Long-horizon business incubation and consulting

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The program

How WE decides

How an application is read, and what WE does not decide.

Apply to the program Who the program is for

This page sets out how WE reads an application, who the program fits and what WE does not decide, so you can judge your own fit before you apply.

How an application is read

WE reviews each application. The application is short and asks only what WE needs to judge fit.

  1. WE reviews your application

    WE reviews what you wrote about the idea and the team you have in mind.

  2. WE replies

    WE replies to the email address you give.

  3. If the idea fits, WE scopes the work with you

    WE and the founder choose which service lines the company needs and what each one will and will not cover.

WE does not state a response time on this site.

The full path is on How the program works.

You are a good fit if

Use these two lists to judge your own fit before you apply.

  • You have a SaaS idea or an early product, and you can say who it is for.
  • You can describe the problem as the customer would, even if you are not yet sure it is real.
  • You are willing to test the idea with real customers, including when the answers are unwelcome.
  • You can make decisions for the company and join a review at each cycle.
  • You want a team and a method to carry out the work, and you will keep ownership of the direction.

WE is probably not the right fit if

  • You need a physical office, on-site staff or in-person work. WE is fully remote.
  • You are looking for money rather than a team. WE makes no promise of funding.
  • You want WE to run your product in production or to provide round-the-clock support.
  • You want WE to give legal or tax advice, keep your books or file your taxes.
  • Your idea is not a software-as-a-service product.

What you can send

The form asks for these answers.

Your name
Email address
WE replies to this address.
Company or working name
Optional. Leave it blank if the company has no name yet.
Where is the company today?
  • An idea that is not yet tested with customers
  • Validating the problem with customers
  • Building the first version
  • Operating, with customers or revenue
What are you building, and for whom?
Optional. A few plain sentences are enough: the problem, the customer and what you have learned so far.
Roles you have in mind
Optional. Sketch the roles in the Team Composer and they appear here, or describe them yourself.
Which sounds most like you? (optional)

What a clear no looks like

A clear no is as useful to you as a yes.

WE is probably not the right fit for some ideas and founders.

The cases are listed in Who the program is for.

What WE does not decide

Funding
WE makes no promise of funding. The work helps you prepare the evidence investors ask for. It does not predict that any company will raise money.
Direction
You keep ownership of the direction.
The next cycle
You decide what the next cycle holds.

The long game

Move fast every week. Build for the decade.

Decisions are made every week and revisited at each yearly review. Fast cycles, long memory.

Every week

Fast, and written down.

  1. 1 Plan The week’s cycle is set in writing.
  2. 2 Build A dedicated team ships the work.
  3. 3 Report A written status, every week.
  4. 4 Decide You say yes or no to the next cycle.

Every year

Patient, because the odds turn slowly.

Most new businesses close in the first five years. After that, each year survived makes the next more likely. WE paces the work to that curve.

See how long it really takes See how WE works

Ready to apply?

The application is short.

Apply to the program Who the program is for

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