thoughtbot
Incubator

If you've got a business idea that involves a web or mobile app, we encourage you to apply for our 8-week program. We’ll help you get the proof points you need in order to move forward with confidence.

2024 Session 1 Applications open
January 2nd
2024 Session 1 Applications close
February 2nd
2024 Session 1 Begins
February 19th
Get updates
continuous customer discovery practice
CONTINUOUS CUSTOMER DISCOVERY PRACTICE
simple, yet effective element—
simple, yet effective element—

thoughtbot will be your co-founding team for eight weeks, helping you connect your market opportunity to:

Continuous customer discovery practice

A near and long-term product strategy

One or more proof-of-concept experiments that will prove the value of your idea

What will we do together?

Market Validation

We’ll help develop your go-to market strategy through market segmentation exercises, research, and ongoing customer discovery.

Product Validation

We’ll help you get the continuous innovation engine running through a series of product design sprints.

Product Strategy & Vision

We’ll help connect your market and product opportunity to a near-term and long-term product strategy and vision.

Team Building

We’ll help you plan for, find, hire, and work with your product and technology team moving forward.

Confidence & Momentum

We’ll help you communicate the story of your market opportunity and product vision through assets like a pitch deck.

Why thoughtbot?

thoughtbot is your expert strategy, design, product management, and development partner. We bring digital products from idea to success and teach you how because we care.

In working with countless startups over the last two decades, we’ve seen first-hand how difficult it can be for non-technical founders to communicate their product and technology vision, find a technical co-founder, make their first product and technology hires, and work effectively with their technical team.

People working at a table, holding pens and sketching

What past participants have to say

Logistics & Investment

What are the terms?

Founders can pay for our incubator in cash, equity, or a combination of both. The value of the program is $125,000 USD.

We want to set founders up for success after the program. If that means having thoughtbot on your cap table, great! But if at some point our stake in your company becomes a liability, we want to be bought out. Our equity agreement with founders therefore explicitly includes a buy-out provision.

Any additional tools and services used during the incubator – e.g. Google Ads, Webflow, AWS – should be owned and paid for by the founders.

What is required of participating founders?

We expect each member of the founding team to participate in incubator activities for at least 20 hours a week during the eight weeks of the program

We also expect our participating founders to “work in public” with us. We want you to benefit from thoughtbot’s platform and audience, and we want to be able to talk about our work together on our blog and on social media.

Who can apply?

You have a business idea that involves building a web or mobile app

You will be working within GMT-10:00 to GMT+4:00 during the program

You have an incorporated business entity

How do I apply?

You can apply using the form right here on this page (above, once applications are open).

Stay up to date

The next session will start in early 2024. Sign up here to be notified when applications open.

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