In the past, most early-stage startups went down one of three well-worn paths. They either rented office space from a business incubator, in the hope of running into investors and business partners; applied to an accelerator program like TechStars or Y Combinator, which provide mentorship and networking over a set period of several months in exchange for equity; or winged it and worked independently from their kitchen tables. All three paths have their pros and cons.
But now there’s a fourth way to get started. A coalition of four groups inspired by Steve Blank, the Pescadero, CA-based author, serial entrepreneur, and startup guru, today announced the formation of a four-week, online-only “pre-accelerator” course intended to help entrepreneurs create, refine, and test business models with help from volunteer mentors. Modeled after Blank’s Lean LaunchPad classes, which have been taught at Stanford, UC Berkeley, Columbia, Caltech, Princeton, and the National Science Foundation, the first classes will begin in 25 cities around the world on Nov. 28.
To read the full, original article click on this link: A New Online “Pre-Accelerator” from Steve Blank and Startup Weekend | Xconomy
