In this interview excerpt, Janice, a hardware startup founder, explains how joining the Founder Institute (FI) at the concept stage provided three key benefits: visibility through weekly pitch sessions that exposed her to investors and sharpened her answers; intensive training that helped her win a pitch competition by practicing and receiving feedback; and a lasting network, exemplified by a mentor who later became a collaborator. She emphasizes that these elements collectively accelerated her company's growth and prepared her for investor interactions beyond the program.
What did you find most beneficial from your participation in FI, and did you wish you had known anything before joining the program?
Okay, um, well, I— when I started the program, I was very early stage. I mean, I, I just had a concept. Um, I had tried to get into, uh, some other accelerators, but I really was too early stage, um, to be accepted. A lot of accelerators want to see some sales on the books, or they definitely want to see a prototype, and I'm launching hardware. So, and at the time, like I said, I was just in the concept stage. So, the benefits that I got from the program, I would classify them under visibility, training, and network. I really love the fact that I was getting visibility with potential investors. For example, during the program, every single week you are pitching your company. So, um, the visibility is not only great from being visible to investors, but it's also really great to answer the questions and be challenged because it really helps you grow as a company. And it's going to help you, um, when you have to interact with investors outside of the program. Um, like I said, the training was really great, uh, because I know for me, um, I won a pitch competition, and I really feel that I won it because of the fact that I had all the training. I was pitching every single week, and I was receiving the questions, and I was really good at sort of answering them. And since I've graduated, The network has been tremendous. You know, for example, one of the mentors who critiqued me on my pitch during the program is now working with me. And so, yeah, that— I would say those are the benefits. That's what I got out of the program. And I hope I answered the person's question.
