A highly selective program for professionals to break into Founder’s Office, Chief of Staff, EIR & CXO-Office roles.
The Founder’s Office Fellowship is a strategic operator and a generalist program for professionals and startup enthusiasts aiming to break into Founder’s Office, Chief of Staff, EIR & CXO-Office roles at top organizations. Trained by a community built of corporate leaders, startup executives, Chief of Staff, EIRs, and Founder’s Office folks.
A highly selective program for professionals to break into Founder’s Office, Chief of Staff, EIR & CXO-Office roles.
For professionals and startup enthusiasts who want to work directly with founders, thrive in fast-paced roles, and build 0 to 1 skill across growth, ops, product, and strategy.
<5% acceptance rate. Each cohort is handpicked for mindset, intent & potential. Learn from top operators, startup leaders & Chiefs of Staff.
Gain direct guidance from top industry leaders through live, interactive sessions.
Work on actual business challenges to build hands-on experience.
Connect with a driven community of fellows for collaboration and growth.
Attend private events featuring insights from top executives and founders.
Access handpicked tools, frameworks, and playbooks tailored for operators.
Discover exclusive roles suited for high-performing generalists & future operators.
Through a structured curriculum covering core business concepts, live mentorship with seasoned operator/leaders, and curated networking opportunities, we bridge the knowledge gap for individuals aspiring to bag Founder's Office, Chief of Staff or EIR roles.
Idea validation & MVP design
Product-market fit indicators
Growth vs scaling
Exit options: Acquisition, IPO, acqui-hire
Why startups fail — top 5 reasons
Founder & co-founder dynamics
Role of investors: angels, VCs, syndicates
Advisors, mentors & board structure
Early employees vs later hires
Legal basics: founders’ agreements, ESOP pool
First principles thinking
Bias for action & shipping fast
Ownership & accountability in startups
Handling ambiguity & chaos
Building a high-trust culture
Funding rounds: Pre-seed to Series D+
SAFE, Convertible Notes vs Equity
Term sheets & dilution
Due diligence basics
Understanding ESOPs & vesting schedules
Revenue models: transactional, subscription, freemium
B2B vs B2C vs D2C
Platform & marketplace dynamics
SaaS metrics: MRR, churn, upsell
Case examples: Uber, Zomato, Shopify
Porter’s 5 Forces framework
Blue Ocean Strategy basics
Disruptive vs sustaining innovation
Real-world competitor analysis
Fixed vs variable costs
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) breakdown
Lifetime value (LTV) estimation
Payback periods
Breakeven & scale planning
Difference: OKRs vs KPIs
How to draft good OKRs
Measuring what matters
Linking OKRs to org goals
Common pitfalls & best practices
Paid vs organic channels
SEO, SEM fundamentals
Social media strategies
Performance marketing metrics (ROAS, CAC)
Basics of ad creatives & copy
Positioning statements & brand promise
Crafting a compelling brand story
Content strategy basics
Community building for early stage
Measuring brand health
B2B vs B2C sales cycles
Inbound vs outbound sales
Lead qualification frameworks
Basics of CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce)
Sales pipeline health
Pricing models: cost-plus, value-based, penetration
Psychological pricing
Discounts & promotions — pros & cons
Negotiation basics for startup sales
Real startup pricing case studies
Problem discovery & user research
MVP vs MLP vs feature creep
Roadmapping basics
Role of PM, designer, developer
GTM (Go-to-Market) launch checklists
Designing scalable processes
Documenting workflows
Internal dashboards & reporting
Vendor & partner management basics
Crisis response frameworks
Anatomy of P&L
Balance sheet essentials
Cash flow statement
Revenue recognition basics
Reading startup financials
Bottom-up vs top-down forecasting
Burn rate calculation
Runway & cash flow planning
Budget variance analysis
Tools for simple forecasting
Basic spreadsheet models
Forecast revenue, expenses & runway
Sensitivity analysis
Investor asks & valuation basics
Scenario planning
Anatomy of a winning pitch deck
Storytelling for investors
Key metrics investors care about
Q&A handling with VCs
Pitch deck teardown examples
Flat vs hierarchical structures
Role clarity vs startup fluidity
Cross-functional teams & pods
Reporting lines & decision rights
Evolving org design with scale
Writing sharp JDs
Sourcing passive talent
Screening & shortlisting
Conducting structured interviews
Onboarding new hires
Notion: wikis, trackers, docs
Trello/Asana: task boards & workflows
Jira basics for tech PMs
Automations & integrations
Excel/Sheets tips & shortcuts
Basic formulas & pivot tables
Building dashboards
Tracking key metrics (GMV, retention)
Data storytelling
PowerPoint basics & design rules
Visual hierarchy & slide structure
Story arcs for decks
Figma/Canva for quick mockups
Pitch deck vs internal decks
Eisenhower matrix
Time blocking & batching
Handling conflicting asks
Avoiding burnout
Tools for daily prioritization
Writing crisp updates & memos
Drafting board decks
Preparing founders for meetings
Escalating the right way
Meeting minutes & follow-ups
MECE & issue trees
Root cause analysis (5 Whys)
Hypothesis-driven thinking
Decision trees
Applying frameworks on the fly
How CoS/Founder’s Office CVs differ from functional CVs
Context–Action–Impact (CAI) structuring
Highlighting breadth + spikes
Keywords that stand out (strategy, cross-functional, execution)
Common mistakes: generic bullets, lack of results, jargons
Typical interview stages for CoS/Founder’s Office
Types of questions: behavioral, strategic, problem-solving
Common mini cases: market sizing, guesstimates
Aligning with founder’s style & vision
Preparing “why you, why this role, why now”
Once you have filled the ‘Apply Now’ form, our selection committee undertakes a thorough review process. We seek candidates demonstrating strong potential and alignment with our program's values and the demands of a. Successful applicants will receive an email notification detailing the next steps.
Founder’s Office Fellowship Program is priced at ₹24,999. This includes all live sessions, curriculum materials, mentorship access, and network opportunities within the cohort. Please note that upon acceptance and enrollment confirmation, the program fee is non-refundable.
Founder’s Office Fellowship Program is a 8-week fellowship. Participants will engage in approximately 20+ live interactive sessions, each lasting 2 hours. To accommodate diverse schedules, sessions are typically hosted after 7 PM IST. Active participation throughout the program is key to maximizing your learning experience.
For ambitious professionals, generalists, and startup enthusiasts who:
~Want to work directly with founders
~Thrive in fast-paced, high-ownership roles
~Are exploring Chief of Staff, EIR, or Founder’s Office careers
~Aspire to build or lead a startup someday
