Simulations for humans

WHY

My work at Clicked still feels unfinished. The insight behind it seemed painfully obvious to me then, and it still does: “earn to learn” models misunderstand both sides of the relationship.

Employers are not schools. And a paycheck is not students’ primary motivation.

Their primary motivation is to build the skills they need to succeed in their careers.

Simulations give people room to practice, make mistakes, and build confidence before the stakes are real. This isn’t a novel idea. It’s a basic part of how we learn.

In research we’ve conducted, employers have said they would value a five-week simulated work experience nearly 20 times more than the degree a student spends four years earning.

That contrast has stayed with me.

If we want to close the “experience gap” for college students, simulations are clearly the way.

Clicked was my first attempt, not the end of the work. I know better business models could make a “Clicked v2” possible, and there’s much more to build.