Learn from Peers. Commit to Reflection. Grow Together.
A year-long, invitation-only learning network for senior designers and leaders.
Join a small group of peers who commit to sharing their biggest lessons and hardest questions.
Review all of the FAQs prior to checkout. If anything isn’t clear, just email us.
the challenge
Learning from peers is valuable, yet good opportunities to do so are rare.
"I'm in a bunch of Slack communities, but they're all ghost towns."
"The conference felt like a rinse and repeat from last year."
"Why does it feel like others have it figured out while I'm still struggling?"
"There's so much pressure to go fast, but have no idea if I'm making good decisions."
The solution
A quarterly reflection practice with a small group of peers from outside your normal circles.
This isn't another community or "networking opportunity." It's a commitment to share what we learn and how we solve similar challenges at work.
Here's how it works
Commit to four quarterly reflections
Every three months, we'll remind you to block off some time to reflect on your progress, key takeaways, and where you're headed.
Review patterns in shared lessons and insights
After all the reflections are in, I'll assemble and share a digest of common threads and key insights throughout the group.
Check-in as a group each month to move from here to there
Get ongoing, real-time support exactly when you need it most… when you're applying lessons IRL.
Oh, but that's not all!
Most programs fall into two traps: teaching theory that isn't specific to your unique challenges, or forcing you to choose between formats, topics, and dates. Here at CDO School, you set the agenda. We do that by blending different learning styles, an offering multiple modes of support.
Membership includes:
- The CDO School Toolkit
- 3 Self-Paced Courses Become business savvy and take strategic action
- 3 Books Practical tips to scale your impact
- 30+ Figjam Boards Canvases that deliver immediate results
- 80+ AMAs & Workshops Nuanced conversations for sense-making
- 70+ audio tips Short, bite-sized lessons on the go
- Quarterly reflections
- Monthly, small-group conversations
- Digest of shared membership insights
- Weekly live events
"Information is a burden unless it is understood. Understanding is accompanied by constant reflection."
– John Dewey
Most communities are lonely. This membership sticks.
Develop new skills and grow your network at the same time
This is six years of facilitation, tested with thousands of designers, refined through intentional relection practices. There's no other learning experience like this because there's no one else who's built one.
Compare the alternatives:
- A $150,000+ MBA to buy a network
- Corporate training you didn't sign up for, but are required to attend
- Cohort courses to learn new skills without any of the feedback loops
With CDO School Membership, you get a network built to help you grow more confidence today, and get the support you need for they challenges ahead.
Your host
I'm Ryan Rumsey. I design programs to help you get from where you are to where you want to be.
When I worked at Apple, I learned what it meant to be surrounded by people who encouraged me to push my skills and the practice of design forward. I felt the power of learning when it came from a place of excitement rather than anxiety. And that became the real secret behind my career growth.
Here's what I discovered: my ability to influence decisions and raise my impact at work was not simply because I learned a few business skills, but because I was encouraged to find fun, exciting, and new ways to do business.
For last six years, I've gathered thousands of designers from around the world to not only share my lessons, but to learn from and encourage each other. The power of collective learning is real and lasting. It's through reflection from which we find our greatest insights. It's with support that we find our collective confidence.
I built this membership specifically for designers to help you grow your career and win in business in a way that works for you. While they might never get design, this membership will help you win anyway.
Apply to join us
Join senior designers, operators, leaders and executives who share and learn from each other in an honest, open way. Limited to 10 people per month, curated for the right mix of experiences and challenges.
FOR INDIVIDUALS
$899
Payment plans available
No recurring subscriptions. No forced community. No artificial progression. Just a year-long, invitation-only learning network where you get the peer network you've been looking for.
What's included?
- CDO School Toolkit
- Four quarterly reflections
- Small-group conversations
- Digest of shared insights
- Live events
FAQs
How is this different from the CDO School Toolkit?
The CDO School Toolkit is a complete resource library that you can use on your own time and at your own pace. Memberships match you with a small group of peers, with whom you meet with, reflect, and share insights.
What if I bought a CDO School Toolkit?
If you've already purchased the toolkit and are interested in becoming a member, apply to join us at a rate of $500/yr.
I'm not a design lead/manager/director. Is Membership right for me?
Yes. I've use the application process to provide multiple entry points for different experience levels, essentially a matching service. This way, as a group, you reflect and share on matters relevant to you in your role.
I already understand business basics. What makes this different?
Knowing business fundamentals isn't enough anymore. The real skill is knowing when business decisions are actually business decisions vs. when they're emotional ones masquerading as business logic.
CDO School teaches you how to spot the real roadblocks, build the right evidence, and focus your energy where it matters. Business programs leave out your biggest challenge: building relationships and trust with people who are skeptical of what you do. This isn't about learning business terms or frameworks. It's about learning to win in ways you haven't figured out yet.
Isn't this just for people who want Chief Design Officers?
In hindsight, CDO School is a terrible name because let's face it, very few people actually want to be a CDO. This toolkit is for anyone who's tired of seeing good design work die in endless meetings and politics. Growing a reflection practice while building a small network of peers shows you how to adapt, adjust, and grow from where you are now to where you want to be.
More Questions?
Email me directly: ryan[at]thecdo.school
I read everything. If you're not sure this is right for you, or if you need to understand how this fits your specific situation, just ask.
Ryan Rumsey
Founder, CDO School