A 16-week, execution-led programme for young builders ready to test a real problem, idea or proposed solution—and turn evidence into a credible venture direction.
Founder-Being LaunchPad is a practical, execution-led, 16-week venture-building programme for Primarily ages 15–25, including school students, college students and young founders. It is not a general idea-discovery course for someone starting completely from zero, not a classroom-only entrepreneurship course, and not a generic accelerator or motivational bootcamp.
You have a problem, idea or proposed solution to test
You are not starting from zero curiosity alone — you have at least one direction worth validating with evidence and execution.
You are already experimenting
You may have a side project, campus initiative or early venture and want mentor feedback, founder discipline and structured progress.
You are ready for real founder work
You can commit to customer conversations, fieldwork, build assignments and peer accountability — not passive watching.
You can commit for 16 weeks
You can show up consistently for sessions, assignments and mentor touchpoints through Demo Day.
An existing company or technical background is not required. You do need at least one problem, idea, proposed solution or credible alternative you want to test. LaunchPad does not guarantee venture success, launch, fundraising, investor access or admission.
What you will build
LaunchPad is about evidence and founder artefacts — not classroom-only learning. Depending on your starting point and how you execute, you may produce some or all of the following across the 16 weeks:
Founder thesis and problem statement
Customer interview evidence
Validation report and go/modify/pivot decision
Market and competitor map
Business model and value proposition
User journey and wireframes
MVP or structured proof of concept
Responsible AI workflow
Brand positioning and founder story
Marketing experiment
Sales process and early pipeline
CRM, retention and referral foundations
Unit-economics and cash-flow model
Legal and IP readiness checklist
Investor narrative and pitch deck
Demo Day presentation
Post-programme 90-day action plan
Not every participant reaches the same venture stage by Demo Day. Outputs depend on your starting point, the evidence you gather and how consistently you execute.
The 16-week journey
Four connected phases — from possibility to venture readiness. Each module centres on a founder question, practical work and an artefact you can show mentors and peers. Professional communication, research discipline, founder wellbeing and responsible AI use run across the programme.
Professional communication and email discipline
Research discipline and evidence standards
Founder wellbeing and reflection
Responsible AI use across modules
1
Discover
Find a problem worth solving and evidence that matters.
Module 1
Founder Mindset & Problem Selection
Founder question
What problem is worth your time — and how will you test that honestly?
What you do
Frame assumptions, choose a problem space and define what evidence would change your mind.
Artefact or evidence
Founder thesis and problem statement
Learning outcome
Frame problems with evidence, challenge assumptions, and adopt a learning-first founder mindset.
Assessment focus
Problem framing, assumptions, evidence, learning mindset
Module 2
Customer Discovery
Founder question
Who experiences this problem and how do you learn from them without leading the witness?
What you do
Plan and run customer conversations; capture pains, behaviours and quotes.
Artefact or evidence
Customer interview evidence
Learning outcome
Design customer interviews and translate observations into actionable insights.
Finance, governance, funding narrative and Demo Day.
Module 13
Startup Finance & Unit Economics
Founder question
Do the numbers work — and what would break them?
What you do
Distinguish profit from cash, forecast runway and stress-test assumptions.
Artefact or evidence
Unit-economics and cash-flow model
Learning outcome
Distinguish P&L from cash flow and forecast runway with scenarios.
Assessment focus
P&L vs cash flow, forecasting, runway, unit economics
Module 14
Legal Foundations & Intellectual Property
Founder question
What legal and IP questions must you answer before you scale?
What you do
Identify entity, contract, privacy and IP steps; know when to seek counsel.
Artefact or evidence
Legal and IP readiness checklist
Learning outcome
Identify when to seek legal advice on entities, contracts, compliance, and IP.
Assessment focus
Entities, founder agreements, contracts, compliance and IP basics
Module 15
Fundraising & Investor Relations
Founder question
What traction story would a thoughtful investor need to see?
What you do
Prepare metrics, risks, updates and a clear fundraising narrative.
Artefact or evidence
Investor narrative
Learning outcome
Communicate traction, risks, and fundraising needs to investors.
Assessment focus
Investor fit, traction, updates, data room, cap table basics
Module 16
Go-to-Market, Pitching & Demo Day
Founder question
What is your evidence-backed story and specific ask?
What you do
Structure the pitch, rehearse the demo and present at Demo Day.
Artefact or evidence
Investor narrative and pitch deck; Demo Day presentation
Learning outcome
Structure a pitch narrative with evidence, demo, and a clear ask.
Assessment focus
Narrative, deck structure, evidence, demo and ask
How each week works
One focused 4-hour working session each week — built around practical workshops, fieldwork and mentor feedback. The programme is digitally supported through progress tracking and mentor feedback; live delivery format comes from published cohort data. This is execution-led venture building, distinct from the wider Founder-Being community.
Weekly session timing is published in cohort facts when confirmed. Unconfirmed details are clearly marked and updated once approved.
1One focused working session
2Practical workshop
3Customer or market fieldwork
4Build assignment
5Mentor review
6Peer feedback and accountability
7Progress tracking
8Founder reflection and wellbeing check-in
9Next-week commitment
Weekly commitment: Weekly learning, assignments, and mentor touchpoints across 16 weeks.
