Next-Gen Founder
Borrow the experience. Keep the company.
Many people start a business early in a career. Few reach employer scale. WE adds a steered, experienced team and a plan built for years, not weeks.
For anyone early in a career, including students, with high intent and few industry years yet.
Borrow the experience you do not have yet.
What usually gets in the way
- Few industry years yet, and the data weighs them heavily.
- Thin savings.
- The pull of short programs built around a single quarter.
What WE does
- An experienced team around your idea, steered by WE.
- Start small and grow the team by notice.
- A plan that runs past year one, with reviews at years one, three and five.
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More than 1 in 5
Americans aged 18 to 34 are starting or running a new business, as reported by the GEM U.S. survey
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, U.S. report 2025/2026 (Babson College) . 2025/2026.
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7.5%
of 2021 applications became employer businesses within two years
U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics ; U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics definitions . Applications filed in 2021.
Derived: 403,072 formations within eight quarters (BF_BF8Q) out of 5,390,816 applications (BA_BA), monthly values summed.
These figures describe all new U.S. businesses, not WE's results.
From application to employer
Of 5,390,816 U.S. business applications filed in 2021, 315,318 (5.8%) became employers within one year and 403,072 (7.5%) within two.
These figures describe all new U.S. businesses, not WE's results.
Of 5,390,816 U.S. business applications filed in 2021, 315,318 (5.8%) became employers within one year and 403,072 (7.5%) within two.
Show the data
| Group | Applications |
|---|---|
| Business applications filed in 2021 | 5,390,816 |
| Became employers within one year | 315,318 (5.8%) |
| Became employers within two years | 403,072 (7.5%) |
Questions people ask
- Why not a three-month program?
- If you want capital and a short sprint with other founders, a three-month program is built for that. If you want a team that builds with you for years, that is what WE does. About half of businesses are gone by year five, so plan for the years.
- I cannot afford fees.
- Start with the timeline brief and a readiness review. If the company cannot sustain a team yet, WE will say so.
The long game
Move fast every week. Build for the decade.
Starting young puts time on your side. Use it: ship every week, and build for the decade.
Every week
Fast, and written down.
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1 Plan The week’s cycle is set in writing. -
2 Build A dedicated team ships the work. -
3 Report A written status, every week. -
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.
Join the programs that fit
Start in a community, then stay for the long run.
Early on, peers matter as much as advice. Join the programs and spaces where people your age are building, and bring WE in when the company needs a steady team.
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University and lab programs
Programs on campus and in the labs near you.
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Founder programs
Structured programs with a peer group.
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Coworking spaces
A desk among other people who are starting up.
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SBIR and STTR
Research-based ideas from a lab or a class can be a fit for SBIR and STTR.
Independent programs that WE encourages founders to consider. No affiliation or endorsement is implied. WE works alongside them, for the long run.
How it fits
The core of the business can be built on a screen: software, a digital product, or a service run on software and expertise. You can fund a team from revenue, savings, outside capital or a corporate budget.
Sources
- GEM USA 2025/2026 report coverage, Babson College . Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Business Formation Statistics, monthly data (CSV), U.S. Census Bureau . Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Business Formation Statistics: Definitions, U.S. Census Bureau . Accessed October 14, 2026.