Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
What do you do after 100 job rejections? David Drazil turned to the one skill that always set him apart: sketching. That pivot became Sketch Like an Architect, a multi-six-figure business teaching thousands worldwide via books, courses and online workshops.
In this episode of the Modern Practice Series, we explore:
➕ The “gap in training” that inspired his first product
➕ How one Instagram post sparked his first sale
➕ Why email became the backbone of his business
➕ What it takes to run it all while raising two young kids
David's experience is a case study in how design professionals are rethinking traditional practice, spot opportunities, and design a career on their own terms.
▬▬▬▬▬ Resources ▬▬▬▬▬
➕ All the tools I use to run 30X40 (free): thirtybyforty.com/toolbox
➕ Digital drawing templates: thirtybyforty.com/digital-drawing-templates
➕ Specification + Schedule templates: thirtybyforty.com/spec
➕ Architect's Toolkit: thirtybyforty.com/toolkit
➕ Architect + Entrepreneur Course: thirtybyforty.com/a-e-course
▬▬▬▬▬ Timestamps ▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 I'm an Ex-Architect
00:22 100 job applications. 100 rejections. What came next
01:05 The problem + pivot
04:02 First Six-figure year
05:19 His first product idea
08:15 Pricing experiments
09:46 Failures
11:28 Presales
12:55 DIY Marketing
14:33 Risks of Social Media
16:22 Work - Life Balance?
17:25 Learn how to design your own business
What do you do after 100 job rejections? David Drazil turned to the one skill that always set him apart: sketching. That pivot became Sketch Like an Architect, a multi-six-figure business teaching thousands worldwide via books, courses and online workshops.
In this episode of the Modern Practice Series, we explore:
➕ The “gap in training” that inspired his first product
➕ How one Instagram post sparked his first sale
➕ Why email became the backbone of his business
➕ What it takes to run it all while raising two young kids
David's experience is a case study in how design professionals are rethinking traditional practice, spot opportunities, and design a career on their own terms.
▬▬▬▬▬ Resources ▬▬▬▬▬
➕ All the tools I use to run 30X40 (free): thirtybyforty.com/toolbox
➕ Digital drawing templates: thirtybyforty.com/digital-drawing-templates
➕ Specification + Schedule templates: thirtybyforty.com/spec
➕ Architect's Toolkit: thirtybyforty.com/toolkit
➕ Architect + Entrepreneur Course: thirtybyforty.com/a-e-course
▬▬▬▬▬ Timestamps ▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 I'm an Ex-Architect
00:22 100 job applications. 100 rejections. What came next
01:05 The problem + pivot
04:02 First Six-figure year
05:19 His first product idea
08:15 Pricing experiments
09:46 Failures
11:28 Presales
12:55 DIY Marketing
14:33 Risks of Social Media
16:22 Work - Life Balance?
17:25 Learn how to design your own business
