Master the skills you need to lead

The Unusual Academy is a hands-on learning program where select founders learn how to level up as leaders. Over the course of seven half-day sessions in the Bay Area you’ll receive tactical advice for overcoming the most difficult early stage obstacles. You may also be eligible to receive a meaningful investment of capital (up to $1M).

Applications are now closed for Fall 2020. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates.

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Guidance from world-class experts

At the Unusual Academy, you’ll have the unique opportunity to learn from the best in the industry. We’ve identified the most difficult challenges early entrepreneurs have to face, then found the perfect Master Practitioner to teach you the process they followed.

Master Practitioners

Enterprise
Consumer

Jyoti Bansal

Messaging for Breakthrough Growth

Jyoti Bansal

Messaging for Breakthrough Growth

John Vrionis

Finding Your First 5 Customers

John Vrionis

Finding Your First 5 Customers

Maggie Hensle

Mindful Leadership

Maggie Hensle

Mindful Leadership

Andy Rachleff

Fundraising from VCs

Andy Rachleff

Fundraising from VCs

Karina Sobieski

Building Durable Teams

Karina Sobieski

Building Durable Teams

Jake Harriman

Building Durable Teams

Jake Harriman

Building Durable Teams

Adam Grant

Leading and Managing a Team

Adam Grant

Leading and Managing a Team

Maggie Hensle

Mindful Leadership

Maggie Hensle

Mindful Leadership

Andy Rachleff

Fundraising from VCs

Andy Rachleff

Fundraising from VCs

Karina Sobieski

Building Durable Teams

Karina Sobieski

Building Durable Teams

Jake Harriman

Building Durable Teams

Jake Harriman

Building Durable Teams

Brian Balfour

Product Growth

Brian Balfour

Product Growth

Andy Johns

Product Growth

Andy Johns

Product Growth

Adam Grant

Leading and Managing a Team

Adam Grant

Leading and Managing a Team

Josh Grau

Product Marketing & Positioning

Josh Grau

Product Marketing & Positioning

A craft best mastered by doing

Real learning comes through personal experience and tailored feedback from people who have been down the startup path before. Our hands-on workshop will empower you to reach your full potential using a “See one, Do one, Teach one” format.

Invest 30 hours and save your team 3000

SEE ONE

Each workshop focuses on a critical obstacle for your startup and opens with a case-based, practical lesson presented by the Master Practitioner.

DO ONE

The Master Practitioner guides an interactive workshop where you apply the tactics learned in the lesson to your own situation.

TEACH ONE

At the end of each session, you teach the tactics they learn to the class and receive feedback from them so you can fully master the skill.
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You’ll walk away from each session with something that can be immediately applied as you build your company.

SEE ONE

Each workshop focuses on a critical obstacle for your startup and opens with a case-based, practical lesson presented by the Master Practitioner.

DO ONE

The Master Practitioner guides an interactive workshop where you apply the tactics learned in the lesson to your own situation.

TEACH ONE

At the end of each session, you teach the tactics they learn to the class and receive feedback from them so you can fully master the skill.

You’ll walk away from each session with a practical that can be immediately applied as you build your company.

Your application checklist

Applications are now closed for Fall 2020. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates.

Thank you!
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Apply

Who should apply?

Unusual Academy is for founders at every point in their early stage journey. Let’s say you’re sitting at your day job but can’t stop scribbling an idea on the backs of napkins, envelopes, or whatever you can find—Unusual Academy is for you. You don’t need an official deck or an LLC. There’s no such thing as too early.
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Likewise, if you’ve closed your first round and already have a small team—Unusual Academy is for you. Any founder who’s raised up to $10M can apply to sharpen their strategy and lay the foundation for future growth. The material applies to every entrepreneur looking to gain a serious edge.

What will you learn?

You should apply if you want to learn to conquer common seed stage obstacles including:

  1. Hiring and compensating high-caliber talent
  2. Finding product/market fit
  3. Messaging your product and value proposition in a way that customers resonate with
  4. Getting your first customers & devising an early sales process
  5. Managing yourself as a leader of a fast-growing team to mutual success
  6. The ideal process and pitch for your next fundraise

How does the money work?

To give founders a truly unusual advantage, we’re pairing this learning experience with the capital founders need to put it to work. Depending on where your company is on its journey, founders may be eligible for an investment of up to $1 million. Essentially, we’re inviting founders to learn from the best minds in the business while extending their runway.
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We want to make it an easy decision for entrepreneurs to choose us as their seed stage partner. In the process, we're looking forward to partnering with founders hailing from a variety of backgrounds and experiences—the more unusual the better.

Frequently asked questions

Eligibility

I’ve previously raised a seed round. Am I still eligible?

You are definitely eligible! One of the key goals of the Academy is to support not only founders who are just kicking off, but also those who are looking to bridge between their Seed and Series A fundraising efforts.

How much revenue do I need to apply for Unusual Academy?

None! Our Academy is focused on finding entrepreneurs who are at any stage of founding a new company — from concept to MVP to revenue generation.

Can I apply if I don’t have a proven concept?

Absolutely! No idea is too early for Unusual Academy.

Does my company need to be incorporated to participate?

No! You can join the Academy now and accept the investment once you become incorporated later. We want Engineers who want to grow into Entrepreneurs.

What’s the application process and timing like?

We’ll share details about the next Academy soon. Sign up to join our mailing list and be the first to hear when this information is released.

How many founders or teams will be accepted into the program?

The cohort will include about 20 startup teams (this counts both enterprise and consumer tracks). We're intent on keeping the experience small so that everyone gets to spend quality, interactive time with the master practitioners.

Logistics

How does Unusual determine how much money eligible companies will receive?

The amount of funding ($250K to $1M) will be tailored to the amount of progress you've made on your concept or company. We'll look at several factors in our decision-making process, including the viability of the idea, traction, team strength and growth potential.

Will you be running Academy programs in other locations?

We’re looking forward to running more Academy programs and keeping you up to date on those opportunities. Sign up above to make sure you’re on our radar, and we’ll let you know if we’re coming to a city near you.

Can I attend sessions via video conference or over the phone?

We are considering virtual sessions for the upcoming Academy. 

When and where are the sessions?

We have yet to release the dates and location for the next Unusual Academy in the fall of 2019. There will be seven sessions, 3 hours each. That’s 21 hours spent to learn what the average founder aspires to figure out in a year. For this reason, it’s critical that everyone is able to attend every session. Note that acceptance is contingent on your ability to be there.

Our support goes way beyond giving advice

See Get Ahead Platform