Frequently asked questions
TEAMS
What size should teams be?
Typically 2 to 5 members, but there are no restrictions.
Who should be in my team?
The company must be majority-owned by 1 or more founders who are aged 14-19 at the time of application. Otherwise, there are no restrictions. For example, a team can include 1 eligible teenager and 4 adults if the teenager owns 51+% of the company.
Can I register without a team?
No, you need to assemble a team to register. While there have been plenty of successful solo founders, it is so much harder to build a viable company by yourself. Moreover, convincing a co-founder to join you boosts your credibility, in terms of both the worthiness of your idea and your persuasion skills.
Can I register without an idea?
Yes. We will include plenty of guidance on how to brainstorm, explore, assess, choose, and validate startup ideas. And we recommend that you explore multiple ideas before choosing one; quantity yields quality.
Am I stuck with my team forever?
Not at all. Founding teams change all the time, especially within the first year. That's why we highly encourage all teams to adopt a standard Silicon Valley practice with equity: vesting. Founders and employees don't receive all of their company stock at once, but rather over several years, so as to both incentivize staying at the company and reduce ownership issues if somebody leaves early. A vesting structure is so useful that we would view a lack thereof as a major red flag.
Don't worry about figuring out specifics; if you get accepted into the program, we'll walk you through the decisions and legal language during the pre-program (Phase 5 on the timeline). Moreover, determining your co-founder equity percentage split before your idea is finalized doesn't make a lot of sense; we generally recommend postponing that discussion until at least the semi-finals (Phase 3).
Do you accept international teams?
We indeed do. You do not need to be U.S. citizens, as long as you can get here for at least 2 months. You will have to take the lead to get your visas, but we can point you in the right direction.
If my company already has funding, or otherwise just doesn't need the money, can I still apply?
Yes. Money is only a small part of what we provide.
Is my company too far along / not far enough along to apply?
We accept companies at (virtually) every stage. Most finalists will have at least a mockup of their product and some initial users and/or paying customers. But there indeed can be exceptions.
Can a non-technical team apply?
Yes, with the caveat that you'll have to be able to learn enough that you can have an intelligent conversation with developers.
IDEAS
Can a single team submit multiple ideas?
No. We hope that you explore multiple ideas, but you are recommended to choose one by the February 28th first submission deadline. However, you can indeed change your idea over time.
Can a non-profit team apply?
Yes. Most teams will be for-profit companies, but we are indeed open to non-profit ideas, so long as they fulfill the general guidelines.
Do you only fund apps / software / consumer products /
?
We'll consider startups in any field (so long as it's not dangerous, illegal, or stupid). Just make sure that you have an appropriate background. For example, trying to produce a new medicine with minimal biology experience is probably not a recipe for success.
How can I brainstorm ideas?
Once I've brainstormed a lot of ideas, how can I choose the best one?
APPLICATIONS
How can we apply?
To go through our application process, do 1 of the following:
(1) Participate in one of our regional events or partner conferences throughout the world.
(2) Register by January 31 at https://www.foundersbootcamp.org/apply, and then submit a 5-10 minute pitch video to contact@foundersbootcamp.org.
Will somebody from Founders Bootcamp review my idea?
During Phases 1 and 2 of the application timeline, we'll try to be responsive but make no promises about discussing your idea. However, once you become a semi-finalist (Phase 3), your team will be assigned a Founders Bootcamp mentor who will electronically communicate with you on a regular basis.
Do you accept late applications?
Yes. It may be a little harder to get in if you apply late, but much more important than timing is being a truly awesome team with elite progress. If so, we'll figure out a way to work you one way or another.
Do you give feedback on application results?
Unfortunately, we don't have time to give feedback to everyone.
Is there any advantage to registering early?
Yes. The earlier you register your team, the higher the priority you'll receive during semi-finalist selections. With that said, registering early won't matter if you have a sloppy, incomplete submission.
How will my performance on earlier submissions affect my chances?
Not at all. We care about last impressions, not first impressions.
What is the full rubric by which my pitch will be judged?
What are the most important questions to answer in my pitch?
What should my pitch video look like?
COSTS
How much does this program cost?
The fees for both the program itself and the application process are the very expensive price of $0.
Are there scholarships to cover travel and housing expenses?
Yes. We want the best teams, not the richest. So we can cover some to all of your travel, housing, and food expenses if you can't afford it yourself. The financial aid application is due at the same time as your final submission in April (at the end of Phase 3 on the timeline).
Will applying for scholarships affect my acceptance chances?
If, in our judgement, you have a particularly awesome company, we'll push hard to work with you whether or not you apply for scholarships.
Can I use my team's budget to cover personal expenses?
It depends: during the program, we'll have a case-by-case discussion about optimizing your budget to grow your company. And of course, after the end of the program, you can spend any remaining budget however you see fit.
