Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst

The program helps early-stage founders through a defined process that will allow teams to rapidly take their ideas and test them with customers to discard, change and build a business model to move the startup forward.  

This program will successfully help teams discover reliable pathways to authentic demand in early customers. In almost all cases, teams attending the program will achieve success by using the evidence-based tools and processes to recognize when to move away from ideas that don’t reveal demand from buyers/users.

Participation is open to entire Emory community including students, faculty, staff, and alumni; at least one Emory community member per team qualifies the entire team.

All team members will be required to attend on a weekly basis: up to 90 minute per night in-person sessions, present a weekly team update, and complete in-person, documented customer interviews. In addition, it is highly encouraged to meet with your leader during posted office hours to discuss advancements of the business and progress of the founders.

The program will be held at Emory University, and is a collaboration among Techstars, the Goizueta Business School and the Hatchery, Center for Innovation.

Please consider: This is a highly-interactive program that requires substantial time outside the classroom interacting with your potential buyers/users each week.

Topics covered during the program include:

• Use a Startup Business Model Canvas to describe, test and refine a business
• Uncover, refine and confirm buyer/user problems that lead to solutions
• Learn interview tools that test and refine your assumptions with buyers/users
• Define and explore your early adopters (buyers/users)
• Find the buyer/user behavior triggers that signal demand
• Create, deliver and test micro offers with buyers/users to reveal demand
• When and how to apply micro innovations to adjust your business model
• Recognize and utilize useful metrics to show traction in your business model
• How to discover, define and test key words to amplify buyer/user interaction

The program makes extensive use of in-the-field research and testing by applying methods/processes that include:

• Behavioral economics
• Ethnography
• Qualitative interviews
• Quantitative assessments
• Active listening and observation
• Startup Business Model Canvas
• Pathway development and activation

Doing this work successfully will helps teams validate demand, strengthen the teams’ understanding of the problem they are solving, develop metrics to support investments, build their resource networks and strengthen the startup team.

A Demo Day event will be held at the completion of the program. Successful teams will be invited to present their startups to the Emory and Atlanta community.