5050 C4 Build!

Explore

Get ready to Build! (read this)

Welcome to 5050 Build!

5050 Explore is all about learning what it takes to be an indispensable founder, figure out if starting a startup is right for you, and identify the right company and team to build.

Now, we're ready to build, so let’s amp up the pace. Get ready to sprint!

Prep for 1:1 chats:

You’re solving the world’s most important problems. The faster you ship civilization-important technology, the fewer people die, and the higher our chances to save the planet. Speed matters. But it doesn’t matter how fast you move if it’s in a worthless direction. Choosing the right thing to work on is the most important element of going fast. During next week’s 1:1s we’ll converge on the best goal for you to sprint towards.

To make the most of next week’s 1:1s, do these 3 tasks:

Set Your 6-Week Goal for Build

Your goal should feel exciting, ambitious and a bit scary. You should see a path to achieve 60 - 70% of it, requiring creativity, tradeoffs, or a new strategy to reach 100%.

Goals should be outcome focused. Aim for a value inflection point for your newco. For example:

Achieving milestones needed to kickoff a fundraise

Signing your first customer

Building a working prototype

Completing a de-risking step that proves your technology works

Confirm this is the right focus

Write down your reasoning behind why this goal is the most important thing to focus on right now. If unsure, list other goals you’re considering. We’ll help you identify the most important outcome during our 1:1 check-ins.

Identify Concerns and Risks

Write down the biggest concerns, risks, unknowns, or assumptions you need to proof that might prevent you from achieving this 6-week goal. This will help us strategize with you to tackle these unknowns head first.

Commitment:

Show up ready to make the most out of these 6 weeks.

You’ll spend most of your time pushing the company forward. We’re here to help you set the right direction, offer feedback and equip you with the tools and knowledge to solve world problems faster. Every week, we expect you to attend group office hours and workshops. We promise the time you spend learning with us will massively accelerate your progress.

Build Schedule

Week 0: Get Ready for Take-Off

Lock in your goals in your 1:1 chats!

Week 1: How to Move Fast

Week 2: Mechanics of a Good Fundraise

Week 3: Building a Great Business Around Your Tech

Week 4: Recruiting + WHO Process

Week 5: Story of Self #2

Week 6: Cohort Demo + Founder Day

** Weekly group office hours

Important details:

Week 0: Individual Office hours. Zoom.

Sign up for a 1:1 chat with a 50Y partner (Seth, Alex, Scott) to share your Build goals. We’ll offer feedback, perhaps heighten your ambition and, together, land on the highest leverage 6-week goal to sprint on during Build.

If you haven’t scheduled your 1:1, check my Build email and schedule yours!

Week 1: Build Kickoff + How to Move Fast (July 9)

First, everyone will share your Build goals with the rest of the cohort (as well as what you accomplished the previous week). You’ll walk away inspired and energized knowing you’re all rowing together towards building indispensable companies.

Immediately after, we’ll have the “How to move fast” workshop. We’ll uncover what’s preventing each of you from moving at full speed and equip you with tools and frameworks you can immediately implement.

Weeks 2 - 5: Continue with the group office hours and in-person/zoom workshops format you’re familiar with.

Week 6: Cohort Demo + Founder Day (August 17)

This takes place in SF, at HQ! Here’s what to expect:

Demo style presentations to share what you’ve built in the last 6 weeks with the cohort.

In-depth whiteboard sessions with 50Y partners and a few 5050 C4 teams to strategize the next phase of your company. We’re bringing amazing mentors to chime in.

Fireside chats with world-class founders (who could become your mentors/advisors)

Ice baths + dinner

Check the
`Full schedule`⁠
for detailed times and dates for 5050 Build.

Office Hours

After next week’s 1:1s we’ll start weekly group office hours with Alex, Seth or Scott . I’ll post the links for these on July 1st. Every week, you’ll share what achieved the previous week, your goal for the next week and we’ll provide feedback, unblock you and answer your top questions.

Before every office hour, fill out the shared Build worksheet so we can make the most of our time together!

Time for a short reflection: Zero Regrets

Imagine that it is now six weeks down the road, and you are looking back on your sprint, your work, the energy you put into accelerating your startup. Using your past experience as a guide, what five regrets could you have at that time? Some say: not giving it my all, not seeing the signs of failure, not taking the risky bet, not being consistent, not lifting weights, not acting on opportunities fast enough, not persisting one more time to find a workaround, disregarding introspection, and so on.

Once your list is created, answer this: What five or more actions or behaviors could I perform that, if successful, would eliminate the chances of having those regrets?

These are specific, tangible tasks to be performed, such as: revisiting my goals every day to make sure I am on track or leaning in to doing the task that feels hard even if my mind is trying to trick me into distraction or even lifting weights three times a week to make sure I stay mentally sharp.

Having stated these tasks, take those you are certain to commit to, write them down in your journal and begin to create a daily and/or weekly schedule of activity that will guide you to consistent put in the effort towards those tasks you would otherwise tend to avoid.

This is a powerful refocusing tool that will help you show up at your best during Build, or really, life.

Rooting for you!

- Ale

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