Our Curriculum
BUILD YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION
The first part of the curriculum is an intense focus on how to create massive consumer surplus. This involves not only an intense focus on iterative product development skills, but also on how to engage your customers early and apply important strategic marketing knowledge to what you do. It is not enough to make something people want, you have to make something they can't live without.
LEARN TO SELL
When you build something essential, you then have permission to grow. A lot of start-ups fail not because their product/service stinks, but because the company selling the product/service reeks to high heaven. We will help you learn to create a culture of success, avoid common start-up problems, and optimize your capital structure.
ENGAGE CUSTOMERS
We'll help you to understand why it pays to do things that don't scale in the beginning, and how this approach will open the door to your first customers. We will also introduce you to valuable customer advisers, as a part of the curriculum, who will test and stretch your thinking in a way that engages customers rather than pushes a hard sell. We'll also show you how to create efficient distribution incentives, and build your sales channel while staying "ramen" lean.
FUNDRAISING
As good as your company may be, if you run out of runway before take off, you crash. We'll show you how to raise money the right way, and introduce you to VCs (including ourselves) who fund companies like yours. We will help you develop a compelling pitch, and understand how investors think. Are you not a lawyer and confused about deal terms and valuation? Yeah, we cover that too, and help you to avoid wasting money on expensive attorneys in the early phase of your company.
