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About SkilledUp Life

Solo Tech Founder led global movement.

SkilledUp Life is a two-sided marketplace where skilled professionals volunteer to help early-stage tech startups survive and grow, while gaining the experience and references to accelerate their own careers. Founded by a solo tech founder, and powered by SkilledUp Lifes (our own Volunteers).

66,000+
Volunteers
148
Countries
215+
Startups helped
5+ yrs
In operation
Our story

Born to give everyone an equal footing.

SkilledUp Life began with a simple observation: talented people everywhere need real experience to move their careers forward, and early-stage tech startups everywhere need skilled help they can not yet afford. Both problems solve each other.

So we built a platform where the two meet on fair, transparent terms. Volunteers contribute their skills to real tech startups solving real problems, and walk away with demonstrable experience, references and a global network. Tech Founders extend their runway and build capable teams for the price of a subscription.

It's a genuine win-win, and it's open to anyone, from anywhere.

Experience is the currency

Demonstrable work with real companies beats another certificate, every time.

Fair by design

Strict rules (no exploitation allowed) keep volunteering voluntary, transparent and valuable for both sides.

Borderless by default

Talent and opportunity should not be limited by geography. Ours never are.

Our mission

To give every tech entrepreneur and every professional an equal footing to start, grow and accelerate, no matter where they are in the world.

The team

Solo Tech Founder led. Bootstrapped.

For sixteen years (2004 to 2020), our Founder lacked the capital to build sizeable teams to fully realise the true potential of tech startups he built. He built and operated SkilledUp Life solo before bringing on others to help.

Manoj Ranaweera

Manoj Ranaweera

Founder & CEO

Serial tech entrepreneur and the driving force behind SkilledUp Life, setting the vision and building the community from the ground up.

Asinsala

Asinsala Silva

Core Platform Engineering

A constant presence keeping the platform operations running smoothly day to day, alongside Manoj.

66,000+

Powered by Volunteers

We practice what we preach. SkilledUp Life is built and operated by our own Volunteers (SkilledUp Lifers) at operational, management and leadership level.

We remain our most demanding customer, having helped well over 600 Volunteers gain experience and skills to accelerate their careers directly through us. Some have gone on to land jobs with prestigious blue chips such as Lenovo and Cap Gemini.

How we are organised

Seven Volunteer teams keep it all moving.

The core team is supported by seven functional teams, each by Volunteers building real experience and skills. Most of our tech startup customers adopt a similar structure, albeit Volunteer acquisition.

💻

Product Development

Builds and maintains the SkilledUp Life platform: engineering, design, QA and product management.

Engineering · Design · QA
📣

Marketing

Grows awareness and reach through content, social media, SEO, video and brand while driving Volunteer and Tech Startup signups.

Content · Social · SEO
🤝

Sales

Brings tech startups onto the platform and helps them subscribe and succeed.

Outreach · Conversion
💬

Customer Success

Supports Tech Founders and Volunteers so everyone extracts maximum value from SkilledUp Life.

Support · Onboarding
🧑‍💼

Human Resources

Recruits, onboards and cares for the Volunteer team, and keeps the agreements fair.

Recruitment · People
🌐

Partnerships

Builds relationships with Accelerators and Education Providers to widen access and opportunity.

Accelerators · Education
🌱

Volunteer Acquisition

Introduces the benefits of SkilledUp Life and drive Volunteer sign ups.

Community · Growth
Join us

How to join the SkilledUp Life Volunteer team.

Want to help build SkilledUp Life itself while gaining real experience and skills? Our own Volunteer Opportunities are posted on the platform, just like any other tech startup. Here's how to apply.

1

Sign up as a Volunteer

Create your free Volunteer account on the SkilledUp Life platform.

2

Build your Volunteer profile fully

Complete every field, including the optional ones. A full, honest profile is what gets you shortlisted. No shortcuts. More comprehensive you are, the luckier you get.

3

Find our current opportunities

Visit app.skilledup.life/company/skilleduplife to see SkilledUp Life's live Volunteer Opportunities.

4

Apply to your best-fit role

Apply to the Volunteer Opportunity most aligned with your chosen career path, and tell us why in your own words.

Be part of the movement.

Whether you join our team or volunteer with another tech startup, your next step starts the same way, create your account.