Applications for 2020 opening soon!
We offer an intensive idea stage startup accelerator to a small group of selected founders. Subscribe below to see what our founders get up to and to be notified when applications for the April 2020 JHB program open.
The Nutshell
This immersive program will focus your energy on your idea stage startup while you learn and apply the lean startup methodology through weekly evening face to face workshops, online prep work and work assignments. Track and discuss key metrics and learnings with mentors and fellow founders selected on their potential and merit.
Part Time but Intense
Evening sessions makes it possible to test your idea while keeping your day job.
Practical but Thoughtful
Minimal theory. Tools and Techniques are prepped online then taught by example face to face and immediately applied.
Selective but Impartial
We choose our selection criteria to maximise collective learning and chances of commercial success.
Three Stage Approach
Our three-stage approach ensures that the fundamental building blocks are in place before effort is spent in vain on downstream activities. Founders may be asked to leave the program if they have not achieved the stage objective.
Validate the
Opportunity
4 weeks
- Clearly define your starting value proposition hypothesis.
- Identity your key assumptions
- Test key assumptions, validate or adapt the value proposition.
- Identify your beach head market
- Sign up potential customers
- Convincingly articulate the overall opportunity and product concept.
Develop the
Product
4 weeks
- Create an end user persona.
- Develop a tactical product roadmap.
- Identify, partner with and appoint relevant service providers.
- Build and Launch the MVP.
- Track and analyse quantitative and qualitative feedback.
- Rinse and Repeat.
- Get your first arms-length paying customer.
Polish and Pitch the
Business
4 weeks
- Refine your business model and strategic positioning.
- Design and develop a strong brand.
- Define a growth strategy
- Grow Revenue
- Develop and Polish your investor pitch
- Pitch to investors
- Graduate from the program
Common Questions
The program kicks off on Wednesday evening 30 Oct 2019 and concludes with the investor pitch competition and graduation on Saterday 23 Feb 2020.
Evening workshops run on Wednesdays from 5:30pm to 9pm. Workshops will pause after 4 December and resume on 8 January.
The venue will be at the offices of selected corporate sponsors, either in Woodmead or Sandton. The program will break during December for two weeks.
The April 2020 program fee is R8 000. A limited number of bursaries are available.
Nope. Definitely not in any traditional sense of the word. There is no certificate of attendance. There is no SAQA accreditation. We’re not a dumping ground for corporate training budget. We choose who can join and we kick off those who don’t do the work.
The program will however provide intensive training, coaching, inspiration, networking and accountability.
No. Our investor network may make you an offer for equity during or at the end of the program.
The program will also equip you to optimally trade your equity at the right time with the right partners.
He he. Good luck with that. You’ll learn that Ideas are cheap. Without focused effort calibrated over time the idea itself means very little. The program is a safe space and you choose what you share.
In one word? Demanding. You’ll need to be able to spend about 20 hours a week on your startup. That includes going through online material in preparation for the weekly evening workshop, attending and participating in the workshop, completing the tasks during the week, attending occasional one on one sessions and updating your startup profile.
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