The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified cover image

The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified

476. Fixing Education with a Startup Mentality: The Innovative Micro Schools-Model Backed by Founders Fund, Khosla, and Sam Altman (Ryan Delk)

Mar 31, 2025
Ryan Delk, CEO of Primer and former leader at Omni and Gumroad, dives into the challenges facing the American education system. He advocates for micro schools, emphasizing their potential to reshape learning experiences. Delk discusses the significance of personalized education and the empowerment of teachers. He also critiques funding disparities and explores how data can enhance educational outcomes. With a focus on individual student needs, he highlights innovative models that prioritize both academic rigor and emotional well-being.
48:18

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Ryan Delk emphasizes the need for diverse educational models tailored to individual student needs to combat the failures of standardization in American education.
  • The current funding disparity linked to local property taxes creates significant inequities in educational quality, necessitating a more equitable financial model for schools.

Deep dives

Ryan Delk's Journey into Education

Ryan Delk's commitment to improving education stems from his early experiences with a micro school founded by his mother in Florida. Facing a flawed public school system, he witnessed firsthand the transformative potential of alternative educational models. After a successful career in tech startups, including scaling Gumroad and serving as COO at Omni, Delk decided to devote his efforts to creating an empowering education system for children. This experience inspired him to establish Primer, which aims to replicate and scale the beneficial impacts of alternative education for millions of students across the U.S.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode