The Mastermind Behind CuriousCore ft. Daylon Soh | Stories Of Transformation 2

Company Overview & Inspiration

• CuriousCore was founded by Jalen Soh, with core branding built around “curiosity” as a core value.
• Naming/branding:
  • Chose “CuriousCore” after noticing curiouscall.com was available.
  • Purchased the domain; “curious” was selected to rhyme with / align to “core.”

Founder Background → Business Model

Career path

• Worked in tech, including companies such as Razer and Aviva (digital unit).
• Shifted into teaching UX (initially via private institutes), then expanded during COVID-19 when job opportunities were limited.

Identified market gap

• Students learned theory/content but lacked post-school career support, including:
  • Portfolio help
  • Career guidance
  • Career skills

First program

• Built an online UX program that started with ~6 students.
• Included real projects to build portfolios and taught career negotiation skills (e.g., salary negotiation).
• Some students achieved success and transitioned into new roles, validating the model and enabling growth.

Strategy: Outcomes-First, Time-Saving Education

CuriousCore positions itself around “results over seat time”:

• Core focus: Help careers or business teams transition effectively, rather than track training hours.
• Target segments:
  • Individuals: mid-career switchers / students seeking UX/product roles
  • Businesses: organizations transitioning to more digital/UX-led work
• Differentiation:
  • Not “many courses,” but a deep focus on a small set of “Tech+ light” verticals:
    • UX Career Acceleration
    • Product Management
    • Currently exploring/adding: Agile and Data Analytics
• Delivery approach:
  • Uses in-house development and local instructors who understand the market (Singapore/SEA context).

Market Positioning & Demand Rationale (High Level)

• Southeast Asia is described as booming due to:
  • Middle-class income growth
  • Venture capital flowing to startups
  • Digital transformation investment
• Implication for CuriousCore:
  • Increased hiring demand for UX, product management, and related practices like agile
• Also addresses misconceptions:
  • You do not need a degree (“paper qualification”) to enter the industry.
  • You do not need to learn to code to join UX roles.

Operating Model: Real-Client Projects via a Talent-Supply “Ecosystem”

A core operational playbook is placing students on real business projects.

How real clients and students are connected

• CuriousCore is described as being well-connected to companies (e.g., AirAsia transformation work with its design team).
• Businesses provide non-urgent design projects that students can tackle.

Why businesses participate

• Many startups/non-profits lack budget for a full-fledged UX team (explicitly called out as a talent crunch).
• Students help drive measurable outcomes such as:
  • Conversion on websites
  • Sign-ups / more members
  • More sales leads
  • Better acquisition and retention for apps

How students are managed

• Students work part-time but are treated as “serious” contributors requiring guidance.
• CuriousCore provides hands-on coaching and feedback, not passive participation.

Feedback loop (escalation path)

• After a design sprint (~1 month), companies may:
  • Request to engage students directly
  • Potentially hire them
• Referrals create an informal “secret ecosystem” of client access.

Outcomes & Value Proposition (Business-Oriented)

For individuals

• Programs emphasize career transitions (successful placements into UX roles are repeatedly referenced).
• Students gain portfolio-quality work plus practical skills (e.g., negotiation).

For businesses

• Focus on whether coaching produces outcomes like:
  • Efficiency improvements
  • Better performance in UX/product work
• Emphasizes learning by doing under real constraints and objectives.

Concrete Examples & Case Cues

• AirAsia:
  • Worked with their design team on transformation-related, student-suitable projects.
  • After design sprints, businesses sometimes shift to direct engagement/hiring.
• Early-stage cohort example:
  • First online cohorts built portfolios through real projects, leading to successful transitions.

Metrics / KPIs Mentioned (Explicit vs. Implied)

Explicit numeric metrics

• Initial cohort size: 6 students
• Design sprint length: ~1 month
• Graduate proof points: five graduates mentioned in separate places

Business KPIs (conceptual targets)

• Conversion rate improvements
• Sign-up / membership growth
• Sales lead generation
• Improved acquisition and retention

Course timeline mentioned

• UX Career Acceleration described as a four-month course (for mid-career transitions)

Actionable Recommendations Embedded in the Model

For businesses seeking UX talent without full hiring

• Provide non-urgent, bounded projects suitable for student execution.
• Use students to test improvements tied to concrete goals (conversion, retention, leads).
• Plan escalation: run a short design sprint and then reassess for direct engagement/hiring.

For education providers building employability pipelines

• Design programs to be outcomes-first (portfolio + career/business impact).
• Provide feedback-heavy coaching, not just assignments.
• Build partnerships with local industry teams for authentic project work.

Frameworks / Playbooks

No named frameworks (e.g., OKRs, SWOT, lean startup) were explicitly mentioned. The operational playbook is:

Real-client project sourcing → guided student execution → design sprint (~1 month) → outcome evaluation → escalation to direct engagement/hiring.

Presenters / Sources

• Jose Leong (interviewer)
• Jalen Soh / Dylan (founder of CuriousCore; referred to as “Jalen” and “Dylan” in the subtitles)
• Video title indicates: “The Mastermind Behind CuriousCore ft. Daylon Soh” (spelling appears inconsistent in subtitles)