Skillshare is an online learning community based in the United States that provides educational videos.[1][2][3] The courses are non accredited and are only available through a paid subscription.[4] The courses primarily cover creative work, with a smaller amount of courses on business and entrepreneurship.
Most of the courses focus on interaction, with the primary goal of learning by completing a project.
History
Michael Karnjanaprakorn and Malcolm Ong started Skillshare in New York City, New York in November 2010; the site was live in April 2011.[5][6] Previously, Karnjanaprakorn led the product team at Hot Potato, a social media product bought by Facebook. Ong was the product manager at OMGPop.[7][8] In August 2011, Skillshare raised $3.1 million in Series A funding led by Union Square Ventures and Spark Capital.[7][9] In late 2013, Skillshare had raised $4.65 million in funding,[10] and $6 million by February 2014, with financing co-led by Union Square Ventures and Spark Capital. Total funding reached $10 million.[11]
Skillshare held the Penny Conference in April 2012, a one-day discussion on the current educational system and how to reform it,[6][12] with Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Codecademy’s co-founder Zach Sims, and Pencils of Promise founder Adam Braun as speakers.[6]
Skillshare launched 15 online courses in August 2012,[1][4][13][14][15] with students collaborating to complete a project. By November 2013, it hosted over 250 courses,[10][13] and launched its School of Design.[16]
Skillshare collaborated with Levi's to launch the School of MakeOurMark in October 2013, focusing on individual creativity with courses in photography, tattooing, and various forms of illustration.[17][18]
In March 2014, Skillshare moved to a membership model for $9.95 a month.[19] Later that year, the company announced a new open platform, where anyone could be a course instructor, and a free membership option to watch a limited amount of class content each month.[20]
In May 2016, Skillshare raised $12 million in Series B funding.[21] The company raised a further $28 million in Series C funding in July 2018 ($20 million in equity and $8 million in venture debt).[22]
In March 2017, the platform introduced the "Groups" feature that allows members to connect with other creators.[23]
In September 2021, Skillshare discontinued the option of offering classes for free and required users to have either a paid membership or a free trial to access all courses, including those that were previously available for free.[24]
Courses
Skillshare organizes courses in advertising, business, design, fashion and style, film and video, food and drink, music, photography, gaming, technology, and writing and publishing.[25][26] All online courses are self-paced.[1][27]
In June 2018, the company launched Skillshare Originals, a collection of courses produced by Skillshare's in-house team.[28]
