Launch an Product Without Quitting Your Job

The AI Side Hustle Bootcamp is a short, focused program designed to help you test a startup idea before committing to anything. It's the safe, structured way to find out if you have a real business. The FI Core Program is a comprehensive startup accelerator that guides committed founders through the full process of building a fundable, global and enduring business. FI Core Program Alumni get access to a global mentor and investor network, a suite of additional accelerator programs for free, and much more. Many bootcamp graduates go on to apply to FI Core once they've validated their idea and are ready to go all-in.

You need at least a problem you've observed in your industry or career. You don't need a fully formed idea — Session 1 walks you through a structured process to turn your domain expertise into a scoped, testable startup concept. If you already have an idea, the process will sharpen it.

Yes — this bootcamp was built specifically for that. All live sessions are in the evening, and the self-paced work is designed to fit into nights and weekends. The total commitment is approximately 20 hours per week. Thousands of FI alumni started their companies while still employed. The goal isn't to quit your job — it's to validate your idea so you can make a smart, informed decision about what comes next.

Yes — that's exactly what this bootcamp is designed for. AI tools have made it possible for non-technical founders to build real, working products. You don't need coding skills or a technical co-founder. Our instructors will walk you through every step with live demos and hands-on guidance.

Replit (with PostSQL), n8n, and OpenAI (or your preferred LLM such as Perplexity, Claude, etc). Any costs associated with these tools are the responsibility of the bootcamp participants.

There are 4 interactive online sessions with instructors including live demos. All sessions will be recorded and available to re-watch. You can skip a session and watch the recording, but we strongly recommend joining live to ask questions, get feedback from instructors, and connect with other aspiring founders in your cohort.

Yes — all bootcamp sessions will be recorded and you'll be able to watch them anytime at your convenience.

The bootcamp workload is approximately 10 hours per week. Each week includes a 1.5-hour live evening session and 5-10 hours of self-paced work: scoping your idea, building your product with AI, and validating it with real customers. It's designed for people with full-time jobs who are ready to test whether their idea has legs.

Yes. Every session features an experienced instructor who provides live demos, guidance, and feedback. In Session 4, you present your validation results to FI mentors for direct, actionable feedback.

By the end of the bootcamp, you will have: a scoped startup idea based on your domain expertise; a working product built with AI tools; real customer feedback from actual potential users; a clear go/no-go decision framework; and a roadmap for next steps — whether that's going all-in, iterating part-time, applying to FI Core, or testing a different idea entirely.

That's actually one of the best outcomes. Most founders waste months or years on ideas that don't work. In just a short period of time you'll know whether your idea has legs — and if it doesn't, you'll have the skills and process to test your next one. The bootcamp teaches you a repeatable system, not a one-shot bet.

That's your call. The bootcamp is designed to fit around your full-time schedule with evening sessions and weekend work. We recommend reviewing your employment agreement for any IP or moonlighting clauses, but many participants complete the bootcamp without any conflict with their employer.

Complete a brief application and pay the entrance fee. In the application, you'll answer a few questions about your background and the problem or idea you'd like to explore. You can refine or change your idea during the bootcamp.

Once the entrance fee is paid, participants are automatically enrolled in the bootcamp, and the fee is non-refundable. This policy is designed to encourage you to take the leap. The hardest part of the employee-to-entrepreneur journey is starting — this commitment makes sure you do.

Please email any questions to bootcamps(at)founderinstitute.com with an Email Subject: [AI Side Hustle Bootcamp Question]