Entrepreneurship

Build & Scale

A comprehensive course inspired by Y Combinator and Paul Graham: build something people love, ship fast, listen relentlessly, and grow through clear execution.

Start the Course Founder Playbook

Course Focus

  • Founders, ideas, and cofounder alignment
  • Prototyping, product-market fit, and iteration
  • Business models, go-to-market, and scale

Starts with the principle: Build something people love.

Founder Playbook

Founder Mindset

  • Stay obsessively close to the problem.
  • Do things that do not scale early on.
  • Default to action and fast learning loops.

Choosing Co-Founders

  • Complementary strengths and trust.
  • Alignment on speed, ambition, and values.
  • Clear equity, roles, and decision rights.

Idea Selection

  • Start with a real pain point you understand.
  • Focus on small, intense user segments.
  • Find leverage where a small team can win.

Product Doctrine

Product is the engine. Growth and scale are outcomes of lovable, useful, and repeatable value.

Build Something People Love

  • Ship a simple version fast.
  • Watch users struggle; fix what hurts.
  • Make the core loop delightful and reliable.

Prototyping

  • Prototype to learn, not to impress.
  • Validate the main workflow first.
  • Reduce risk with weekly iterations.

Product-Market Fit

  • Listen for pull, not just push.
  • Track retention and repeat usage.
  • Refine positioning to match reality.

Course Modules

Module 1

Founders and Alignment

Vision, roles, execution cadence, and founder agreements that prevent hidden conflict.

Module 2

The Idea and the Insight

Find underserved users, narrow the scope, and articulate the wedge.

Module 3

Prototype and MVP

Build a thin slice, define the key flow, and ship in weeks not months.

Module 4

Market Fit and Pull

Retention, usage, and word-of-mouth as proof of product-market fit.

Module 5

Execution and Velocity

Prioritization, shipping discipline, and metrics that keep the team honest.

Module 6

Pivoting with Clarity

When to double down, when to pivot, and how to preserve what works.

Module 7

Business Model

Pricing, unit economics, and sustainable revenue mechanics.

Module 8

Strategy and Moats

Focus on a niche, build defensibility, and avoid premature scaling.

Module 9

Marketing and Distribution

Storytelling, channels, and building a growth engine that compounds.

Module 10

Sales and Customer Success

Customer development, onboarding, and revenue expansion.

Module 11

Scale and Culture

Hiring, systems, and keeping the culture intact while you grow.

Module 12

Fundraising and Runway

Investor fit, milestones, and operating with financial discipline.

Operating Cadence

Weekly Rhythm

  • Ship one meaningful improvement each week.
  • Talk to at least five users.
  • Review metrics that reflect user value.

Monthly Review

  • Assess product-market fit indicators.
  • Audit growth channels and conversion.
  • Decide on pivots or focus expansions.

Quarterly Planning

  • Set one big goal and three key bets.
  • Align team on roadmap and constraints.
  • Revisit mission, vision, and culture.

Deliverables

Founder Memo

One page defining mission, target users, and the core insight.

Prototype Demo

A clickable or working prototype that proves the core loop.

Growth System

Simple funnel metrics and a repeatable acquisition channel.

Ready to build?

Start with people you can help immediately, ship fast, and learn faster. Build something people love.

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