The Seed Stage MBA
A 3-day bootcamp intensive specifically for Seed Stage Founders
Avoid costly pitfalls, extend your runway, and accelerate to Series A.
Are you a Seed Stage Founder who feels...
... the clock is ticking to get to your Series A?
... the pressure has amped up, with investors, board and your team depending on you (even though you've never done this before?)
... worried what don't know you don’t know is going to hold back your business?
... you get lots of advice, read lots of books, but aren't sure what will actually work?
... things have gotten harder: getting to PMF, making the right hires and getting the team aligned?
If any of the above resonates with you, The Seed Stage MBA is for you.
Our 3-day Bootcamp is designed specifically for Seed Stage Founders facing the challenge of getting to your Series A with limited resources and experience.
The mission is simple: In 3 days, give you and your team the right knowledge to lead confidently, operate brilliantly and accelerate traction to your Series A.
"I haven't seen anything that even comes close. It's the foundational work that's gonna inform everything we do over the next 12 months.
RAJAT ARYA
Co-Founder & COO XetHub
"I don't know what I don't know. I'm worried it's going to keep us from getting to our Series A"
We hear this from so many Seed Stage Founders. We understand the pressure you're under to find product-market, manage your team, and keep your investors happy - when you've never done this before.
We know, because we've been through it ourselves and gotten to the other side. But these challenges almost killed our businesses:
Costly pitfalls:
A hire that doesn't work out can cost you $150k in runway and lost momentum. When you don't know what good looks like for things you've never managed (i.e. sales and marketing, operations, etc), it's challenging to know what and who you should be spending on.
Not getting traction quickly enough:
Finding product-market fit is the fundamental goal of Seed Stage - and it's biggest challenge.
Missing Milestones:
If you've never done this before, learning how to build and work with your team to consistently hitting milestones can really challenging.
Founder overwhelm:
Seed Stage is where stuff gets real. You get the Founder title for life, but you have to re-earn the CEO title at each phase. It really starts at Seed Stage when your org starts to grow with the expectations.
While there's many accelerators for pre-seed founders, Seed Stage Founder are often given their funding left to figure this out on their own.
That's why we've created The Seed Stage MBA bootcamp to address the specific key pain points that Seed Stage Founders face.
Traditional MBA's are too expensive and you don't have time (and they don't teach you the right things anyway).
There's tons of books and podcasts, but it's hard to know what actually applies to your situation (a lot of it doesn't!)
Advisors and mentors can offer good advice (but it's piecemeal and sometimes proves unhelpful)
There are three main things every Founder and their team needs to move from Seed Stage to Series A and beyond.
Looks simple enough - but it's not straightforward in practice. Especially if you've never done this before.
In the Seed Stage MBA Bootcamp, you'll learn the five critical skills that Founders and their teams need
to develop to break through the Seed Stage:
Nail Focus:
Learn what you need to focus on - and more importantly, what you don't need to. Learn how to prioritize and stay focused on the most important actions that will accelerate you to your Series A.
Accelerate PMF:
We unpack the myths and misconceptions of PMF at Seed Stage. Understand the process of finding product-market fit and learn how to iterate to get there as fast as possible.
Masterfully Hire & Lead Your Team:
One hire misfire can cost as much as $150k in lost runway and momentum. Avoid costly hire misfires. Discover how to identify and recruit the right people for your team, and learn the best practices for motivating and managing your employees.
Drive Execution:
Master the art of execution and learn how to turn your vision into reality through effective planning, tracking, and iteration.
Lead Confidently:
Learn how to communicate effectively with your team, investors, and other stakeholders to build strong relationships and keep everyone aligned.
By the end of our Bootcamp, you'll be confident you know what it takes to lead your startup through Seed Stage.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR OUR PILOT COHORT!
LIMITED TO 5 TEAMS
Here's how it works:
For three days (Tues-Wed-Thurs) you'll be in live training sessions via Zoom.
Sessions won't just be brain dumps, you will have breakout sessions and exercises that engage your whole leadership team.
During breakout sessions, each organization will get hands-on coaching
We will have a private Slack channel where we can go for support at any time during the program.
You will have the opportunity learn from and support the other teams in your bootcamp cohort.
You will also walk away with:
A personalized roadmap for your skills develop as a Founder
Our Five Essential playbooks for navigating Seed Stage
Your team's Seed Slingshot Operating Guide
Our 3-Day Curriculum
The Essential Skills for Seed Stage Founders
Day 1
Lead Confidently
What to focus on (and what not to)
Avoid costly Seed Stage pitfalls
Finding your voice as a leader
Essential Comms & Cadences
Day 2
Accelerate Traction
Seed Stage PMF Do's/Don't Do's
Perils of premature PMF
Finding & Nailing It
Your Seed Stage GTM Team
Day 3
Operate Brilliantly
Building your Seed Stage Org
Seed Stage OKR-ing (and how it's different)
What to track (and what not to)
Nailing Milestones
APPLY TO BE PART OF OUR PILOT COHORT
We are looking for Seed Founding Teams and Solo Founders
who want to quickly level up to accelerate to their Series A
Bonuses!
