Startup Building
A founders' cohort for teams with something real to build. You leave with a validated problem, a shipped MVP and a demo day pitch.
Duration
10 weeks
Commitment
15 hrs / week
Format
Team cohort in the Mbarara studio
Level
Founders with an idea or early MVP
What you walk away with
Validate, or kill, your problem statement with real customer evidence.
Scope and ship an MVP narrow enough to finish and useful enough to sell.
Set pricing and a metrics dashboard your team actually looks at.
Get a technical audit of what you have built and what it will cost you.
Pitch at Demo Day in front of an invited investor audience.
4 modules · 10 weeks
Weeks 1–3
Problem, Customer & Validation
- Finding the problem behind the idea
- Customer discovery interviews at volume
- Sizing a market you can actually reach
- Deciding what evidence would prove you wrong
Weeks 4–6
Lean MVP Scoping & Build
- Cutting scope to the one thing that must work
- Build, buy or no-code: choosing the cheapest path to signal
- Working with (or as) a technical co-founder
- Shipping weekly to real users
Weeks 7–8
Product-Market Fit & Metrics
- Activation, retention and the metrics that lie
- Pricing, packaging and the first paying customer
- Building a repeatable acquisition channel
- Deciding to persevere or pivot
Weeks 9–10
Scaling, Tech Debt & Demo Day
- Technical debt audit and a paydown plan
- Hiring your first engineers and setting standards
- Operating cadence: goals, reviews, runway
- Demo Day rehearsal and live pitch
Tools & skills you will use
Who this track is for
Founding teams of two to five with a problem they can name.
Solo founders with an early prototype and no process.
Corporate innovation teams building a new product line.
Technical teams that keep building things nobody asked for.
Your mentor
Marcus Thorne
Startup Strategist
Serial entrepreneur with 3 successful exits and extensive VC network knowledge.
Founders Suite
UGX 2,500,000/ 5-person team
UGX 500,000 per founder, or 2 instalments of UGX 1,350,000
Rolling admissions, with applications reviewed weekly. Payment plans and partial scholarships are available; tell us which you need on the form.
Join Founders TrackBefore you apply
Do I need a laptop of my own?+
Yes for the engineering, design and marketing tracks. You will be building every week and studio machines are shared. Tell us in your application if this is a blocker; we hold a small number of loaner machines for scholarship applicants.
Can I keep my job while I train?+
Most participants do. Sessions run in the evenings and on weekends, with studio time available during the week. Expect the weekly commitment listed on this page. The tracks are hands-on and falling behind is hard to recover from.
What happens after I apply?+
We review every application within 48 hours, then invite you to a short conversation about your goals and fit for the track. Successful applicants get an offer letter with cohort dates and payment options.
Are there scholarships or payment plans?+
Yes. The Professional Track fee of UGX 750,000 can be paid in three monthly instalments of UGX 270,000, with the first due before the cohort starts. Partial scholarships are available for each cohort, and we accept mobile money, bank transfer and employer sponsorship. Choose the option that fits in the funding question on the application form.
Do I get a certificate?+
Every participant who completes the capstone receives a Joshtecs Academy certificate, plus lifetime access to the alumni network and our hiring partners.
Ready to join?
Applications for the Startup Building track are open. It takes about five minutes and we reply within 48 hours.
Join Founders Track