MAXA LABSFounder to Baseline

A 14-week founder lab · Cohort 2026A · Beta

The lab where founders decide honestly.

MAXA LABS runs 14 weekly experiments — one artifact each — and ends at the only final exam that matters: a Sustainable Baseline scorecard you have to defend.

Apply for the next cohort →See the 14-week curriculum

Applications open · We respond within 7 days · No equity, modest tuition

14

weeks

From kick-off to capstone defense

35

artifacts

Submitted, scored, in your tracker

6

conditions

Of the Sustainable Baseline /30

5

verdicts

Persevere · Pivot · Raise · Expand · Run profitably

How it works

Five movements. One arc.

Every week feeds the next. You don't skip phases — you defend the previous one.

  1. 01W-1 → W05

    Validate

    Make sure the problem is real, sharp, and worth solving.

  2. 02W06 → W08

    Ship

    Scope an MVP that delivers value, not vanity features.

  3. 03W09 → W11

    Test

    Run pricing, activation, and retention experiments.

  4. 04W12 → W13

    Install

    Stand up the weekly operating system the team will run.

  5. 05W14

    Decide

    Defend the call: persevere, pivot, raise, expand, or run profitably.

Curriculum

16 weeks. One artifact per week.

Each week has a teach session, a workshop, and a single artifact your mentor will score against the 5-criterion rubric.

Apply →
  1. W-1Pre-Flight

    Before the course begins

    Thesis. Materials. Commitments.

  2. W00Setup

    Orientation & baseline self-score

    Install the tracker. Score yourself /30.

  3. W01Posture

    Founder mindset + AI-native operator

    Founder contract. AI leverage map.

  4. W02Direction

    Vision pyramid & startup hypothesis

    Where you're going. What you'll cut.

  5. W03Model

    Lean canvas, VPC & motion decision

    PLG, sales-led, or hybrid — written down.

  6. W04Discovery

    Discovery & JTBD sprint

    15 interviews. Honest read.

  7. W05Story

    Validation & positioning

    Continue. Refine. Pivot.

  8. W06Build

    MVP scope & measurement framework

    What to build. What to measure.

  9. W07Build

    MVP sprint 1 + mid-course re-score

    Halfway. Honest.

  10. W08Build

    MVP sprint 2 + design partners

    Real users. Real friction.

  11. W09Growth

    PLG, activation & funnel design

    First repeatable acquisition motion.

  12. W10Growth

    Retention & PMF signal review

    Cohort curves don't lie.

  13. W11Revenue

    Pricing, packaging & sales motion

    Charge for it. Defend the price.

  14. W12Launch

    GTM & launch system

    Channel economics. Pre-mortem.

  15. W13Operating

    Org design & founder operating system

    Weekly. Monthly. Decision log.

  16. W14Decide

    Baseline capstone defense

    12 slides. 7 minutes. One honest call.

This is for you if

You want the truth, weekly.

  • ✓You have an idea (or a v0.5) and a customer in mind.
  • ✓You'd rather be told the truth weekly than encouraged generically.
  • ✓You can spend ~8 focused hours/week for 14 weeks.
  • ✓You want a written, defensible decision at the end — not a Demo Day.

Skip us if

You want a network without the work.

  • ×You're shopping for an investor network without doing the work.
  • ×You want a Slack group to lurk in.
  • ×You want "founder content" — we'd rather you read the source material.
  • ×You can't make a weekly submission deadline.

How MAXA LABS compares

Different programs solve different problems.

See all 12 dimensions →
DimensionMAXA LABSYC SSReforge
PromiseHonest baseline decision at W14Funded scaleOperator playbooks
Cadence14 weekly modules, 1 artifact eachSelf-paced asyncSelf-paced sprints
ScoringMentor 5×5 rubric · 35/50 passNoneNone
Verdict5 explicit verdictsDemo DayOptional review

Frequently asked

Honest answers.

Is this remote, in-person, or hybrid?+

Remote-first. Weekly live teach + live review clinic. 1:1 mentor office hours. Submissions and tracker are async.

Who scores my work?+

Your assigned operator-mentor. The rubric is 5 criteria × 5 — Specificity, Evidence, Coherence, Actionability, Decision quality. Below 35/50 triggers a revision.

What if I'm pre-revenue or pre-product?+

Common. The baseline scoring has a pre-product anchor. You'll still graduate with a capstone — the verdict might just be different.

Do you take equity?+

No. Modest tuition. No equity, no fees on outcomes.

What happens if I miss a deadline?+

Honesty over hustle. Tell your mentor; we'll work it. Repeated misses are a signal the course isn't the right fit right now — we'll say so.

Is there a refund?+

Yes, prorated, anytime before W06. After W06 you're committed.

Cohort 2026A · Beta

Applications close June 30.

One application. Three short answers. We respond within seven days. Cohorts cap at 24 founders.

Start application →