MAXA LABSFounder to Baseline

Cohort 2026A · Beta

The lab where founders decide honestly.

MAXA LABS runs 14 weeks of build, each module ending in an artifact your mentor scores. It closes on the only final exam that matters: a Sustainable Baseline scorecard you have to defend.

Apply →See the 14-week curriculum

  • Applications open

    Cohort 2026A opens this month

  • 7-day reply

    Every application gets a real read

  • No equity, modest tuition

    We're a course, not an investor

14

weeks

From kick-off to capstone defense

45

artifacts

Submitted, scored, in your tracker

6

conditions

Of the Sustainable Baseline /30

5

verdicts

Persevere, Pivot, Raise, Expand, Run profitably

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.

Sixteen modules. Two to set up, fourteen to build.

Each module pairs a teach session and a workshop with the artifacts your mentor scores against the 5-criterion rubric.

Apply →
01

Validate

W-1 → W05
  1. W-1

    Pre-Flight

    Before the course begins

    Thesis. Materials. Commitments.

  2. W00

    Setup

    Orientation & baseline self-score

    Install the tracker. Score yourself /30.

  3. W01

    Posture

    Founder mindset + AI-native operator

    Founder contract. AI leverage map.

  4. W02

    Direction

    Vision pyramid & startup hypothesis

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

  5. W03

    Model

    Lean canvas, VPC & motion decision

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

  6. W04

    Discovery

    Discovery & JTBD sprint

    15 interviews. Honest read.

  7. W05

    Story

    Validation & positioning

    Continue. Refine. Pivot.

02

Ship

W06 → W08
  1. W06

    Build

    MVP scope & measurement framework

    What to build. What to measure.

  2. W07

    Build

    MVP sprint 1 + mid-course re-score

    Halfway. Honest.

  3. W08

    Build

    MVP sprint 2 + design partners

    Real users. Real friction.

03

Test

W09 → W11
  1. W09

    Growth

    PLG, activation & funnel design

    First repeatable acquisition motion.

  2. W10

    Growth

    Retention & PMF signal review

    Cohort curves don't lie.

  3. W11

    Revenue

    Pricing, packaging & sales motion

    Charge for it. Defend the price.

04

Install

W12 → W13
  1. W12

    Launch

    GTM & launch system

    Channel economics. Pre-mortem.

  2. W13

    Operating

    Org design & founder operating system

    Weekly. Monthly. Decision log.

05

Decide

W14
  1. W14

    Decide

    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 Discord server to lurk in.
  • ×You want "founder content". We'd rather you read the source material.
  • ×You can't make a weekly submission deadline.

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

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.

Apply →