Apply by May 31, and receive these amazing extras!
1. 2 Private Coaching Sessions with you and your team with Steve or Natalie
2. Our Seed Stage resume analysis hiring guide
3. Free Book: Meditations for Seed Stage Founders
4. The 10-minute customer conversation framework that will accelerate your PMF
5. Free Training: How to Manage Your Seed Stage Board
MEET YOUR COACHES:
FOUNDERS WE'VE COACHED HAVE RAISED $100M+
STEVE AUGUST
I took Revelation, my first startup, from idea to successful multi-million dollar exit. I’ve seen the journey from two people in a room to being the CMO of a $100M 400 person global business, reporting directly to a private equity board.
I have been coaching Founders privately since 2017. Over the past three years, my clients raised over $100M in Funding, achieved record revenue and three successful exits. But more importantly than that, they made huge leaps in how they led their companies.
Since I started coaching, I have been working with Founders only privately or in small groups. Now, I'm excited to share my most transformational frameworks. These frameworks have helped my clients dramatically accelerate their businesses and build incredible momentum.
NATALIE LEDBETTER
People Operations Exec, Startup Advisor and Founder-whisperer, Former Operating Partner-Head of People-at boldstart ventures, TedX Speaker, and Connector.
With 10 years of direct experience in startups and early-stage/seed VC under my belt (and 20 years of career experience), I am a People Ops Leader and a former Operating Partner at Boldstart Ventures. I have built and scaled three early-stage through hyper growth tech startups (B2C and B2B), owning people operations end-to-end (Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, Employee Experience/Culture, L&D, Facilities).
What other Founders have to say about working with us…
“It 10X-ed our PMF sprints. It jumpstarted our whole team’s understanding of the product and the messaging. We've had a lot of success building a pre-pipeline of sales. ”
JENNIFER KYLE
Founder & CEO, Condor Software
"In the startup space there is no shortage of people who talk a good game but really don't help you actually get shit done. Natalie stands out a mile as a mentor and coach. She (a) really knows her onions, (b) explains clearly how you get things done, and (c) rolls up her sleeves to help you get there.”
BEN JOHNSON
Chief of Staff, Chalfen Ventures
“Natalie is practically on my team. I monopolize every minute of her time if I can. We’re selfish with her because she’s amazing. She’s literally building the connective tissue of our organization.
JOHN AMARAL
Co-Founder and CEO, Slim.AI
“Only Founder CEO’s know what Founder CEO’s go through. Steve is someone who understands the Founder journey and CEO responsibilities. Last year, we 4x’d revenue and are on track to 3x this year”
SHANE HEATH
Founder & CEO, MUD/WTR
"I've been looking for something like this for a long time. I’ve been reading books, doing courses, but while they all seem to be great ideas, but don’t help me translate to the specifics of what I need. These are the tools for people that haven't done an MBA and feel like we are flying by the seat of our pants.”
HILLIT MEIDAR-ALFI
Founder & CEO, Spatially Health
“After working with Steve, we focused the business around my passion for science and geospatial mapping. Not long after, we landed $1M in funding and a large government contract.”
LIZ DERR
Founder & CEO, Simularity
The Knowledge You Need
For Seed Stage Success
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Seed Stage MBA Bootcamp?
The Seed Stage MBA is a 3-day bootcamp designed specifically to give Seed Stage Founders (and Founding Teams) the exact knowledge they need to avoid costly pitfalls, extend runway and accelerate to their Series A. It's 3-day's of highly engaging sessions over Zoom that will give you and your team the foundation to crush Seed Stage.
Who is the Seed Stage MBA Bootcamp for?
The Seed Stage MBA is for first-time Solo Founders, Co-Founders and Founding Teams of investor backed Seed Stage Startups with at least $2M in Seed funding who need to urgently gain the knowledge and skills to get to their Series A.
When will it take place?
The Seed Stage MBA Bootcamp will take place June, 13-15, 2023
How much time will it take?
This is an intensive 3-day program design to get you the knowledge you need FAST. Each day will be 6 hours of Zoom sessions. In addition there will be some pre-work and some post-work. There will be breaks during the day to enable you to attend to your business.
How much does it cost?
The program is $7,500 for the 3-days which includes all the sessions, materials, and bonuses. The program fee enables you to include up to 5 of your leadership team at no extra charge. Apply by May 19, 2023 and save $2500 off your registration!
Can I invite my team?
Yes! We highly encouraged to invite anybody who you consider part of your leadership team. In fact, we will be giving preference to those companies bringing multiple team members.
APPLY NOW
FOR THE SEED STAGE MBA
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