I did everything “right.” I went to school, got good grades, and followed the traditional path. But by the time I finished college, I realized something wasn’t adding up.
Traditional Education Failed Me
Most of what I learned in school wasn’t useful.
The classes were slow, the subjects were often irrelevant, and I could coast by without being truly challenged. Meanwhile, the skills that actually mattered—the ones that helped me succeed—weren’t taught in school at all.
But school wasn’t just inefficient. It was expensive.
My dad told me early on that he had no money for me to go to college, so I worked hard to get scholarships. Even then, I still graduated with over $100,000 in debt. And for what? The most valuable things I’ve learned in life were self-taught.
Trying to Fix the System from the Inside
For years, I tried to improve the system from the inside.
I helped found College Factual, a company designed to help students find the best-fit college, major, and career path—so they didn’t waste time and money like I did. But over time, I realized the real problem wasn’t picking the right college.
💡 The problem was that college itself isn’t the right answer for most people.
Yes, some careers still require traditional degrees—law, medicine, engineering—but for most people, college is an outdated, overpriced, and inefficient way to gain the skills they actually need.
Then COVID Happened
We suddenly had all four of our kids at home, trying to learn remotely. It was chaos.
🚫 The traditional school solutions were inadequate. Teachers struggled to adapt, the curriculum didn’t translate to home learning, and the technology was ill-equipped to support real, engaging education at a distance.
🚫 But the bigger issue was the lack of quality remote learning alternatives. Despite all the online resources available, most of the current solutions are fragmented, impersonal, and don’t cater to different learning styles or needs. We tried various remote tools, but none of them could provide the hands-on, flexible, self-directed learning that my kids needed.
💡 That was a breaking point for me.
I had already believed education was broken, but this experience showed me just how much was missing in current remote learning solutions—especially in preparing kids for a rapidly changing world where they need to adapt quickly.
The AI Revolution Made This Even More Urgent
At the same time, AI was changing everything.
I’ve believed for years that education needs to be rethought. But when AI exploded onto the scene, I realized there’s no time left.
🚀 Millions of jobs are going to be displaced.
🚀 The skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world aren’t being taught in schools.
🚀 Traditional education is too slow, too rigid, and too expensive to keep up.
And as my oldest son entered high school, I had to ask myself: Is this path actually setting him up for success?
💡 The answer was no.
That’s when I knew I had to take action.
I’ve had these ideas for years, but this was the moment I realized DIY Degree couldn’t wait.
What DIY Degree Will Do
DIY Degree isn’t just an alternative to college—it’s a complete rethinking of how people learn.
✅ Personalized, lifelong learning—so people learn exactly what they need, when they need it.
✅ Real-world skills, not outdated coursework—so people can thrive in careers and life, not just pass exams.
✅ Adaptive learning technology—powered by AI, so education moves as fast as the world does.
✅ Skill validation, not just certificates—so people can prove what they know, without wasting time and money on degrees.
✅ Instant tutoring & mentorship—so learning is never slowed down by lack of support.
💡 Because in an AI-driven world, the most important skill is the ability to learn—fast.
🚀 The future is coming fast. DIY Degree ensures people are ready for it.
🔹 It helps people find their future faster.