~/ services/ become a partner
// studio intake2026 COHORTone slot · one operator

co-found
the seventh.

We co-found one company per year. The 2026 slot opens in March. If you're a domain operator with a thesis you've been quietly going insane about, this is the form that gets it onto the partners' desk.

// what we look for

three things, in this order.

none of them are negotiable
// 01 · domain depth

A decade in the domain

You've worked the field, in production, at scale. Not a research postdoc. Not a "fascinated outsider." Someone who's seen the failure modes from inside.

// 02 · operator instincts

You've shipped to customers

You've owned a P&L, run a team, defended a number to a board. The studio is not a finishing school for first-time founders.

// 03 · comfort with the lab

You want a co-founder

Not a vendor, not a service provider. A technical co-founder embedded in your company for 18 months. We sit on the same side of the table.

// the form

tell us about
the thesis.

Six fields. Don't pad. The good ones come back in two paragraphs and one PDF.

reviewed weekly · partner reply ≤ 7d
// what happens next

the four stages.

  1. stage 01 · 7 daysTriage. A partner reads your thesis and replies — yes / no / not yet. No ghosting, no template letters.
  2. stage 02 · 4 weeksWorking sessions. Three deep conversations on the thesis. We push back hard. So do you.
  3. stage 03 · 8 weeksJoint research sprint. A small lab pod runs an experiment with you. Mutual diligence, real work, no IP gymnastics.
  4. stage 04 · day 0Incorporate. Term sheet to wire-day in two weeks. Squad seconded. The clock starts.
// fast-path Already running a pilot with a paying customer? Mention it in the form. The triage is faster and the bar is lower.
// we will say no to ad-tech · gambling · defence · crypto trading infra · "AI for X" without a real X · anything where the lab can't be a co-founder, only a vendor.

not ready for
the studio?

The other doors are still open. R&D retainers and PoC sprints work for teams who already have an operating company.

other engagements see the cohort