12-week pilot · Equity-free · Status: Interest List
Stop polishing the idea. Start testing what must be true.
This page states exactly what the program involves, what MAPS provides, how teams are selected, and how success is measured — so applicants, mentors, and partners know precisely what they are committing to.
The commitment
Weekly operating rhythm
This is a working program, not a lecture series. Participants should expect a meaningful weekly commitment, including in-person build time and work with users between sessions. Final hours and attendance requirements will be published before applications open.
- Scheduled in-person build time
- Weekly accountability review
- Practitioner office hours
- Customer discovery and testing between sessions
- Evidence log updated every week
- Midpoint review
- Final Demo Day or evidence review
What MAPS may provide
Confirmed when the cohort opens
- Scheduled workspace access during published hours
- Reliable internet during program sessions
- Weekly accountability sessions
- Mentor and specialist office hours
- Educational templates and operating resources
- Demo Day or final evidence review
Conditional and never guaranteed
- Cloud or software credits subject to provider eligibility and approval
- External introductions based on fit and readiness
- Legal, tax, finance, or incorporation referrals
- Prototyping tools through partner organizations
- Continued workspace after the cohort
Venture standards
Participating ventures must align with MAPS community standards and ethical guardrails. The program will not support businesses centered on gambling, predatory or interest-based financial practices, deception, exploitation, pornography, harmful surveillance, illegal activity, or products whose foreseeable harms fundamentally outweigh their benefit.
Selection process
- 1
Interest form
Basic fit and launch updates.
- 2
Application
Founder, problem, evidence, artifact, commitment, and ethical considerations.
- 3
Working interview or build challenge
Evaluate coachability, evidence, contribution, and execution.
- 4
Final selection
Cohort fit, capacity, safety, and commitment.
A hackathon or pitch competition may provide a priority interview — never automatic admission.
What success means
Success is not measured in pitch decks or incorporated companies. The program tracks:
- Teams completing the cohort
- Customer or stakeholder conversations with documented learning
- Tested artifacts or working products
- Real users, pilots, preorders, revenue, or adoption signals appropriate to the venture
- Teams making a well-supported go, pivot, or stop decision
- Alumni returning as mentors, employers, sponsors, or contributors
- Participant quality, safety, and ethical decision-making