d.MBA
d.MBA is a bootstrapped, Slovenia-based online education company that teaches working designers the business skills (strategy, models, metrics) they need to escape execution work and lead strategic initiatives, delivered through cohort-based and self-paced programs with proprietary Micro Community Course methodology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersLjubljana, Slovenia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What d.MBA does
d.MBA Ltd. is a Slovenian-domiciled, fully remote education company founded in 2017 by former IDEO business designer Alen Faljic. The company delivers business education tailored specifically for working designers, offering two core paid programs: a 6-week cohort-based d.MBA delivered via Slack, Zoom, and Miro with live calls, peer feedback, and 5 months of community access, and a self-paced d.MBA hosted on Teachable providing lifetime content access without community features. Both programs share a curriculum focused on the business skills designers need (strategy, business models, metrics, prototyping with numbers) while omitting topics such as accounting or macroeconomics. Course delivery is supported by Stripe and Paddle payments, and graduates can receive a generative-art NFT certificate minted on Polygon and listed on OpenSea, developed in partnership with branding agency Ljudje.
The company's proprietary Micro Community Course (MiCC) framework organizes content around three building blocks (Community, Culture, Content) and seven design levers, and is credited with driving a 97% program completion rate and 9+/10 student rating across 15+ cohorts since 2018, with 500+ designers trained and 10,000+ reached through its content ecosystem. The go-to-market motion is product-led and community-led: a free 5-day Mini MBA email course, guides, podcasts, and an active LinkedIn presence drive top-of-funnel interest, while the cohort program uses an application-based admissions process to curate motivated students. d.MBA is bootstrapped with no external institutional capital and a small (1-10 employee) team, and explicitly positions itself as a deliberately thoughtful, non-hyper-growth business.
d.MBA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- d.MBA
- Legal name
- d.MBA Ltd.
- Website
- https://d.mba
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- d.MBA is a bootstrapped, Slovenia-based online education company that teaches working designers the business skills (strategy, models, metrics) they need to escape execution work and lead strategic initiatives, delivered through cohort-based and self-paced programs with proprietary Micro Community Course methodology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
d.MBA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Education Services
- NAICS
- Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses (MPACALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Certification & Credentialed Creator Programs (MPACALAI), Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD)
Keywords
Where d.MBA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ljubljana
- HQ country
- Slovenia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
d.MBA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cohort-based d.MBA Program: Cohort-based online business education program for designers with 6-week duration. Includes lifetime access to course content, 5 months of community access, live calls, peer feedback, and mentor feedback. Payment by credit card or bank transfer with installment options available.
- Self-paced d.MBA Program: Self-paced online business education program with lifetime access to all course content via Teachable platform. No community access included. Payment only by credit card.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Cohort-based d.MBA - 6-week intensive program with community access |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Self-paced d.MBA - Lifetime access program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
d.MBA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
d.MBA sells online business education programs tailored specifically for professional designers. Its two core paid offerings are a 6-week cohort-based program with live calls, peer feedback, mentorship, 5 months of community access, and lifetime content access, and a self-paced program providing lifetime content access via Teachable without community features. The programs are built on the proprietary Micro Community Course (MiCC) methodology and award either a standard or blockchain-based NFT graduation certificate upon completion.
Product overview
d.MBA offers a portfolio of business education products centered around two core paid programs: the Cohort-based d.MBA Program (6-week interactive course with community, live calls, and mentorship) and the Self-paced d.MBA Program (lifetime access to content without community features). Both programs share the same curriculum focused on business skills for designers. The product portfolio is supplemented by free resources including the Mini MBA email course, Guides, and Podcasts. Upon completion, students receive either an NFT certificate (cohort-based) or standard certificate, with the cohort-based program also including access to an alumni community. The programs are delivered through integrated platforms including Teachable (learning management), Slack (community), Zoom (live sessions), and Miro (collaboration).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cohort-based d.MBA Program A 6-week online cohort-based business education program specifically designed for professional designers, providing business skills through interactive community learning with live calls, peer feedback, mentor feedback, 5 months of community access, and lifetime content access. Admission is application-based.
- Self-paced d.MBA Program A self-directed version of the d.MBA business education program offering lifetime access to all course content via the Teachable platform, without community access or live interaction. Purchasable directly by credit card.
