F*CK COLLEGE.
FiND YOUR OWN FUTURE.

Discover ·

Design ·

Deliver ·

Discover · Design · Deliver ·

THE New APPRENCTICESHIP

/delv/

to dig or labor
to make a careful search for information
to examine a subject in detail

D3LV is an alternative to college for those who want to explore the future on their own terms.

It’s a 3-level apprenticeship that starts with self-discovery and leads to paid gigs. Develop your skills and experience to build a career delivering digital products.

LVL 1

2-4 Weeks

COMMITMENT

AVAILABILITY

OPEN TO ALL

COST

FREE

This is where you explore the space to decide if you’re up for the challenge. You’ll delve into some recommended reading and other resources on your own time.

Are you driven?
Willing to put in the effort?
Push for your own growth?

LVL 2

3-6 MONTHS

COMMITMENT

AVAILABILITY

100 SLOts

COST

$500

You’re willing to invest in your own growth and ready to continue further by being mentored. You’ll share your learning with a small community of apprentices.

Application Submission
One-time $500 Fee (if Accepted)
Physical + Digital Welcome Kit
Access to D3LV Community

LVL 3

10 SLOTS

6-9 MONTHS

COMMITMENT

AVAILABILITY

RETURN

PAID WORK

You’ve moved beyond initial skills to a hands-on paid apprenticeship model. You’re getting paid to learn and have access to agency work as an independent contractor.

Create Your Own LLC
Access to Agency Tools
View + Accept Paid Client Work
Weekly 1:1 Mentorship

WHY D3LV?

You're totally tech-savvy,
using all kinds of digital tools every day like a pro.

Flexibility and creativity are your jam, and you're all about forging your own journey.

You're set on shaping a path that's 100% you, real and original.

There are too many charlatans choices.

Social media's packed with too many voices throwing advice, tutorials, and info at you, leading to major choice overload. With tech offering endless possibilities, it's incredible but kinda overwhelming to navigate solo.

There are no easy paths.

The secret is, there is no secret. There’s no shortcut, quick method, 15-minute course, or online tool that’s going to make you rich. The people telling you that stuff are “making it” because for every 1 of them, there are 9,999 other people willing to give them $7 to find out their ‘secret’.

College is overrated and overpriced.

Speaking from real life, I'm sitting on a mountain of debt with not much to show for it. It's all about following someone else's playbook, made for their benefit, not yours. You don't really get lessons on real-world skills, handling business, tech, innovation, or anything crucial for today and tomorrow. Why drop a hundred grand and four years only to end up barely ahead of where you started?

You need space and time TO explore.

When you're young, chase variety and adventure, not just safety and security. This is your time to take risks, experiment, discover your passions, learn your strengths, and develop. You deserve to be paid for this growth journey, not be paying for it. While your curiosity's alive and kicking, let it thrive, don't let the job market crush it.

You deserve community.

Not many have nailed what a great one should be like. Some are 'cool' but not really useful or fulfilling. They're fun to hang out in, but don't do much for your career growth.

Plus, a lot of folks in these spaces are just looking to gain from others. They're built around a central figure, not for the benefit of the members. And there's often too much taking, not enough giving.

There's a better way to do this.

Sign Up

Sign up to delve into your future today.

Level 1 is free!

LVL 1
Free

Dive into the space and start exploring on your own time. See if you want to pursue a career at the intersection of discovery, design, and no-code development.

✓ Choose 3 books to read
✓ Choose 5 videos to watch
✓ Apply for LVL 2 to become an apprentice

WHO’S BEHIND THIS?

👋 J Wilt

I spent the last two decades at the intersection of discovery, design, and development to help teams build innovative products and experiences.

I've worked with startups, agencies, and Fortune 500 brands. I’ve built my own products with low-code and no-code tools.

I’m always experimenting and I approach my work with a sense of play. I’m a dad who wants to my young son to have better options for his future.

COMPANIES I’VE WORKED WITH

“you had a huge impact on me. ”

Junior Designer

“wanted to reach out and let you know how lucky I feel to have gotten the chance to learn so much from you so early on in my career.”

Senior Designer

“I’ve learned so much from you indirectly, mostly how to do work that matters and not waste your time on things that don’t.”

Product Manager

F*Cking Awesome questions

  • This model might be for you if …

    You’re age 18-24 (**or** willing to start over in a new career field)

    You question authority, but you’re open to feedback

    When you try something, you stick with it through failure and mistakes

    You LOVE to move at your own pace

    You like figuring out how things work, and ways to make them better

    You’re open to something other than college

    You tinker online (selling on eBay, StockX, crypto, gaming, etc)

  • Other than buying a few resources like books or subscriptions for apps and tools, it costs nothing to get started.

    If you apply for Level 2, you’ll pay a one-time $500 fee if you’re accepted into the closed community as an apprentice. That covers the cost of supplies, access to tools, and the time to mentor you. After that, you’ll actually get paid for gigs you work part-time or full-time as you choose. The more you grow and hone your craft, the faster you’ll level up to more gigs and more pay.

    This program is largely self-paced, so you can grow and get paid as quickly as you can learn and level up your skills. Most apprentices will be making at least $40/hour within the first 6 months of their journey.

  • I’m not a fan of labels honestly. They can pigeon-hole you into roles.

    UX/UI has a connotation of being about ‘screen making’ and pushing pixels.

    Design is too generic because basically we all design something on a daily basis in life.

    Product Design is too specific because it isn’t just about digital products, it can be about experiences, services, startups, new models and frameworks, etc.

    I’m a huge fan of low/no-code but it’s just another tool. I think it’s powerful because it speeds up the work and thinking and allows you to iterate and innovate faster on ideas.

    Overall I would say this is a tech apprenticeship. You’ll learn about design, but you’ll also learn how to experiment, build things, take feedback, work with others, tell stories, and learn other new technology.

    This is about you. It’s about developing your ability to adapt and learn anything.

    I want to help you spot the latest thing, figure it out and master it, yet know when it’s time to move on and grow into what comes next.

  • I’m not an educational institution. When have certificates ever given anyone anything of real value?

    If you’re asking this, or your parents are, I get it. There’s lots of snake oil out there and people can claim to be experts these days at all kinds of bullshit.

    I’ll just say that I don’t pretend to know anything. I have experience in the finance, healthcare, and tech industry from over 20 years of working in agencies, startups, and Fortune 500’s.

    I’ve been hired, promoted, fired, tired, and learned how to handle a lot of weird work situations. I’ve gained clients, kept some, fired others, and built a few different businesses over the years.

    I’m passionate about mentoring others and helping them prepare for a weird, wild future that most people won’t be ready to handle. I want to teach others how to build resilience, how to keep their sense of curiosity and play, and how to experiment with their lives and work.

  • Totally cool, thanks for sharing.

    I’m not trying to get votes or build something popular. I hate politics so nothing I do is meant to be political. If you think it is political, maybe it’s your own filter? If you don’t agree with me, this might not be the right thing for you.

    I’m trying to invest my time in taking bets on people who need/want support and are willing to put in the effort to be mentored and grow. That takes some combination of curiosity, low ego, ownership, and persistence that not everyone has.

  • This is going to sound like a canned response, but I’ve found that you get out what you put in.

    Whenever I’ve been driven, open to feedback, and leaned into something long enough, it’s paid off both personally and professionally for me.

    I can’t guarantee that anyone will make money, how much they’ll make, or if they’ll be successful.

    I do promise to do my best to build client funnels, find meaningful work, and set up all apprentices in the community for success.

    There are always factors in the world, economy, etc. that we can’t control. Work could dry up, tech could shift, meteors could hit when we least expect it.