Mentor and support model
You are not building alone — but we are honest about what support includes. This is structured programme facilitation and feedback, not unlimited private mentoring.
Programme facilitator
Keeps the cohort on rhythm, connects themes across modules and holds the venture-building arc together.
Module specialists and mentors
Subject-matter guidance on discovery, product, market, finance and pitch — structured, not unlimited one-to-one.
Structured assignment feedback
Assignments and milestones reviewed against clear expectations so you know what to improve next.
Peer cohort
Young founders learning alongside you — sharing progress, questions and accountability.
Progress reviews
Periodic check-ins on evidence, artefacts and momentum so you stay oriented toward Demo Day.
Demo Day preparation
Structured rehearsal and feedback on your evidence-backed story and presentation.
Founder-Being community connection
Connection to the wider Founder-Being ecosystem only where approved and relevant for your stage — distinct from LaunchPad itself.
Current cohort facts
Programme facts for Founder-Being LaunchPad Cohort 1. Unconfirmed details are clearly marked and updated once approved.
CohortFounder-Being LaunchPad Cohort 1
Application statusApplications open
Application deadline30 August 2026
Programme datesStarts 5 September 2026
Duration16 weeks
Delivery modeIn person
CityKochi, Kerala, India
VenueKSUM, Kalamassery, Kochi, Kerala, India
Weekly commitmentWeekly learning, assignments, and mentor touchpoints across 16 weeks.
Submitting an Expression of Interest and taking the preliminary assessment are free. Payment is requested only after you receive and accept a formal selection offer.
₹30,000 per participant
Weekly learning sessions, assignments, mentor support, progress tracking, and Demo Day preparation.
Tax: Applicable taxes, if any, will be disclosed before payment.
Payment: Payment is requested only after a candidate is selected and accepts an offer.
Complete payment terms, including any refund policy, will be supplied before payment is requested.
Complete admission journey
Submitting an Expression of Interest is free — no payment is collected at this stage. An EOI is not a completed programme application and does not guarantee admission.
1Submit the free Expression of Interest
2Programme team reviews the EOI
3Invited candidates receive the Starter Kit and assessment instructions
4Complete the preliminary founder-readiness assessment
5Programme team reviews the assessment
6Shortlisted candidates attend a founder conversation or interview
7Receive selection, waitlist or non-selection communication
8Selected candidates receive the formal offer
9Complete consent, guardian requirements where applicable, and payment
10Complete onboarding and baseline assessment
11Begin the 16-week programme
12Present at Demo Day and leave with a 90-day action plan
Frequently asked questions
Who is the programme for?
Founder-Being LaunchPad is designed primarily for ambitious young builders aged 15–25 — including high-school students, college students, recent graduates and first-time founders. It is execution-led venture building, distinct from the wider Founder-Being community.
Do I need a problem or startup idea already?
Yes — at least one direction to test. You should have a problem, idea, proposed solution or credible alternative you want to validate. LaunchPad is not a general idea-discovery course for someone starting completely from zero.
Do I need a company or technical background?
No. An existing company, polished pitch deck or technical background is not required. You do need willingness to do customer conversations, fieldwork and weekly build assignments.
What is the weekly commitment?
The programme runs for 16 weeks with one focused 4-hour working session each week, plus assignments, fieldwork and mentor feedback. See cohort facts for published schedule details when available: Weekly learning, assignments, and mentor touchpoints across 16 weeks.
What is the delivery format?
An execution-led venture-building cohort — workshops, build assignments, customer or market fieldwork, peer accountability and Demo Day preparation. Progress tracking and mentor feedback are digitally supported; live delivery format is published in cohort facts when confirmed.
What does it cost and when do I pay?
Expression of Interest and the preliminary assessment are free. The programme fee is requested only after you are selected and accept a formal offer. Applicable taxes, if any, are disclosed before payment. Complete payment terms are supplied before payment is requested.
What happens after I submit an Expression of Interest?
The programme team reviews your EOI. If you are invited forward, you receive the Starter Kit and assessment instructions. After assessment review, shortlisted candidates may attend a founder conversation or interview before a final outcome.
Is the preliminary assessment pass/fail?
No. The assessment establishes your baseline across 16 modules. It supports curriculum planning and interview preparation — it is not the sole basis for rejection.
What if I am under 18?
Participants under 18 provide guardian contact details in the EOI. Guardian consent is required before assessment access and progression — separate from the candidate's application consent.
Does expressing interest guarantee admission?
No. LaunchPad uses a structured selection process. Your Expression of Interest starts the journey; admission depends on holistic review including motivation, fit and interview where applicable. The programme does not guarantee admission, venture success, launch, fundraising or investor access.
What will participants build?
Evidence and founder artefacts — interview notes, validation reports, wireframes or prototypes, marketing experiments, financial models, legal checklists and a Demo Day pitch. Final outputs depend on each participant's starting point and execution; not everyone reaches the same stage by week 16.
What if cohort dates or venue are not confirmed yet?
Unconfirmed details are clearly marked and updated once approved.
How do I get support or request accessibility help?
Email hello@foundrbeing.com for programme questions, accessibility requests or EOI support. Quote your support reference after submitting an Expression of Interest.
COHORT 1 · APPLICATIONS OPEN
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