore, as business problem-solving is increasingly required from designers and engineers in the future, if you don't develop the 'habit' and 'critical thinking skills' to think for yourself and solve problems, you'll end up being someone who can only create things but can't earn money. You'll be stuck with stagnant wages and demanding work indefinitely.

Fundamentally, the direction of my thinking is the same, and it remains so even now.

Amidst this, a discussion arose at a certain point."If we use our past experience, couldn't we create a curriculum that, depending on its design, could train problem-solving skills and also help acquire skills?"That was the point.

I came to believe that a curriculum for training problem-solving skills could be created.

In typical schools, problem-solving skills are not adequately fostered. Moreover, even schools that emphasize self-study can cost around 500,000 yen.

If there are facilities, and rent and personnel costs are incurred, it's natural to wonder about the cost-effectiveness.

While self-study is fundamental, a situation where there's a mentor and you can ask for any answer will only provide mediocre problem-solving skills and mediocre learning speed.

If the teaching materials are uniquely created and of high quality, the above problems can be solved, but schools that match that value are still a minority.

Up until now, we have developed training services in a hands-off model where mentors are not permanently stationed. Within that, we have produced numerous professionals, and a vast amount of know-how has been accumulated on how to train critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and acquire new skills.

As a result, it was discussed that if we created a curriculum that utilized our past experiences and knowledge, it would be an unprecedented curriculum that would also train problem-solving skills and allow for skill improvement.

I believe this will probably be a curriculum that only we can create.Having thoroughly pursued hands-off and self-study methods to this extent, producing many professionals and seeing cases where individuals gained self-driving ability from a state of having very little, I know of no other examples. Honestly, with that much experience and knowledge accumulated, I don't feel like I'd lose to anyone.

It's not that they can't, but that they don't know.

Furthermore, there are various people in the world, and they have many characteristics when it comes to learning something. We have been creating a hands-off system, and through that, we also learned that there are many people who say, 'Self-study is difficult for me, or rather, I have no idea how to do it, I can't imagine it.'

However, those who think that way are not necessarily inferior in ability. They are excellent. It might be more accurate to say that they haven't lived that kind of 'lifestyle' in the past.

By engaging in school studies and always learning in a situation where they are taught, they may find themselves in a situation where they can't imagine how to learn through self-study, or the term 'problem-solving ability' itself doesn't resonate with them. Perhaps some of you can relate to this.

It's not a lack of ability, but simply not knowing it as an option. Everyone can learn to self-study with practice, so we want you to feel at ease.

Basically, people who can self-study have always been those who engaged in some activity on their own outside of school. Most had experience playing in a band, writing manga or novels, or thinking and struggling to achieve their goals without anyone teaching them. On the other hand, those who lacked such experiences generally couldn't imagine or didn't know the methods of self-study itself.

However, as we observed many people engaging in self-study, we found that when we actually taught them the methods and approaches to self-study, they gradually learned on their own,and became able to operate independently.These experiences were not just once or twice. We learned that there are ways to become able to operate independently.

Even for those who already have problem-solving skills and can operate independently, business creation is different.

Another question is about people who already have problem-solving skills and can operate independently. If it's just about acquiring skills, schools aren't necessary, and it's probably fine even without a mentor. Some might go to school thinking it's faster to be taught, but you can acquire enough skills by asking on X (formerly Twitter), gathering information at focused work sessions, joining communities, or simply living in a share house. Please don't go to school.

However, when it comes to business creation, relying solely on problem-solving skills often led to detours. This is because there are many case-by-case situations where thoughts don't coalesce or decisions can't be made regarding numerous problems.

In such times, by introducing a facilitator, discussions are energized, thoughts can be developed smoothly, and problems can be solved with a sense of speed. Just this alone changes the speed of business launch.

Of course, if you thoroughly understand the content provided by WAREHOUSE and STARTOUT, you will be able to create businesses smoothly. However, there are truly too many case-by-case situations, so having an experienced 'discussion partner' each time allowed us to create businesses with greater speed.

For example, there are many cases where discussing with experienced individuals can accelerate problem-solving for questions without clear answers, such as 'A strange rich person offered me funds, should I accept them?', 'Changes in the food and beverage industry are coming, how should we respond?', or 'Should we raise funds at this timing?'

The necessity of discussing with experienced individuals from time to time while progressing through the business creation curriculum. This is usually something that cannot be done unless you have entrepreneurial acquaintances around you, or consult with VCs or consultants. It is said that when raising funds, negotiations tend to proceed more favorably if there are members who already have sales experience, but I wondered if this could also be in the form of a school.

Accelerator programs and incubators might have too high a hurdle, but if it's in the form of a school that incorporates that flow, the hurdle to business creation might be somewhat lowered.

If the goal is to lower the hurdles for personal development, business design, and entrepreneurship, it might be better to do it as a school.

After various discussions and considerations, a hypothesis emerged that starting it as a school might attract more interest.

First, we have the methods to improve problem-solving skills and the know-how to enhance self-reliance. We also have experience in the process where someone who has never self-studied can actively learn in a hands-off, non-overprotective environment. By functioning as facilitators for business creation, we can also further accelerate business development speed. By leveraging this knowledge and experience, we can create a curriculum that only we can make. I truly believe we can create it.

Such confidence emerged during the discussions.

According to the survey results from the poll conducted earlier on X (formerly Twitter), over 90% of respondents indicated they wanted it, so we will begin consideration. We plan to start pre-registration within the next month, and if the number of pre-registrants exceeds a certain threshold, we will launch.

Depending on the number of pre-registrants, cancellation is possible, so we apologize in advance > < We would appreciate your help in spreading the word.

The teaching materials areSTARTOUTorWAREHOUSEand will likely be divided into whether you only do business or go from technology to business creation. The price is expected to be around 100,000 to 400,000 yen, varying by plan, so if you are interested, please keep it in mind (we will implement a system for credit card installments). We look forward to your continued support!