- Mini MBA A free 5-day email course teaching 5 key business skills for designers, designed as a standalone entry point and preview of the full d.MBA program content and used as the company's primary lead magnet.
- Guides A free library of in-depth essays and tools exploring the intersection of design and business, covering topics such as strategic design thinking, business models, and economics for designers.
- Podcasts Free audio content providing business confidence insights for designers on-the-go, featuring alumni stories and business education discussions.
- d.MBA Certificate (NFT) A blockchain-based NFT graduation certificate using generative art, awarded upon completion of the cohort-based d.MBA program. Each certificate is unique, mintable as an NFT on the Polygon blockchain, and serves as both proof of completion and collectible digital art.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% program completion rate
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use d.MBA
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
d.MBA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature2 records
d.MBA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Ljudje (Branding Agency)minorSlovenian branding agency that collaborated with d.MBA to design the NFT certificate system. Worked on creating a generative art system that produces unique certificates while maintaining visual consistency with d.MBA's brand identity.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
d.MBA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IDEO U: IDEO U is the educational arm of IDEO, offering design thinking and creative leadership courses online. As d.MBA's founder is ex-IDEO, IDEO U is a natural peer in the design-education space, with a similar orientation toward professional designer development.
- Designlab: Designlab offers online design courses and mentorship programs with a strong cohort-based and project-driven model. It targets aspiring and working designers, overlapping with d.MBA's audience and pedagogy.
- Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF): IxDF is the largest online design education community, offering courses, certifications, and training for UX, UI, and product designers. It overlaps with d.MBA's target audience (professional designers) and offers parallel learning pathways, though broader in scope.
- Section: Section is a business education platform specifically designed for designers, offering courses on design leadership and business strategy. It is the most direct competitor to d.MBA, sharing the same target persona of working designers seeking business confidence.
Broad incumbents
- Coursera: Coursera is a large MOOC platform offering business and design courses from top universities and companies. It provides free or low-cost alternatives to d.MBA on the broader business education content, even if not designer-specific.
- Reforge: Reforge offers cohort-based professional development programs for product, growth, and engineering leaders. While not designer-specific, it shares the cohort + community + mentor model and targets similar professional-development buyer personas.
- Skillshare: Skillshare is a subscription-based learning marketplace focused on creative disciplines, including design and business. It competes with d.MBA's self-paced offering as a low-cost alternative for designers seeking to upskill.
- Domestika: Domestika is a creator-led course marketplace for creative professionals, with a strong design and creative-arts catalog. It shares the creator-led, video-based course model with d.MBA's self-paced program, though price points and audience are broader.
- Maven: Maven is a cohort-based course platform hosting instructors across many professional domains including business, design, and product. It overlaps with d.MBA's cohort-based live-format pedagogy and is a platform competitor for cohort courses.
- General Assembly: General Assembly is a large established provider of bootcamps and short courses in design, tech, and business. It competes with d.MBA in the designer-upskilling and career-transition space but offers a much broader curriculum and catalog.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
d.MBA social profiles
Digital presenced.MBA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
d.MBA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
d.MBA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
d.MBA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about d.MBA
What does d.MBA do?
d.MBA sells online business education programs tailored specifically for professional designers. Its two core paid offerings are a 6-week cohort-based program with live calls, peer feedback, mentorship, 5 months of community access, and lifetime content access, and a self-paced program providing lifetime content access via Teachable without community features. The programs are built on the proprietary Micro Community Course (MiCC) methodology and award either a standard or blockchain-based NFT graduation certificate upon completion.
Is d.MBA a public or private company?
d.MBA is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was d.MBA founded?
d.MBA was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is d.MBA based?
d.MBA is headquartered in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in the Europe region.
How does d.MBA make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Cohort-based d.MBA Program is the primary driver. The others are self-paced d.MBA Program.
Who are d.MBA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IDEO U, Designlab, Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) and Section. Broad incumbents are Coursera, Reforge, Skillshare, Domestika, Maven and General Assembly.
Does d.MBA have an API?
No public API is recorded for d.MBA.
What industry is d.MBA in?
d.MBA's product category is Online Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACALAD, Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses, with a secondary code of MPACALAI, Certification & Credentialed Creator Programs. Its NAICS code is 6114 and its SIC code is 8200.