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][5] 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.[6][7] Previously, Karnjanaprakorn led the product team at Hot Potato, a social media product bought by
Facebook. Ong was the product manager at
OMGPop.[8][9] In August 2011, Skillshare raised $3.1 million in Series A funding led by
Union Square Ventures and
Spark Capital.[8][10] In late 2013, Skillshare had raised $4.65 million in funding,[11] and $6 million by February 2014, with financing co-led by Union Square Ventures and Spark Capital. Total funding reached $10 million.[12]
In April 2012, Skillshare held the Penny Conference, a one-day discussion on the current educational system and how to reform it,[7][13] with Michael Karnjanaprakorn,
Codecademy’s co-founder
Zach Sims, and
Pencils of Promise founder Adam Braun as speakers.[7]
Skillshare launched 15 online courses in August 2012,[1][4][14][15][16] with students collaborating to complete a project.[5] By November 2013, it hosted over 250 courses,[11][14] and launched its School of Design.[17]
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.[18][19]
In March 2014, Skillshare moved to a membership model for $9.95 a month.[20] 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.[21]
In May 2016, Skillshare raised $12 million in Series B funding.[22] The company raised a further $28 million in Series C funding in July 2018 ($20 million in equity and $8 million in venture debt).[23]
In March 2017, the platform introduced the "Groups" feature that allows members to connect with other creators.[24]
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.[25]
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.[26][27] All online courses are self-paced.[1][28]
In June 2018, the company launched Skillshare Originals, a collection of courses produced by Skillshare's in-house team.[29]