01One camp, a select group of founders
Everyone lives on site just outside of New York from arrival to departure. Cameras go up, and there is nowhere else to be.
The Launchpad is a two week experience for early stage founders to launch their companies in public, meet incredible mentors, and compete for cash prizes and capital investments from top investors.We’re bringing a select group of founders to just outside of New York from October 4th to 19th.Join us.
What is Launchpad?
Two weeks that move you further than most move in two years.
There is a curriculum drawn from launches Stanley has actually run. Office hours every day with the people who ran them, along with founders and creators brought in for the fortnight. Teams will take part in a variety of product, distribution, go-to-market, social media, customer acquisition, and physical challenges, in public, with real results and an audience watching.
The teams still standing at the end will pitch their businesses to a panel of investors on Pitch Day. Investors may choose to invest in any number of teams, or none at all. $100,000 in prizes will be awarded across the competitions held during the program.
At its heart, Launchpad is a teaching environment where the goal is to learn, grow, and become a better founder. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build alongside other founders who are equally determined to succeed, and to learn directly from two entrepreneurs who have already proven that this playbook works. Teams may include different numbers of founders and arrive at different stages of development and success. What matters is how effectively each team uses the experience to build, adapt, and move its business forward.
And all of it is filmed. Most founders build in private and write the story afterward, once the ending is known. Here, the record is made while you are still inside it: every pivot, every breakthrough, every first dollar.
How the camp actually runs:
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Who is in the room on Pitch Day:
FAQs
01How do I apply?
Click “Apply”. It is one page and takes a few minutes. When you finish you are given a link of your own, which is how you check where your application has got to, so keep it. Applications close Thursday, September 17, 2026.
02When and where is it?
Sunday, October 4 to Monday, October 19, 2026. One camp just outside of New York.
03Who gets in?
Teams of two or more founders, 18+. What matters is having an idea you believe in and being ready to go all in.
04Do I need a product already?
No. Come with an idea or something already in motion. Wherever you’re starting, be ready to build, test, grow, and move fast.
05How long is it?
16 days and 15 nights, Sunday, October 4 to Monday, October 19. Demo Day is Sunday, October 18.
06Am I on camera the whole time?
Yes. From check-in to checkout, and so is everyone else. Pitch day is filmed in front of investors.
07How does it end?
You make your pitch. You show what you’ve accomplished. Then you head home October 19. What happens next is just the beginning.
08When do you decide?
Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis. Interviews and places go out while applications are still open, so applying early is better than applying on the last day.
09How many people can be on my team?
Teams of two or more founders, 18+.
10Do we all need to apply separately?
No. One person applies for the team. If you are selected, everyone on the team appears in the videos and in the interviews, so put down the number who will actually be there.
11Is everyone there for the full two weeks?
All selected participants must remain available for the full two-week program. A team’s status in the competition may change throughout the experience, and not every team will remain eligible for Pitch Day or the $100,000 in prizes. Additional details will be revealed during the program.
12What are the prizes?
The final teams will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses to a panel of investors. One, multiple, all, or none of the teams may receive an investment. All investment decisions are made solely at each investor’s discretion, and an investment is not guaranteed. $100,000 in prizes will be awarded across the competitions held during the program. How the prize money is divided, and which teams receive it, is determined by John Hu and Vitalii Dodonov.
13Is this an investment?
No. Launchpad is not an investment and no funding is guaranteed. Stan takes no equity in your company. The investors on Pitch Day decide for themselves whether to invest, and on what terms.
14What happens if my team is eliminated?
The learning doesn’t stop when the competition heats up. All participants should plan to remain available for the full 16-day experience. Additional elimination details will be revealed throughout the Program.
15What are the eligibility requirements?
Selected participants will be required to complete standard eligibility, identity-verification, medical-clearance, and background-screening requirements before attending.
16Can I come from outside the US?
Yes, but you are responsible for your own legal ability to enter the United States and take part. Stan provides no visa sponsorship or immigration support.
17Who is it for?
Founders with a clear idea and a clear customer. Traction is welcome but not required: plenty of teams will arrive with nothing live yet, and some will arrive with early revenue. Both are fine. The product should be software, AI or an agent that you can build and launch during the two weeks. You should be comfortable on camera and building in public.
18I still have a question. Who do I ask?
Email launchpad@stanwith.me.
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