Frequently Asked Questions
Is this just going to be startup theory or will I leave with something actionable?
I want takeaways I can use tomorrow, not just stories.
Each session starts with a high-level set of points from your instructor – often with an assist from highly-regarded experts currently in the trenches. But the techniques outlined are immediately supported by document templates, roadmaps, plan outlines, and practical examples to serve as benchmarks for your own work. The whole point is to accelerate your efforts and move towards tangible results.
Do I need to already have an idea or product to join?
Am I too early — or too late — for this?
Nope. Founder School works equally well whether you’re up to your elbows in your own company or whether you’re just thinking about it. as any true entrepreneur knows, the excitement and passion of an idea sometimes makes taking action irresistible. We respect that. But odds are that each session will teach you something you didn’t already know, confirm things you do, or give you new ways to think about how to get better at it the next time around.
Will I get feedback on my actual startup idea (or lack of one)?
Or is this more like general-purpose advice?
Absolutely. One major part of Founder School is focusing on the questions and the cohort of folks who are somewhere on the same journey as you.
Who’s teaching it — and have they actually built anything?
I want to learn from people who’ve been through it, not just talked about it.
Yep. In fact that’s what makes this course different: your instructor is a hands-on practitioner working on a portfolio of startup concepts, microventures, and scaleups right along with you – not an academic or retiree phoning in outdated lessons learned when the world was different. The techniques discussed will be based on practices and opportunities happening right now, ideally helping us all keep pace with the landscape transforming under our feet.
How interactive is this — am I just listening or are we doing work?
I learn by doing, not watching slides.
One major part of Founder School is focusing on the questions right in front of you in the moment. Each session uses examples and real-world topics as the basis for discussion, and part of your obligation is to bring in your own challenges and decisions. The feedback and answers will come not just from your instructor but from the others in your cohort who are on the same journey as you.
Can I connect with other founders in the program?
Because I want a peer group, not just a lecture series.
That’s kind of the whole point. Entrepreneurship is a team sport. Nobody can do it alone, despite the hype our culture has been drilling into our heads, and we’re all smarter when we’re part of a high-functioning team.
How honest is this going to get?
Will we talk about the emotional side — burnout, impostor syndrome, cofounder fights?
Once you’ve started and run a few companies no entrepreneur will deny that the personal aspect of being a founder is inseparable from the practical, business-y stuff. We’ll talk about heartbreak, mistakes, and yes – failure – in detail, but all with the goal of learning how to cope with all that in the pursuit of one of the most emotionally rewarding and culturally vital pursuits anyone can undertake.
What if I miss a session — is there a way to catch up?
I’m committed, but sh*t happens.
Look, Founder School is a crash course. Each session is vital and the experience is deeply enhanced by experiencing it with the members of your cohort. That goes both ways – cohorts will get less out of a session you can’t attend. All that said, of course life happens and the program will accommodate you as best it can, including rescheduling sessions if it works for your cohort and inviting you to audit sessions with other cohorts if needed.
Is this mostly about fundraising, or is it bigger than that?
Because raising money isn’t my only goal — building something real is.
The goal of Founder School is to help you build something that actually solves real problems for real people in economically sustainable ways. Raising money is not the goal – it’s at best fuel to pour onto a fire that’s already kindled. We’ll teach you ways to move your venture forward that don’t involve the institutional high-growth investors you’ve probably been taught are your only option. In fact, if you believe your goal is to raise money you’re probably not a good fit for Founders School … and you probably need it more than you think.
What will success look like after these five weeks?
What should I realistically expect to walk away with?
A few things come to mind.
- First, a lack of surprises. After Founder School, the things that happen to all founders regardless of industry or business concept will be things you’ve already thought about and planned for.
- Real plans and techniques you can use immediately. These days the early stages of venture creation often involve lots of experimentation and rapid iterations. After Founder School you’ll have the concepts and methods to execute these efforts right away – and start climbing those all-important learning curves.
- Examples and proof points. In this dynamic and constantly-changing startup environment, you’ll have curated information selected by actual practitioners to help you with your own applied learning. Much better than having to chase it all down yourself.
Is this an in-person or a virtual thing?
Because commuting and parking costs money.
There’s something truly important about real-time face-to-face engagement. But since the pandemic it’s become clearer than ever that when done right virtual human interactions can be just as rich. Founder School happens exclusively online.
Don’t get me wrong: having beers with your cohort will happen if logistics allow. It’s just not required.
How much does it cost?
I mean let’s be so for real. All this sounds great but if I were already rich I wouldn’t want to be a founder.
Every day as a founder is a race against a ticking clock – and if your time and money and resilience run out, everything you’ve invested is worth zero.
If you’re thinking about risking your livelihood to build a startup, spending nothing on getting ready seems like a really bad idea.
Ask yourself how much would Founder School be worth to you –
- if you could avoid making just one fatal financial mistake?
- if you could see a problem coming with enough time to prepare or avoid it?
- if you could learn how to achieve a milestone in weeks instead of months?
- if you could learn which dead-end, high-risk ideas not to spend time and money on?
- if you could reduce your odds of failure from 90% to 80%?
Founder School is a $5000 five-week investment.
But for a limited time we’re offering an 80% discount … and your first class is free.
Imagine your startup generating $10 million … $1 million … even $100,000 per year more because of something you learned in Founder School. That might be the best money you ever spent.
Ideas are easy. Execution is hard.
If you’ve got a great idea but are smart enough to know that an idea is not enough, Founders School is for you.