Unlocking Markets Through Youth Programs: A New Product Vertical
Circuit Stream · 2023
My Role
Product Manager
Company
Circuit Stream
Date
2023
Overview
By late 2023 our adult offerings were performing better. Most of our growth had come from bootcamps for adults looking to upskill or career transition into gaming, software, or product. However, the continuing education space in the tech industry is arguably saturated with bootcamp products across the industry. Ultimately, while our goals to bridge the skill gap with future skills was being fulfilled in the adult space, there was an untapped opportunity with a younger demographic.
We saw the gap in the market and we realized we could fill it. To address this, I spearheaded the launch of a completely new vertical: pre-university learning experiences for teens aged 13–18. This initiative unlocked a new market segment while addressing gaps in traditional education.
Understanding the problem space
While our adult programs aligned with job market needs, we hadn’t yet considered how our expertise could serve a younger demographics. The landscape for teen learners was different—less about immediate job outcomes, and more about discovery, direction, and building confidence. To build the right foundation, we needed to answer:
What are teens and parents really looking for?
Where does traditional education fall short? How can we fill that gap?
How do we built something unique and different from a typical 'camp'?
We kicked off our discovery by analyzing the existing competitive landscape, while also seeking to understand both parent intent and the learner journey—how teens navigate traditional education, begin to uncover their interests, and prepare for what comes next.
Understanding the current learner journey from high school to the real world.
To understand where we could add value, we mapped the journey from high school to post-secondary and early careers — identifying the moments where students need the most support, exposure, and guidance. This helped us focus on a crucial window: the moment where students begin connecting their interests to real opportunities. That’s where Circuit Stream could make the biggest difference.
At a Glance
Competitive Landscape
The 9–12 demographic was overserved across the US and Canada, but 13–17 had fewer high-quality options—and virtually none in Canada.
Most competitors lacked clear progression or return pathways for students to build mastery.
Content was focused primarily on robotics and technology, which was contradictory to growing enrollment stats for undergraduate programs, with high interest in business.
Intent and Gaps
Teens used extracurricular to reinforce their interest and hobbies. For academic options, many were eager to discover what they wanted to do in the future but lacked exposure to real options.
Parents prioritized long-term outcomes, whether that meant preparing for university, building portfolios, or gaining an edge in post-secondary applications.
Both groups were thirsty for industry knowledge, tools, and mentorship they wouldn't find in traditional school systems.
This wasn't a simple expansion into summer programs for teens, neither was it about filling time outside the classroom. There was a clear opportunity to position Circuit Stream as a provider uniquely equipped to bridge the gap they are seeking: facilitating their career exploration, build confidence in their future direction, while giving them the tools to stand out as they decide to take their next steps.
Crafting the Product Positioning
The positioning of our products, to us, is what drove our differentiation strategy. Ultimately, we weren’t just selling courses or a program to fill free time. Instead, we were framing Circuit Stream as the launchpad to discover what’s next.
Exploration with Purpose
Help students explore emerging fields, technologies, and career paths they wouldn’t normally access in high school. Show how hobbies connect to real opportunities.
Preparation through real outcomes
Credibility through our partnerships
Bringing this vision to life required internal alignment as much as external clarity. Working closely with cross-functional partners like marketing and sales, we built a shared language around “pre-university”. We created positioning guides, parent-facing messaging templates, and content structure playbooks to ensure consistency from course delivery to how we talked about outcomes. This foundation allowed us to scale quickly while keeping the learner experience cohesive and credible.
Internal documents framed for the team on the purpose behind these programs
This shared purpose wound up trickling across marketing (website, emails, paid ads), conversations with our admissions teams, curriculum design, and our physical experiences that we brought in the classrooms.
Current marketing website for the 2025 programs.
Sample project for our Explorer's Game Design course [link here]
Results
We launched this new vertical in January 2024, and quickly saw remarkable results.
Broadening TAM
Contributed directly to 60% YoY overall growth from 2023 to 2024 with this new product vertical at Circuit Stream. Between 2024 to 2025 (still ongoing), we're seeing a 50% growth YoY for youth.
Unlocking an untapped market
Despite being offered at a fraction of the cost of bootcamps, pre-university programs have become one of the top revenue drivers, demonstrating the appeal of this new vertical.
After a successful pilot in 2024, we expanded our offerings both by course and by geography in 2025. This came with additional challenges with branding and positioning, as we faced specific nuances with each institutional partnership we had. While we are seeing an uptick in growth x2 from last year, we're still early in our campaign and I will report back on my reflections later!