You have an idea
Turn it into testable assumptions.
Course library
See what you will learn
Act like a founder before the company looks real.
A practical path for turning an idea into repeated customer learning, sharper offers, and small decisions that test reality.
Download Cadence free from the App Store, or request free Android testing access.
30 short lessons. Day 1 is ready.
- Best for
- Founder & business
- Prerequisites
- No formal prerequisites
- Course length
- 30 daily lessons
- Lesson pace
- About 10 minutes a day
- Total learning time
- About 5 hours in total
- Access
- Available on the App Store, with early features and Android testing access
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons.
You are pre-product
Use customer evidence before overbuilding.
You need founder rhythm
Create weekly learning, decision, and follow-up habits.
You want less vague startup advice
Practice concrete founder moves.
Inside the course
Your first three days are already mapped.
The course follows a daily sequence, so the next practical move is waiting when you come back.
Assumption mapping
Know what must be true.
Customer evidence
Look for behavior, urgency, and alternatives.
Offer testing
Ask for small commitments that reveal demand.
Operating cadence
Review learning and choose the next move.
Course preview
30 short lessons
Founder: Zero to One
Day 1
What Founders Do First
Understand the founder job, legitimate starting hypotheses, and personal constraints before major commitment.
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Day 2
Real Pain vs. Nice Idea
Distinguish painful problems from interesting but optional ideas.
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Day 3
Why Ideas Die Early
Spot the main early failure modes before spending time building.
Course arc
From vague intention to repeatable moves.
Cadence turns the course into a returnable habit: short lesson, quick check, review, and the next useful step.
01 / 04Map uncertainty
List what the idea depends on.
Find real pain
Talk to customers without leading them.
Test demand
Ask for action, not approval.
Build the rhythm
Turn learning into the next founder move.
Full syllabus
30 lessons, arranged as one clear path.
Build founder judgment before the company exists. You will examine your own constraints, choose a real problem and first market, run transparent tests, consider distribution and team choices, and decide what evidence should change your commitment.
Module 01
Founder Readiness and Real Problems
Define the founder job, personal constraints, customer pain, and the risks that exist before launch.
- Day 1 What Founders Do First
- Day 2 Real Pain vs. Nice Idea
- Day 3 Why Ideas Die Early
- Day 4 Find Who Feels the Pain
- Day 5 Write a Hypothesis Worth Testing
Module 02
Read Evidence Without Overclaiming
Use conversations, observed behavior, and volunteered commitments as bounded evidence rather than proof.
- Day 6 Checkpoint: Does Anyone Care?
- Day 7 Ask Questions That Reveal Pain
- Day 8 Look for Observable Commitment
- Day 9 Capture Evidence With Context
- Day 10 Separate Interest From Demand
Module 03
Pick Your First Wedge
Narrow messy opportunities into one sharp customer, problem, and entry point.
- Day 11 Pick One Customer to Chase
- Day 12 Solve One Problem, Not Five
- Day 13 Find Your First Wedge
- Day 14 Cut the Tempting Distractions
- Day 15 Commit to a Wedge
Module 04
Run Ethical Demand Tests
Design transparent low-cost experiments that reduce a specific uncertainty without misleading participants.
- Day 16 Test the Riskiest Assumption First
- Day 17 Prototype Honestly Before You Build
- Day 18 Deliver Manually With Consent
- Day 19 Interpret Positive and Negative Signals
- Day 20 Set a Decision Rule Before the Test
Module 05
Distribution, Team, and Runway
Choose how to reach customers, structure an early team, protect runway, and manage risk before forming the company.
- Day 21 Check Market Timing and Alternatives
- Day 22 Choose a First Distribution Path
- Day 23 Solo, Cofounder, or Helper?
- Day 24 Check Founder Fit and Personal Runway
- Day 25 Test Positioning and Willingness to Pay
Module 06
Make the Commitment Decision
Turn evidence, constraints, unknowns, and stop rules into a clear next-stage decision.
- Day 26 Run the First Go-to-Market Test
- Day 27 Choose Your Commitment Level
- Day 28 Write the Pre-Company Decision Memo
- Day 29 Build the Next 30-Day Sprint
- Day 30 Decide: Continue, Change, Pause, or Stop
How learning works
Read, listen, check your understanding, then keep going.
Short daily lessons
Each lesson is designed around about 10 minutes of focused learning.
Reading and audio
Read the lesson or play its audio when listening fits your day better.
Checks when useful
Lessons can use quizzes, written responses, or guided practice. A lesson can also teach without adding a forced exercise.
Progress and support
Track completed lessons, keep a streak, set reminders, and ask the in-lesson coach for help.
Know the limits. Cadence supports guided self-learning. It does not award an accredited degree or professional certificate, and important AI-generated claims should be checked against reliable sources.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
Who is Founder: Zero to One for?
Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons. It is listed in the founder & business part of the Cadence course library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No formal prerequisites are required. The course is designed for guided self-learning, and it is most useful when you bring a real situation or goal to the lessons.
How long does the course take?
Founder: Zero to One contains 30 lessons designed around 10 minutes each. You open lessons in sequence and can move at your own pace.
What is the learning format?
Lessons can be read or played as audio. The course includes quizzes or practical checks where the lesson calls for them, plus progress tracking and Ask Coach inside lessons.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Day 1: What Founders Do First
Get access and choose Founder: Zero to One. Your first practical move is ready when you open the app.
Download Cadence free from the App Store, or request free Android testing access.