Founder Foundations

You can't operate inside a market you don't understand. Week one covers the startup ecosystem from the ground up: who the players are, the role each one plays, and how the pieces fit together. We will look at successful startups and the founders behind them, what to watch out for early, and the mistakes that catch most first-time founders off guard. The week closes with an honest check on whether you are ready for what being a founder actually demands.

Most founders fall in love with their solution before they have understood the problem. Week two reverses that. You will figure out what a real, painful problem actually looks like, write a problem statement that holds up to questioning, state your value proposition clearly, learn how to test it through proper customer interviews, and work out who would pay to have it solved and why the timing makes sense right now.

What do you sell, who pays for it, how do they pay, and how often? What does it cost you to deliver, and at what price and margin should you sell? We cover the money strategies for dealing with suppliers, partners, and customers, and work through the revenue models that hold up in real startup markets: subscription, transactional, marketplace, and hybrid. By the end of the week, you will have a working business model you can defend.

What does it actually take to run a company, not just start one? Week four covers the legal structures you can choose from and which one fits. The agreements you need in place and how tax applies. The licences your category of startup requires to operate legally. Banking. Internal documentation and reporting habits that should start from day one. Your first organogram and hires. How to handle equity and share options. The basics of angel investment and early-stage VC, including the things to watch out for before you take any money.

Most early MVPs are too big, take too long, and prove nothing. Week five teaches you how to scope yours down to the version that proves the thesis. We cover the build paths available, how to choose the right technology stack, and development methodologies. Early infrastructure choices, data and security basics including NDPR compliance, and how to find and manage technical talent when you cannot judge code yourself. How to phase releases for useful feedback and how to set up basic testing and QA. By the end of the week, you have a scoped MVP, a chosen build path, a clear technology direction, and a release plan you can execute.

Going from zero to ten paying customers is harder than going from ten to a hundred. Week six covers what it takes to find, win, and keep those early customers. We work through the sales channels available to you and how to choose the ones that fit. Marketing fundamentals: positioning, messaging, content, social media, and email marketing strategies that build a real pipeline. How to pitch your startup to customers, partners, and investors. Founder-led sales, including cold outreach that does not sound like one.

The capstone for every cohort. Once the six weeks are complete, we schedule a live Pitch Night where graduates pitch their startup to a panel of three to five angels who actively fund early-stage startup deals.