We help you discover and create the business you are meant to build.
Build a business that gives you the freedom to do work you enjoy so much, it feels like play, and make a difference to what you really care about.
An Unaccelerator for founders who want to choose their own adventure
- If you're just starting, decide where you want to explore, and develop an idea that inspires you.
- If you've already started, develop clarity around your strategy and next steps.
- Move forward and build traction, at your own pace.
- Keep the promises you've made to yourself.
- Decide for yourself whether you need investment or not.
- Build the business you are meant to built.
What we believe
Entrepreneurship is craft
Building anything different and original is a process of discovery and exploration. Which means that there is no roadmap.The fundamental craft skill of an entrepreneur is navigating this uncertainty more easily than others.The craft is "earning secrets:" combining the skills of artists, explorers, and inventors, to discover new opportunities and build something that makes a meaningful difference.
“Intelligence is knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do.”
- Piaget
What is an Unaccelerator?
Accelerators and Bootcamps have their use, but they are not right for most founders.
We know their limits, because we have designed startup bootcamps and training programmes for scientists, designers, and artists over the past two decades. We've also co-founded one of London's most successful accelerators and helped hundreds of founders to build their business.
We have come up with a new model, integrating the best elements of accelerators, but redesigning them so you can choose your own adventure.
Accelerators
- Take equity- Put you through a short-term "one size fits all" programme.- Assume that you want to build a unicorn and need investment.- Send you on your way at the end of a short term cohort.
ClimbWorks
- We do not take equity.- We help you set your own objectives. We then help you keep the commitments you've made to yourself, at a pace that fits your timeline and context.- You choose which elements of our courses are relevant to your stage. You also decide what you want to explore during group coaching sessions.- We don't assume you necessarily need investment. We will help you decide. If you do, we will also help you get investment ready.- We don’t send you on your way at the end of your cohort. We want this to be a long term relationship, where we work together as long as we can add value to your journey.
Just Start
- As with any craft, the best way to get good at building businesses is by practicing on your project.
- The best place to do it is with others who are on the same journey of discovery as you.
How does this work?
Learn
The backbone of the community experience is "Earning Secrets", our flagship course on designing startup strategy and creating continuous traction. It is designed to help you develop your entrepreneurial expertise, as you build and scale your business through every stage.It's more than a course, it's an ongoing foundational and continuous practice of exploration and discovery we all share for gaining clarity and moving forward. Every week you will:1. Start from where you are, and define the crux of your current challenge.
2. Decide what your next step is to address the challenge.
3. Take action to address the challenge.
4. Keep yourself accountable by sharing your progress with other community members.
What will I learn?
Earning secrets is about discovering your answers to five sequential challenge questions all startups must address. We will give you the tools, guidance and support to answer all of them using a flexible approach that has worked for hundreds of founders. The questions are:1. Who are you going to serve? Find your Market, and get to know them better than anyone.
2. What meaningful difference are you making? Product Design and Development.
3. How will you make money? Business Model Design and Unit Economics.
4. How will you get Customers? Customer Acquisition and Retention.
5. How will you scale and build sustainable competitive advantage?We will eventually be offering courses in all aspects of startup strategy from idea to to exit. But we are initially focusing on the early stages, reflecting our target users at launch. We will expand the courses as our members move through subsequent stages.
What does the course include?
The course includes:
- Videos explaining the theory behind our approach, as well as practical tips on how to apply the learning to your project.
- A playbook with guidance and action challenges. As you work through the playbook, it becomes a living business plan.
- Bi-weekly group coaching sessions.
Connect
Building a business is incredibly rewarding, but it’s hard. It’s even harder if you try and do it by yourself. Climbworks is an opportunity to learn and connect with others who are on the same journey as you. You will be able to talk about common challenges, brainstorm ideas, and collaborate. This will help you increase your practical knowledge on how to turn your ideas into reality faster.The community forms a supportive accountability group, encouraging you and keeping you on track. It is built on trust, openness, and a willingness to learn together.Specific community elements will include:
- Group coaching.
