A stage-aligned program built on the Startup Lifecycle, focused on the first three phases of the founder journey: Vision, Product, and Go-to-Market.
Thirteen weeks. One cohort. One coherent path.
The Startup Science Institute is where innovators learn.
The Founders Pathway is anchored in the Startup Lifecycle by Gregory Shepard and lead by seasoned founders with exits, significant capital raise experience, and have run accelerators.
Incubators and accelerators do important work, but seats are limited. That's what the Founders Pathway is for.
Progress is powered by purpose.
don't make the cut
Accelerators can be harder to get into than Harvard.
You still need a place to learn and bring your idea to revenue.
The Founders Pathway maps to two moments in the early-stage journey. If you are here, one of these probably sounds like you.
Founders working to find and prove product market fit. We want to get you to consistent meaningful revenue.
You keep hearing 'no' from investors, customers, accelerators. We can help you get to 'yes'
The flagship Guided Pathways cohort. The goal: getting founders to a yes with accelerators, with investors, with the next milestone. Built on RIL (Rapid Iterative Learning), our learning model: Learn, Personalize, Prove, Refine, Repeat. Apprenticeship, not academics.
Thirteen weeks of curriculum developed and delivered by Chris, Colin, and Dr. Barbut. Orientation on Monday September 14, then the core content only one 90 minute session per week Wednesdays at noon Mountain Time on Google Meet. Optional high value webinars and Founderswork™ review sessions are a second meeting each week delivered on Thursdays at noon Mountain Time. Holiday breaks built in: Thanksgiving (Canada) / Columbus Day and Remembrance Day / Veterans Day weeks are off.
A validated customer, a refined pitch, evidence of demand, and a clear roadmap for the next phase, whether that is an accelerator application, a fundraise, or independent traction.
The Founders Pathway focuses on the first three phases of the Startup Lifecycle. Every session is mapped to a phase, a skill, and a Founderswork™ outcome. All Founderswork™ is completed on the SSI Platform, and sessions run live on Google Meet.
Every Fall Cohort session is led by a member of the Institute's core facilitation team.
Manager, Startup Science Institute. 25+ years international business, MBA, John Maxwell certified.
Head of Advisory at Startup Science. Built Sphere, a mentorship platform serving 2,500+ entrepreneurs across five continents. 40+ years of entrepreneurship across 15 countries.
Thirteen weeks of live cohort facilitation, peer accountability, and a mentor in your corner. Pay in full or month-to-month.
Either way, you are accepted.
Thirteen weeks across Vision, Product, and Go-to-Market. Two live sessions a week, built on the Startup Lifecycle by Gregory Shepard.
Three principles run through every session.
I could go into the process willing to work hard, make mistakes, pick myself up, and start all over again. It became an exciting experience for me.
Every module, every workshop, every framework is vetted against a single standard. We curate from The Startup Lifecycle and partner contributors. No fluff, no filler.
Founders don't need another lecture. They need a guided experience with peers, mentors, and accountability. We facilitate. We don't teach at.
Every piece of learning is mapped to a phase of the Startup Lifecycle. You always know where you are, what comes next, and why it matters now.
What founders, students, and seasoned entrepreneurs say about working with us.
Going through this process made me a better planner, and I know exactly what I need to do to get my business off the ground.
This helped us think critically about the future of our business. The best strategic planning session we have had.
Startup Science has a fantastic training system with valuable tools for developing a company, whether a startup in the earliest stages or a mature company figuring out where to grow next.
Workshops, panels, and gatherings for founders, startup program managers, and the people building the infrastructure around them.
Plan on 4–6 hours per week. Only 2 live sessions (Wednesday mandatory, Thursdays optional, 90 minutes each), plus async Founderswork™ and your own work towards your outcomes.
Both. Core facilitation happens live so the cohort dynamic works. Every session is recorded so you have it for reference and to stay caught up if you miss one.
Recordings are available. Peer accountability and Founderswork™ happen asynchronously, so missing one live session does not set you back.
The Founders Pathway focuses on the first three phases of the Startup Lifecycle: Vision · Product · Go-to-Market. If you are past Go-to-Market, the Institute's other tracks pick up where this one ends.
Accelerators are partners and customers, not competitors. They have limited seats, typically accepting around 3% of applicants. The Founders Pathway helps the rest get sharper, gain traction, and either re-apply with a stronger case or continue building independently. Week 12 of the cohort is dedicated to accelerator application prep.
Yes. As a Guided Pathways member, you can return to any cohort as often as you want, for as long as you maintain your membership. Many founders run the cohort multiple times as their phase shifts.
Access continues for as long as you are an active Guided Pathways member. Pause or cancel anytime; you keep your progress in the system.
Additional pathways for later stages of the Startup Lifecycle (Operators, Growth, Exit) are on the roadmap. You can also re-enroll in the Founders Pathway as often as you want with your Guided Pathways membership.
The Fall Cohort (Sep 16 – Dec 10) is the 13-week extended format, with orientation on Monday, September 14. New cohort dates are announced as they open, and members are notified first.
Book office hours with Colin · Lead of the Startup Science Institute
Guided Pathways seats are limited. Lock yours in. Seats fill before the cohort starts.