FUNDING
How much money do you invest?
We invest up to $50,000 in each accepted company, equity-free and no strings attached.
Do you provide more funding after the program?
We sure do. If you are one of our top teams with incontrovertible traction and a compelling case, we can invest up to $500,000 in your next fundraising round (not equity free, with funding terms negotiated on a case by case basis). Last year, made such an offer to 2 of our teams. In rare cases, we may even make this commitment before the end of the program, so that you enter the final demo day with maximum leverage. Any such deals represent an independent negotiation with respect to the program, and you are under no obligation to accept them.
Do you take anything for prizes?
We will give many cash prizes, ranging up to $1,000 each, during the application process. These prizes come with no strings attached. Enjoy!
If I apply, am I obligated to take your funding?
You make no commitments to us until your final submission in April (at the end of Phase 3 in the timeline). At that point, you will agree to participate in our program if selected at the finals, or you won't be invited to the finals.
Do I need to spend our full budget by the end of the program?
No. Quite the opposite: we recommend saving much if not most of your budget until after the program, so that you can continue growing your company until you raise your next fundraising round.
Am I restricted in how I spend my budget?
During the program itself, we will impart financial planning skills and work closely with you to ensure that you only spend your budget on high-ROI expenditures that benefit your company. Afterwards, you can spend the remainder of your funding however you see fit.
Who actually receives the funding?
You will form a full fledged corporate entity, typically a Delaware C Corporation. We can help you with the set up before the program. All funding will go directly into that entity.
GENERAL
What is Founders Bootcamp?
Founders Bootcamp is the world's largest startup program for teenagers. In short, we want to help you build real companies. Once your team is formally accepted, we will work with you for up to a full year to grow your startup. Most of our teams join us in person for a summer program in Los Angeles and work with us remotely for the rest of the year, but we have flexibility based on what's best for your team. Our accelerator program includes graduate-level content assembled in collaboration with successful entrepreneurs, startup investors, and professors from UCLA, MIT, and Stanford.
Am I good enough?
Do you think you're too young / inexperienced / untalented / shy / lazy / [insert self doubt here] to even apply to this program? If so, we get it. We've all been there. After all, starting a company is a scary, intimidating prospect for anybody. In fact, questioning yourself and your assumptions is healthy for any entrepreneur. But don't let that prevent you from even giving it a try.
Will you steal my idea?
The short answer is no. The long answer is:
(3) The expected risk of somebody else copying your idea is almost always exceeded by the expected value of acquiring users, connections, and partners, for which you need to spread the word.
(4) Sombody WILL copy your idea if it's good enough, once you launch. So any viable go to market strategy must incorporate sustainable competative advantages. If you are relying solely on being the first mover and have no protectable moat after that, you are probably the wrong team to be making your product.
Are you crazy?
Giving up to $50,000 to freaking teenagers both sounds too good to be true and seems clinically insane. Who in their right mind would pursue such a crazy idea?
What happens at Founders Bootcamp?
You will spend most of your time simply working on your company, on your own, with your team, and with your mentors. In addition, you will formally pitch your company and present your progress during regular milestones, culminating in a final demo day in front of investors and media.
Is it worth it?
News flash: you're probably not going to win. Given how many applications we receive, the numbers just aren't on your side. So why even apply? There are many benefits even if you don't win:
Can I participate in the program without spending the summer in Los Angeles?
Yes. We want to cater your experience to what makes the most sense for your company.
Do I have to start a company in the U.S. to apply?
No. Although if you plan on eventually locating in Silicon Valley, we can help you convert your company into a U.S. entity.
What's your ultimate goal?
In order to fundamentally transform modern education, grow the economy, and inspire a generation, we have a simple goal: generate aspirational success stories. To be more precise, we want to produce teenager-founded startups worth more than $1,000,000,000 (called a "unicorn" in Silicon Valley). The top priority behind every piece of advice we give you is to maximize your probability of achieving unicorn status.
For what reasons can I be removed from the program?
We reserve the right to remove a team from any stage of our program for any reason, especially if a team demonstrates insufficient maturity, dedication, and/or integrity.
RESOURCES
Where can I find online startup resources?
Here are our favorite lists of resources for every part of the startup process:
(1) http://startupresources.io
What startup books should I read?
What's better: a founder with 1 year of experience or 10 years of experience? The answer: 1,000 years of experience. So many successful founders are prolific readers because there's no faster way to accrue decades of wisdom. Although there are many, many valuable books related to startups, here are the 5 we recommend starting with:
(1) The Lean Startup
(2) Zero To One
(3) The Third Door
(4) Influence
(5) Venture Deals
What are some tips for the mindset I should have as a founder?
What are some tips for communicating?