Startup Next Steps
Learn how to grow your business effectively and efficiently and prepare for the next stage of growth
Startup Next Steps is a practical course, designed for founders and senior team members whose startup needs to be taken to market effectively.
The Autumn '23 cohort will run from 12th September to 28th November, including two week breaks. Applications are now closed, but you can sign up below to get updates about our upcoming courses.
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Course delivery & format
Startup Next Steps sessions will be highly collaborative, balancing lectures from industry experts, founders at different stages of the startup journey, as well as practical activities and group discussions to apply session teachings.
Weekly sessions over twelve weeks, with two break weeks in between
No cost or equity stake involved, funded by the Scottish Government.
Hybrid format, with in-person and online participation options, more info
Cohort events and meetups with your fellow founders
Pre-reading material provided to support participant learning.
No grading or assessments, practical lessons that you can implement directly into your startup
Working on your startup alongside the course encouraged
Join at Techscaler Hub locations across Scotland
> In-person classes, at our hubs
Sessions will be hosted at alternate Techscaler hubs from week to week, with speakers delivering classes across seven Scottish regions.
> Virtual group sessions, at our hubs
While hubs will take turns in hosting the live stream of each session, a space will be available at each hub, every week, for local participants to come together and dial in on the session, as a group.
> Online sessions, from anywhere
For those who are not able to engage with the in-person options, or would simply prefer to tune in from the comfort of their home, the course will also be accessible online, remotely.
Participant eligibility & expectations
Startup Next Steps is designed for founders and senior team members who are looking to grow their startup effectively and achieve commercial success.
Participation requires Techscaler membership, so apply below.
Founders and team members whose startup has reached problem-solution fit and is looking to capture a greater market share
Founders and senior team members with a product in market and active customer acquisition who want to focus on growth
Founders and senior teams from startups without consistent traction and revenue who are looking to mature their operations
Ambitious founders with an early MVP in the market with active users, who want to grow their business quickly and learn from experienced operators
Support at every step
Techscaler education is tailored to each startup growth stage
Ideation
building your idea
Early Stage
minimum viable product
Growth
product market fit
Scaling
growth at scale
Week 1:
Growth and Leadership Mindset Coach
Get ready to challenge your assumptions about your business, think about how you'll bring you team on the journey and get ready to tackle the next stage of your business's journey
Week 2:
Business strategy
Review product/market strategy using best practice frameworks and playbooks toplan for your next stage of business growth
Week 3:
Product fundamentals and how to grow
We'll cover the fundamentals of product growth, leaning into product-led growth, and the importance of strategy and roadmaps
Week 4:
Case study: sales and marketing
Understand the difference between sales and marketing, the tactics that could work for your best for your startup growth, and ensuring you have a strong single value proposition
Week 5:
Case study: growth mechanisms, tactics and scalability
Review how you will grow customers efficiently and transition to long-term activation and retention
Week 6:
Case study: building a team
Revisit the basics of employer responsibilities as well as thinking about culture and why it's important to invest in your team
Week 7:
Case Study: pivots, failures and exits
Prepare to think about exits and your long-term strategy, envision what success looks like, and recognise when pivoting is the best approach
Week 8:
Funding and Money
Learn how to be smart with money - runway planning, cashflow, forecasting and shifting revenue streams
Week 9:
Scaling operations so you can run lean
Discover more about legal and regulatory requirements, and explore opportunities to scale your internal systems to scale your startup more efficiently
Week 10:
Investor panel, pitching and networking
Celebrate the end of Startup Next Steps with an opportunity to speed pitch, a Q&A with an investor panel, and networking with ecosystem partners, other startups and investors.