Pato Bichara, Collective Academy | The Future of the University [Ep. 24]

The audio and video are in Spanish. These notes are a translation.

Today we talk with Pato Bichara of Collective Academy about the future of the university. In Latin America, less than 30% of the population over 25 has higher education, compared with 50% in countries such as the United States and Europe. Paradoxically, over the last 10 years, there has been a large increase in the number of universities, which, the truth is, do not seem to be the solution for improving access to and the quality of higher education in the region.

To talk about this, we invited Pato Bichara of Collective Academy, an online school of business and technology that is reinventing the university. Today, its flagship program: the Master in Business Technology, stands out because it has been taken by employees of companies such as Google, Bimbo, and BBVA, despite not being a program accredited by the government!

He told us about his vision for the future of the university and higher education, and how Collective Academy is innovating in methodology and technology to create an educational experience 10 times better than the traditional alternatives.

If you like the podcast, the easiest way to help us is by leaving a review with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 1 minute and helps us convince the hardest guests to land, such as David Vélez, CEO and founder of Nubank, whom we would love to interview.

Origin and Magic of Collective Academy

• [1:16] - How did Pato get into the world of startups?
  • Experience in consulting
• [2:32] - What is Collective Academy?
  • A neo-university that revolutionizes education for leaders in Latin America
• [4:50] - What, according to Pato Bichara, defines Collective Academy as a “neo-university”?
  • More accessible prices compared with traditional universities
  • Updated programs with topics relevant to the current world
  • Centered on the user and a focus on tangible results
  • Focus on a specific niche: development of business and technology skills
  • A model with few assets and more scalable: a digital university
• [8:00] - What sets Collective Academy apart from other universities?
  • Pato Bichara’s obsession with delivering the best classes at Collective Academy
  • Active learning methodology
  • Exclusive community and mentors
• [11:48] - How are learning outcomes measured at Collective Academy?
  • Attendance and graduation percentage
  • NPS (Net Promoter Score)
  • Percentage of graduates collaborating with the ecosystem

Present and Future of the University in Latin America

• [14:38] - Why did Collective Academy decide to launch a master’s as its first educational program?
  • The need to provide updated content and mentorships for high-potential leaders
  • A gap in the value propositions of current master’s programs in Mexico
• [16:57] - The advantages and disadvantages of not having accreditation
  • An accreditation could accelerate growth
  • Not having accreditation makes it possible to bring in more diverse teachers and save costs
• [19:38] - Should the university system start implementing non-accredited programs?
  • Accreditation is inversely proportional to innovation
  • Creating a new, more democratic accreditation
• [26:10] - The role of large companies in higher education
  • Co-designers of content in order to have a flow of talent
  • Replicating the patterns of a business school to develop talent inside the company
• [30:17] - What does Collective Academy’s Compass program consist of and what gap does it seek to fill?
  • Envisioning the future of the bachelor’s degree
  • Providing essential tools to guide and help students enter the professional world
• [33:13] - Educational programs like Compass vs. going to a traditional university
  • Not seeing it as a substitute but as a complement
• [35:10] - Pato’s vision of higher education
  • Breaking the traditional line of study with Collective Academy
  • Adapting to the different types of learning
  • Constantly interacting with organizations to develop relevant skills

Tweet Round

• [39:52]
  • Recommended book: Working Backwards
  • Changes in the startup ecosystem: more passionate people inside startups. More interaction between investors and entrepreneurs
  • Entrepreneurs to interview: Mariana Castillo of Ben & Frank, Adalberto Flores of Kueski

Episode Mentions

You can find Pato on Twitter and Linkedin

Recommended books: Working Backwards by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr

Entrepreneurs: Mariana Castillo of Ben & Frank and Adalberto Flores of Kueski

Discover More from the Startupeable Podcast

Listen to every episode at startupeable.com/podcast.

Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when a new one comes out.

Follow Enzo Cavalie on X: @enzocavalie.