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Want to know more about Founder-Being LaunchPad before deciding what to do next?
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Express interest →FOUNDER-BEING LAUNCHPAD · AGES 15–25
Applications open
Don't study startups. Build one.
A 16-week venture-building programme where young builders test an idea, talk to customers, build an MVP and discover what is worth building next.
16 Weeks · 16 Modules · Demo Day
- Takes about 20 minutes.
- No payment now
Three ways to work with LaunchPad
The founder programme is the main path. The sprint and a pitch review are separate.
- See how to apply
Founder programme
16 weeks. The main Founder Programme.
Applications open
- See the sprint
Founder Coaching Sprint
Four weeks. One business priority.
₹7,500 per startup for all four weeks.
Applications are open
- See Rate Your Pitch
Rate Your Pitch
Three-minute pitch and focused feedback.
₹250 for the first review.
₹100 for eligible follow-ups of the same startup.
Applications are open
From idea to evidence.
Your startup becomes the project. Every week moves it forward through experiments, evidence and decisions.
- Idea
- Evidence
- MVP
- Customers
- Venture
BUILT BY SOMEONE WHO HAS ACTUALLY BUILT
Jimmy James
Founder & Programme Lead
Founder of Plantshop.ae — backed by 500 Global
- Plantshop backed by 500 Global
- YC Startup School
- Sheraa Accelerator Alumni
- Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Middle East
Founder experience and education. These organisations are not sponsors or partners of Founder-Being LaunchPad unless separately stated.
View Jimmy’s verified professional profile → Verify Jimmy's background — opens LinkedIn in a new tab.
16 weeks. Four phases. One venture.
- Discover
- Design & Build
- Find the Market
- Become Venture-Ready
What happens inside LaunchPad?
Who it's for
Young builders with something worth testing — not a classroom-only course.
What you'll build
Evidence and founder artefacts around your own venture.
Mentor support
Structured facilitation and feedback — not unlimited 1:1 mentoring.
Admission
Submit → Review → If shortlisted, we contact you with the next steps → Selection → Cohort.
Learn → Test → Build → Review → Decide
- LearnOne focused working session and a practical workshop.
- TestCustomer or market fieldwork that produces evidence.
- BuildA build assignment that moves your venture forward.
- ReviewMentor review plus peer feedback and accountability.
- DecideProgress tracking, founder reflection, and a next-week commitment.
Real founder journeys aren't linear.
Founder Story
Jimmy’s founder journey
A decade of building, fundraising, operations and pivots — the expensive lessons LaunchPad was created to compress.
Building Note
What building Plantshop taught him
Customers, operations and evidence beat a polished idea that never leaves the notebook.
Founder Story
The cost of waiting
Another year in your head is still a year without evidence, customers or a decision.
Founder-Being LaunchPad Cohort 2
- Application status
- Applications open
- Seats
- 20
- Weeks
- 16
Choose how you want to start
Test your founder thinking
Take the Initial Founder Assessment
See what you already understand well as a founder — and where you need more work — by answering real startup situations.
About 20 minutes
Take the Initial Founder Assessment →Free · No payment now · Selection-based admission