Founder Programme

For start-up founders.

Clarity to proceed with confidence.

You’re at the beginning of your business journey. You’ve a beautiful big idea, but it hasn’t been tested in the real world.

Maybe you’re heading into talks with investors. Perhaps you’re a diverse group of founders seeking a clear vision to get everyone on the same page. Whatever the reason, you’re feeling the pressure and feeling exposed.

Nobody wants to fail. It’s time to challenge and tighten your plan.

The Founder Programme is for you if…

You lack clarity

Clarity starts with knowing what you want out of your business. It’s critical when it comes to making wise decisions and evaluating opportunities.

You struggle to get unity

From negotiating disagreements between founders, to keeping everyone in your business committed and enthused, a clear strategy brings people together.

You need funding & resource

It’s normal for new founders not to know how to raise funding or find the right team. Buy-in starts with being able to articulate the value in your big idea.

You lack support

There’s little support for early ideas in New Zealand’s start-up ecosystem and it’s easy to get in the weeds. Strengthen your strategy for smoother sailing.

We had a session with Andy, and it was refreshing because he made us challenge our own thinking in a constructive way, which we needed … our go to market plan, looking back on it now, was definitely not right.”

— James McEniery, Co-founder, Dosh

The Founder Programme gives you…

Confidence with due diligence

Every plan has weak points. Identify your risks, threats, gaps and assumptions to strengthen your idea. Know what you're getting into and what it's going to take.

Strong market fit

Segment your market, check there’s a true need, review your competition, and align your offering to the people who’ll value it most.

A shared vision

Clarify your founders’ motivations and bring everyone together with a people-first approach that makes sure your business delivers what you all need.

A clear go-to-market plan

Get clear on your business model, so you can attract talent to your team, sell your vision to potential investors and move forward at pace.

Your Founder Programme process

01

Align impact to needs

We’ll identify your needs and ambitions as founders, then look at what you’re trying to achieve. What impact will your business have and does this meet your needs?

It's important to get your needs and business purpose aligned before you begin. As soon as you start building your business, you’re committed and it takes twice as long to back track if it’s not the right fit for you.

02

Due diligence on your market fit

We’ll review:

  • Your market segments

  • How you’ve validated your markets’ needs.

  • The evidence you’ve based your assumptions on.

  • Your competitors and the space in the market you can own.

This due diligence saves you baking weakness into your business model. Every business plan has blind spots. Identifying those risks early on creates clarity faster with less faff and fuss.

Our goal is to get clear on the problems you’re trying to solve, ask if you’re solving the right problem for your customers, and look at how your offer meets their needs. Then I’ll articulate your market fit so you’re confident on where your opportunity lies.

03

Update your go-to-market plan

Your plan of action includes:

  • Your business model.

  • Your market segments and your market fit.

  • Your competitive threat and your place in market.

  • Your go-to-market strategy.

I deliver a refined expression of market fit you can test with your investors, potential partners, and customers, along with clear next steps so you know what you have to do to bring your idea to life, and who you can connect with to get the job done.

“His ability to see the simplicity in the complex, and to not only articulate the value in your work, but to help guide you down the right track to deliver it, is a skill our business has relied on since we first founded.”

— James Boult, Co-founder, Gravity

Fees & timing

The Founder Programme takes two weeks to execute. The process is fast because we’re working with what you already have, so this programme is a great way to make progress if you’re feeling stuck.

  • We do some simple pre-work.

  • Then we align your impact to your needs and do due diligence on your market fit in a one-day workshop.

  • Next I work on your go-to-market plan.

  • I’ll present your plan to you in person, discuss any questions, and next steps.

  • You get a clearly documented go-to-market action plan to share.

The Founder Programme costs from $16,000 + GST.

FAQs


  • The Founder Programme is for early-stage venture teams. But you don’t need to be at the very beginning of your journey, I’ve worked with founders who are a few years into their journey because every start-up moves at its own pace.

    The litmus test is commitment. This programme is for founders who are committed to their big idea and committed to success. You might be moving into a capital raise or simply preparing to launch, but you've started to test your idea with research, you’ve the bones of a structured plan, and now you need to get your ideas out of your head and articulate your plan clearly so other people will buy in.

    This programme isn’t for you if you’re still in the early stages of playing with an idea. Come and see me when you’ve done a bit more work and you’re certain you’re really committed to seeing your idea through.

    And this programme isn’t for you if you’re seeking positive validation and you’re looking for someone to pat you on the back and tell you what a lovely idea you have. Because every idea has weaknesses, and this process will expose the gaps, risks, and assumptions in yours. This is for people who are serious about success and committed to refining their strategy and doing the work.


  • The Founder Programme gives you two key things.

    1. You walk through a process where you align your goals to your start-up’s impact and do due diligence on your market fit.

    2. You get a refined, robust go-to-market plan with a clear road map for action that you can share with your team, external investors, and contractors.


    Some of the other benefits to you are:

    • Your business model is more defendable.

    • Your market fit proposition is clearer and more compelling because you’ve perfectly aligned your offer to the people who will value it most.

    • You identify the risks, threats, gaps, and assumptions in your go-to market plan.

    • You prepare for a capital raise by describing the opportunity you offer investors clearly.

    • You eliminate unnecessary ideas so you’re not boiling the ocean.

    • You accelerate your go-to-market process and move forward at pace.

    • You bring my expertise and credibility into your team.

    And finally, and most importantly, you gain confidence and peace of mind to proceed to the next step. Clarity and progress are always my twin goals for you.

“Over the last year we've had lots of people come to us with huge opportunities, but we're a small team and sometimes those things can be distractions. So having Andy to bounce those ideas off and having him in the room at meetings with potential partners, gives me confidence as a founder. He brings a lot to the table.”

— James McEniery, Co-founder, Dosh