STARTUP 101

What’s your big idea?

  • What is it?

    The overall emphasis of Startup 101 is to focus on the critical early-stage aspects necessary to arrive at an effective customer solution and create the initial sales momentum necessary to keep moving forward.

  • What you'll learn.

    Startup 101 focuses on the three critical initial steps that any business endeavor needs at its onset: Idea validation, effective product definition, and early customer acquisition. And you want to accomplish these key steps as quickly and effectively as possible.

    • Idea validation

    • Effective product/service definition

    • Early customer acquisition

  • Is it for you?

    The ideal participant in the Startup 101 is a Baltimore-area entrepreneur with a business concept that they are actively pursuing or looking to pursue.

    If you’d like more details, check out the Program Overview.

  • How much does it cost?

    It is free to apply for Betamore’s Startup 101 program. If you are one of the ten Founders accepted into a cohort, the fee is only $500 for the full 6-week program as the MD Dept of Commerce has generously underwritten this program. The fee can be split into two payments, if desired.

  • General Schedule.

    There will be weekly in-person instruction and mentorship on Tuesdays from 6-9PM. In addition to the weekly in-person sessions, there will be short video and online content for participants to work on throughout the week. which will require another 3+ hours of at-home work. New cohorts will start quarterly. All classes will take place in Baltimore, MD.

  • Requirements.

    • Be at least 18 years old

    • Have a desire to take your business idea to the next level

    • Basic proficiency using a computer and the internet

    • Have a laptop to bring with you for each class and use for at home projects/work

    • Be a resident of the state of Maryland

Apply Here!

Feedback from the Founders.

  • Karen Matsuoka

    “Startup 101 instructors had the right nix of compassion and flexibility when that was what was needed, and the ability to push the students when that was what was needed… It was also helpful to have the camaraderie of the group and to see the challenges other founders were facing and watch them get coached through those. It was also helpful to me to understand the idea of early adopters and how to find them and how the approach to early stage work with them is inherently different than the experience of scaling a solution with the rest of the adoption bell curve.”

  • A Rogers

    "Instruction and guidance like that offered by Startup 101 has been instrumental to the growth of my business. Each session challenged me to explore new ideas and opportunities. Between the collaboration from my cohort mates and Brendan's willingness to help in all ways possible, I got the confidence needed to build out an extended service that was necessary for the growth of my business."

    A Rogers, A Rogers Apparel

  • Matthew Tompkins

    "Startup 101 provides an awesome hands-on collaboration of great ideas and guidance on execution. Brendan brings decades of expertise to the forefront of ideation problem solving, exploration, and product-market-fit. It's a win-win for burgeoning entrepreneurs ready to jump into building head first."

    Matthew Tompkins, Founder of GlobalArtandStyle

  • Khalil Mirza

    “The class came to life and was full of wisdom. The format was excellent, and the instructor’s availability outside of the session and consistent emails and videos were all of tremendous utility to me and my companies. The choice of entrepreneurs to present at different classes was terrific. They were enlightening and impassioning. Lastly, being in a room with a smaller cohort of 9 people and being able to empathize with many of the stories of my colleagues was refreshing.”