A Teachable Moment

Gever, Brightworks' founder, starting without significant funding or institutional backing, has relied heavily on the skill of attraction to build his one-of-a-kind educational community, taking advantage of every one of the activities we've outlined above.

Brightworks is a startup at heart, and many startups in a similar position remain in “stealth mode” until such time as they're ready for their big launch—a dramatic reveal that coincides with a broad PR campaign. Stealth mode allows a company to fly under its competitors' radar and, more relevant to a new, unfunded school like Brightworks, provides a wide margin for error when they experience the inevitable setbacks.

Instead, Gever broadcast his vision everywhere he could. ...

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