Great Startup Ideas are 'Built', not 'Born'
The Startup Ideation Bootcamp is an intensive 8-week program to help aspiring entrepreneurs build a great startup idea using expert feedback, helpful AI tools, and a proven process.
Bootcamp Dates
Bootcamp Cost
Bootcamp Format
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8 weekly online sessions with expert startup mentors, to provide guidance and feedback on your idea and progress
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Intensive, step-by-step process to brainstorm and validate startup ideas - and keep you accountable!
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Learning platform with AI tools, templates, and frameworks to help you move faster
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Networking and pitch events to help you meet potential co-founders, advisors and collaborators
Who is this for?
Making 'the leap' into building a startup can be scary. That's why we created this bootcamp specifically for:
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First-time founders and aspiring entrepreneurs considering launching a startup
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Anyone with rough ideas that need feedback and guidance
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Anyone ready to take the first steps of entrepreneurship but don't know where to start
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Anyone interested in teaming up with other aspiring entrepreneurs
Great Ideas Start Here
In just 2 months, you'll follow a proven process to:
- Create, improve, and validate startup ideas with experienced experts - and real customers!
- Connect with potential co-founders, advisors and partners
- De-risk the decision on whether or not to pursue your startup idea
- Build a great elevator pitch to help you attract collaborators
- Leverage the power of AI to move faster, and smarter
Bootcamp Instructors
Participants will get access to over 10 experienced entrepreneurs and angel investors from the Founder Institute network, with more TBA.
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I cannot thank FI and its mentors enough for helping me go from idea to launch and now a seed round! Their programs really push you to towards your goals. The mentors at FI were always available for help and support: from reviewing cap tables to strategizing about launch. Without FI it would have been difficult to scale!
Swathi Arulguppe NagendraBettermeal.ai ($500K+ funding) -
The real question is: can the Founder Institute be game-changing for your business? The answer is yes. Without FI, Udemy may have never raised any money.
Gagan BiyaniUdemy (IPO, 2021) -
FI's content and structure were extremely helpful to learn everything in a step by step manner. It saved me a significant amount of time and prevented me from making a lot of mistakes!
Purva GuptaLily ($41M+ funding) -
The biggest challenge I had during fundraising was explaining our value proposition. It was complicated. The advice I got around everything from FI was spot on!
Ernest ChanPredictNow ($750K+ funding)
Startup Ideation Bootcamp Schedule
The 8-week online bootcamp consists of live sessions with startup experts, practical exercises, and multiple networking opportunities.
Program Dates
Kickoff & Ideation
The bootcamp starts off with an opportunity to network and exchange ideas with other aspiring entrepreneurs. In addition, you will learn the bootcamp structure and set your short-term goals.
- Meet other aspiring entrepreneurs
- Share ideas and get inspired
- Learn the bootcamp structure
Market Opportunity
Falling in love with a startup idea can be dangerous. This week will provide you with the basic knowledge, techniques, and tools to form and analyze ideas, evaluate the market opportunity and validate.
- Generate and refine several ideas
- Perform initial market research
- Interview potential customers
Customer Validation
Your idea needs to solve a real pain in order to attract customers. This week you will double down on customer interviews to validate.
- Build a compeling startup story
- Continue interviewing customers
- Iterate on your idea based on feedback
Validation Pitch
An entrepreneur never stops pitching their ideas. This week will focus on practicing and refining your validation pitch.
- Craft a solid written and verbal pitch
- Practice pitch delivery
- Create a final verson of your pitch
Ask-Me-Anything w/ a Startup Mentor
In the following 3 weeks, you will have weekly AMA sessions with expert mentors to improve your startup idea and perfect your pitch.
- Ask questions and receive real-time expert feedback
- Get clarity on your startup idea and pitch strategy
Ask-Me-Anything w/ a Startup Mentor
Second weekly AMA session with a mentor.
- Ask questions and receive real-time expert feedback
- Get clarity on your startup idea and pitch strategy
Ask-Me-Anything w/ a Startup Mentor
Last weekly AMA with a mentor and final preparation for the Pitch Showcase.
- Ask questions and receive real-time expert feedback
- Get clarity on your startup idea and pitch strategy
Pitch Showcase
Get the chance to pitch at a Founder Institute Pitch Showcase and connect with startup mentors and investors for feedback.
- Pitch your startup at a global FI event
- Collect actionable insights and feedback
- Gain visibility in the startup community
Delivered via World Class Tools
Participants get access to the Founder Institute's 'FounderGen Platform' - the world's leading LMS for startup creation.
- Experiential learning and structured, action-oriented sprints
- Embedded videos, templates, and resources to help with every step of the business-building process
- State of the art AI tools to help students augment their capabilities and speed up progress
Powered by the Founder Institute
Based in Silicon Valley, the Founder Institute is the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator. Since 2009, FI's accelerators have helped launch fast-growing, funded technology companies across nearly every geography, industry, and sector.
7,500+
Portfolio Companies
$1.85BN+
Portfolio Company Funding
200+
Chapter Cities
100+
Chapter Countries
6
Continents
35,000+
Global Mentors & Advisors
Frequently Asked Questions
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FI Bootcamps are short, learning-focused bootcamps designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs learn the core principles of specific topics. FI Core programs are long, comprehensive startup accelerators that guide founders through the process of building a fundable, global and enduring business. Core Program Alumni get access to a global network, a suite of additional accelerator programs for free, and much more. In addition, all participants of FI Core programs also get free access to FI Bootcamps.
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No, you don’t need a startup idea to join the bootcamp. The weekly deliverables will be guiding you through the startup ideation process to help you identify a problem that you are best positioned to solve for a customer. And if you join the bootcamp with an idea, you will benefit from the deliverables to validate it or pivot into a new one. Your startup idea will transform multiple times.
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Yes, there is an online session with mentors every week. All sessions will be recorded and available to re-watch. The rest is self-paced work on the weekly deliverables of the bootcamp.
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The bootcamp workload is approximately 40 hours spread across 8 weeks. You will be spending 5-10 hours per week on your own time doing practical work on startup ideation, customer validation, customer interviews and pitch preparation.
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Yes, every week you will meet different mentors who will be joining the bootcamp sessions. These mentors will give presentations and are there to answer your questions, provide feedback, and guide you.
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The weekly bootcamp deliverables are self-serve and you have to keep yourself accountable to complete them on time so that you have higher chances to be selected to pitch at the Pitch Showcase Event at the end of the program. Completing the work in the first 4 weeks will grant you access to the Ask-Me-Anything session with startup mentors. You can ask these mentors for specific feedback on your startup.
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You have to complete a brief application and pay the entrance fee. In the application, you will answer a few questions about your background and a startup idea you'd like to explore. You can change your startup idea during the bootcamp.
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Please email any questions to ideation(at)founderinstitute.com with an Email Subject: [Ideation Question]
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 7,500 entrepreneurs raise over $1.85BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.
