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Schedule

Chisinau Spring 2016

At the Founder Institute, you won't "learn" how to build a business. Rather, you will build your business alongside top startup experts using a proven, structured process that has helped some of the world's fastest growing companies raise over $1.75BN. 

Our core program includes a series of challenging growth sprints, in addition to Weekly Feedback Sessions where you will receive constant feedback on your progress from experienced Mentors and Investors. 

See the schedule for the Chisinau Spring 2016 program below.

The Final Application Deadline for the Chisinau Spring 2016 program is May 15, 2016, and you can apply to the program at FI.co/join.

Orientation

Welcome and meet your peers.

Date: May 27, 2016
Starts at: 10:00 am (America/New_York)

Are you ready to be an entrepreneur? How well do you know your peers in the program? Is there someone that might be your Cofounder from the program? Who will lead your Working Group as President? What do you need to know to be successful in the Founder Institute? Which traits do you have that can help you be successful?

Vision and Ideas

Develop a set of strong ideas.

Date: May 27, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

Research and Customer Development

Test your ideas with research.

Date: May 31, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

Revenue Models

Chose an idea and a model.

Date: Jun 07, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

Naming and Positioning

Name your business.

Date: Jun 13, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

Mentor Idea Review

Present your idea for feedback.

Date: Jun 28, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

Startup Legal and IP

Build a legal and IP strategy.

Date: Jul 05, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

What does a new Founder need to know about the law to launch a successful startup? How do you pick a law firm to work with? What is the process of setting up a company? How much do you need to know about the law? What agreements do you need to run a company? What are common legal mistakes? How do you handle intellectual property, including confidentiality, copyrights, trademarks and patents? How much does the law actually matter?

Team and Advisors

Recruit your first team members.

Date: Jul 12, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

Product Development

Plan to build your offering.

Date: Jul 19, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

Mentor Progress Review

Present your progress for feedback.

Date: Jul 26, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

How do you present the business entering the last few weeks of the program? Is the presentation compelling? Can the business scale? How viable is the financial model? Is the plan to build the business realistic? Is the product or offering planned out well? Can the business generate revenue? What needs to be improved for the business to be successful?

Sales and Traction

Start generating traction.

Date: Aug 02, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

How do you identify and close your very first paying customers? What are best practices to charge these first paying customers? Should you charge more or less in the beginning? How do you develop a sales funnel or conversion funnel? What are some best practices to track leads and sales? How do you hustle leads and close the first sales, whether business licenses or consumer subscriptions? How do you develop a culture of sales and generating revenues in the early days of a new company?

Branding and Marketing

Establish market credibility.

Date: Aug 09, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

Bootstrapping and Fundraising

Capitalize the business.

Date: Aug 16, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

Graduation

Graduate from the program.

Date: Sep 02, 2016
Starts at: 11:30 am (America/New_York)

How do you ensure success after Graduation? How do you engage with your peers going forward? The Graduation is the beginning of an exciting period for Founders, where an idea becomes reality. Congratulations!

Post Program Resources

The 4 month Core-Program is just the beginning. We have developed extensive support programs and resources for our Alumni that far exceed any other comparable startup program.

Continued Support

FI Alumni
  • Dedicated Alumni Support Team in Silicon Valley
  • Access to the world's largest network of mentors and investors (35,000+)
  • Private Alumni mailing lists
  • $2M+ in partner discounts
  • Invites to FI sessions & network events
  • Potentail introductions to investors

Post-Programs

Founder Lab
  • A series of virtual advisory programs where you work with our Silicon Valley HQ team to reach next milestones
  • Funding Lab helps get your lead investor within 6 months
  • P/M Fit Lab (2023) helps you get to Product Market Fit
  • FI Venture Network helps you get intros to investors
  • 100% customized and FREE for Alumni