- Individual focus sessions to get group feedback.
- Guest speakers.
- Online community spaces for asynchronous communication.
Hi, I'm Paul
I’ve spent my whole career working with or within startups. What interests me is helping people make a living doing what they like to do, are good at, and care about.I co-founded FastForward, London's first pre-accelerator, which has helped hundreds of founders build their business.I founded Slingshot Venture Development to increase the entrepreneurial skills of individuals and teams. Some of my recent projects include:- Coaching scale-up founders and innovation managers through my work with Aspire, including projects such as Barclays Rise Growth Academy.- Developing technology commercialisation programmes for scientists through projects such as the Medtech SuperConnector at Imperial College.I'm also an Associate Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management for the Joint Birkbeck-Central Saint Martins MBA Programme.
Are you ready to start building the business you were meant to build?
Pricing and Access
Access to ClimbWorks is currently by invitation only.We are initially working with a small, select group to build the foundations of a community that reflects our values. ClimbWorks is free and will remain so for this initial group, in recognition of their contribution. If you would like to help shape its future, please get in touch below to apply.We will open the community to a limited number of beta users later in the year. The first 25 beta users will receive a significant lifetime discount.Apply below to get on the waiting list and get in as soon as possible. No spam, we promise!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I join? Can't I learn this through books or the internet?
For the same reason you might join a face-to-face class, join a sports club, and/or hire a coach. Because building is best learnt through practice with others to learn "moves" and strategies that have worked for others.By being a part of the community, you get more than theory, you get constructive feedback, encouragement, and accountability.
How much time will this require?
It’s up to you, that’s what we mean by “choose your own adventure.” We’ve designed the programme to accommodate the fact that everyone is working under different constraints. Some of our members still have jobs, and are exploring their business idea as a side project. Others have quit their jobs and are doing this full time.We can work with whatever speed suits you.Having said that, this is not for you if you’re not ready to take at least some action--however small--every week. Our recommendation would be to carve out a minimum of a couple of hours a week, and commit to attending the bi-weekly coaching sessions.
Do I need to already have an idea?
No. Our approach is designed to start from wherever you are and build from there. If you haven’t come up with an idea yet, we will help you discover one that is right for you.
What if I'm further down the road, and have already launched?
We have experience coaching founders from pre-idea to Series A scaling.One of our mantras is "start from wherever you are and build from there." This is what we mean by "choose your own adventure".We help you define your strategy for whatever stage you're at. We then support you through coaching and access to content that is relevant to your specific challenges.
What other courses do you offer?
We are initially focusing on the early stages, reflecting our target users at launch. We will expand these courses as our members move through subsequent stages., in response to their needs and curiosityOur aim is to add one course every quarter. Some topics we have in mind are:1. Startup Financial Management: Unit Economics, Revenue Models, Pricing, Building a Scaling Dashboard, Financial Projections.
2. Building a Flywheel: Engines of Growth, Scaling Operations and People.
3. Investment Readiness.
Can you get me investment Funding?
No. But we can help you get investment ready by building the traction investors require. We will also help you prepare your pitch so that you present a compelling story.We also welcome members who are not looking for investment, but want to 'bootstrap' their growth instead.As far as we are concerned, you--and your partner or family--are the most important investor. We want to make sure you build a business that is worth of the effort, opportunity cost, and risk taking that you are putting in.The programme is designed to make the most cost effective use of your resources.
Can you guarantee me success?
No, just as if we were the best Tennis Academy in the world we would not guarantee that you will become a Grand Slam Winner.But we believe everyone who puts in the work can build a business that will allow them to make a good living doing work they find meaningful and rewarding.We can guarantee that if you turn up and do the work, your startup building skills will increase significantly, and you will significantly reduce the mistakes, time, and money it would have taken you to build the business you are meant to build than if you hadn't joined us.
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