Founder School 101
Michael Sattler
Serial entrepreneur and startup advisor
Most founders don't prepare. 90% fail. See the pattern?
Business school? Expensive, time-consuming, out-of-date.
Inspirational biographies? Laughable.
Self-help books? Inadequate.
Mentors? Hard to find and often unreliable.
Make it up as you go? Bad idea.
Most entrepreneurs choose the latter option ... and flame out.
This course can help you avoid rookie mistakes.Startups are hard. There will be plenty of challenges. Why not spend your precious time and energy learning how to avoid the known pitfalls - so you can concentrate on addressing the unknown ones?
You wouldn't fly a plane without a few hours of flight school. Why start a company without Founders School?What you’ll learn
Go from clueless rookie to self-aware entrepreneur with a knowledge of what to expect.
Articulate what you hope to get out of starting a company and how likely it is to get what you're looking for.
Be conscious of the hard and wonderful stuff that comes with being a founder ... the things non-founders don't know about.
Gain a clearer picture of what a startup demands, what to expect, and how to make it happen.
Identify the right people, bring them into your circle, and get them aligned.
Understand what makes a great early customer, cofounder, collaborator, employee, or investor.
Learn about the most common mistakes founders make about arranging people you need to be successful.
Learn to address the number one reason most startups fail: offering something no one will pay for.
How to distinguish PMF from problem-solution fit, how to measure it, and why chasing it without discipline burns time and money.
How to listen to users, find a real pain point, and test quickly without deluding yourself.
How to tell a fast, clear, and compelling story that makes peoples eyebrows go up - and want to help.
How to define your ideal customers, articulate value propositions, and test with rigor and discipline.
Practice pitching to investors and customers and fans, and learn how to make your story resonate - not with jargon but with conviction.
Why you should (or shouldn't) raise money, who to approach, and when.
What investors are looking for and how to stack the odds in your favor.
A clear plan to get meetings, run a process, and close.
Learn directly from Michael
Michael Sattler
A founder, co-founder, executive, advisor, and investor for 25 years.
Who this course is for
People who have always wondered if they could start their own company but didn't know how to start.
Job seekers sick of the job market who want to take their future into their own hands.
First-time founders who want to learn how to avoid rookie mistakes.
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Michael Sattler in a real-time, interactive format.
Cohort learning with other founders
Starting a company can be lonely. It's hard to speak candidly with your family or colleagues or investors - the role you play to them matters. With a trusted group of founders in the trenches with you, it doesn't feel that bad.
Digital materials to help tell the story of your venture
You'll walk away with real materials to tell the story of the venture you want to start: customized one-pager, positioning and fundraising deck, tailored problem-solution and product-market validation plan, and digital materials to start shopping your idea around.
Guest speakers and experts
Seasoned experts who are out there working on startups RIGHT NOW - bringing back hard-won expertise and direct, tailored counsel you can take with you.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.
Schedule
Live sessions
1-2 hrs / week
Live sessions split between instruction and peer-based discussion
Customized materials for your venture
2 hrs / week
One pagers, pitch decks, digital materials, problem-solution and product-market fit plan
Peer support from other founders
2 hrs / week
Get to know others in your same position, learn what they're trying, and get their input and ideas.