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Founder Foundations

Forged through failures, wins and scars in Silicon Valley

Founder Foundations is a FREE virtual program that helps new founders launch. 
​The goal is to help you complete the initial critical stages by providing a supportive community, tactical advice and resources.

Startups Don’t Fail Because of Bad Ideas

Startups Fail When Founders Get Caught Off Guard.

Building a startup is brutal.

It tests everything: your clarity, resilience, relationships, and confidence.

Ideas are cheap — but the founder’s ability to execute, stay focused, and lead through chaos is what determines who survives.


But the reality is: there’s actually a flow.

A sequence. A rhythm.


One that’s fairly repeatable — like what they teach you at Y Combinator, or the way Steve Blank describes it.


And each time you create something new, it gets easier.

So there must be a pattern. A recipe.


But until you get that pattern down, most founders get blindsided.

They waste time, miss opportunities, and burn themselves out learning lessons the hard way — lessons they thought would be easy, lessons they thought they could handle, lessons they thought they’d never need.


You’re here because you don’t want to learn the hard way.

You want the heads-up. The roadmap.

You want to build your company — and yourself — the right way from day one. Anticipating each turn before it comes.


This course gives you exactly that.


Most founders don’t realize:

Chaos isn’t optional — but being unprepared is.

Are you the ideal candidate?

  • Founder-To-Be
    • First-time founders ready to do this right from day one.

  • Existing Founder
    • Founders who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unclear
    • Founders who want to save time & avoid mistakes

Your Instructor:

Over the past 15 years, I’ve founded and led multiple companies across Silicon Valley, Canada, and Turkey — building and scaling businesses in technology, travel, logistics, healthcare, and leadership development. 


Today, I’m the founder of Silent Tower, where I help founders and executives transform themselves and their companies by blending neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and embodied purpose to create lasting, systemic change. I also lead Tourzimo, reshaping the future of travel by empowering tour operators worldwide through technology, strategic consulting, and a thriving global community.

Can Coler

Executive Coach & CEO, Serial Entrepreneur, Mentor & Advisor. Techie at heart.

What To Expect

Most Importantly:
What challenges to expect and how to spot and avoid the traps
  • Validate your idea with confidence — or pivot quickly before wasting time and money

  • Create a clear, compelling value proposition and brand identity that stand out and resonate with both customers and investors.

  • Design an MVP the right way — without wasting months on the wrong things

  • Create a realistic, scalable business model with smart pricing so your company is sustainable from day one

  • Learn the critical financial fundamentals — tailored to the realities founders face.

  • The art of fundraising — learning to speak the language of investors and decode the numbers that matter.

  • Align your co-founders, early team, and culture — before problems break you

Other Benefits:

  • Community of fellow founders - to support and network with each other.
  • Open office hours to ask questions and get guidance
  • Worksheets to guide you at each step of your process.  
  • This course expects you to put in a minimum 2 hours of effort per module. This is not an entertainment series. 

Program Snapshot

Module s

 Week

 1. The Founder MindsetWeek 1
 2. Idea Validation & MVPsWeek 1
 3. Product Development & Lean ExecutionWeek 2
 4. Pricing Strategy & Startup FinanceWeek 2
 5. Brand, Positioning & MarketingWeek 3
 6. Founder, Team & Investor RelationsWeek 3
 7. Storytelling & PitchingWeek 4
 8. Founder Habits & ExecutionWeek 4

Why Now?

The cost of waiting is wasted time, misaligned teams, and burned resources. The earlier you build the right foundation, the fewer painful mistakes you make — and the faster you can grow the business you envisioned.

Program Starts On: 
Tuesday August 12th, 2025

Founder Foundations is a FREE program that runs for 4 weeks. The program is conducted solely via email, phone and online tools. The program covers founder motivations, product ideation, validation, necessary finance and marketing. When the program is over, you will be part of the cohort community.

WeekDate
1Tuesday August 12th, 2025
​Thursday August 14th, 2025
2Tuesday August 19th, 2025​
Thursday  August 21st, 2025
3Tuesday August 26th, 2025
Thursday August 28th, 2025
4Tuesday September 2nd, 2025​
Thursday September 4th, 2025

Each session is 2 hours of instruction, activities, exercises and Q&A.

CityTime
San Francisco (PDT)8:00 AM
New York (EDT)11:00 AM
London (BST)4:00 PM
Berlin (CEST)5:00 PM
Istanbul (TRT) 6:00PM
Bengaluru (IST)8:30 PM

Claim Your Spot — Application Deadline August 1st!

FAQ

Is this program really free? Why?

Everyone’s talking about how to build a company.

But far too often, the loudest voices have little to no real experience — just recycled advice from blog posts, Instagram Reels, and YouTube gurus.


Meanwhile, talented founders waste time, money, and momentum following guidance from people who simply don’t know any better. Startups fail — not from lack of hustle, but from lack of grounded, real-world advice.


The truth is, there’s very little real support in the earliest stages.

Until you land an accelerator, find a mentor, or raise your first round, you’re mostly on your own.

In the dark.

And unless your parents are entrepreneurs, good luck finding someone who truly gets it.


That’s not okay with us.


Founder Foundations is free because we want to be a real support system — not a teaser, not a trap.

The course is complete as-is — and always will be.

No paywalls. No surprise upsells. No pitches.


And when your company takes off, while we’d love to hear from you — even that’s not required.


We’re not here to profit from your early-stage struggle.

We’re here to help you survive it — and build something that lasts.

What if I don’t have an idea yet — is this program still for me?

Yes. In fact, this is the perfect stage to join. We’ll help you clarify your desires, explore and validate ideas, and avoid wasting time and money on the wrong direction.

What if I already started my company — is this still relevant?

Absolutely. Many founders realize only later that they skipped crucial steps — like validating the idea, building the right team, or creating a clear business model. This program helps you rebuild the foundation without having to start over.

How much time do I need to commit each week?

You should plan for at least 5-6 hours per week. That includes the weekly session, reflection exercises, and applying what you learn to your company. This is not a passive program — it’s hands-on and transformative.

What if I miss a session?

Please let the group know ahead of time so both the instructor and your cohort will know you will not be there, so we can do our best to fill you in. (Zoom recordings will not be available)


We want you to take this course seriously for many reasons. 

1) So you can gain as much as possible.

2) So you can meaningfully contribute to the group and your peers. 

3) To show respect to the enormous amount of work that goes into creating something like this and its free offering. 

Will I get personal feedback?

Yes. The live sessions include Q&A, and you’ll also have opportunities during office hours and through the private community to get input on your specific situation.

Is this program only for founders?

While it’s designed for founders, anyone leading a new business, product, or venture — including co-founders and early employees — will benefit from the skills and clarity this program provides.

Do I need any prior experience?

No. Whether you’re completely new to startups or already running a company, the program meets you where you are and helps you build the foundation you need.