The Founder Year

Build your microschool, learning pod, or alternative education program — without giving up a piece of what you’re building.

You have the idea. Maybe families are already asking. Maybe you know school is not working for every child. Maybe you want to create something smaller, more flexible, more human, and more aligned with how children actually learn.

But building a real program takes more than passion.

You need a model.

A price.

A schedule.

A learning plan.

A way to explain it.

A way to enroll families.

A way to operate once people say yes.

The Founder Year is a 12-month build program for parents, educators, tutors, facilitators, and founders creating microschools, learning pods, homeschool support programs, tutoring collectives, enrichment offers, and other alternative education models.

This is not a franchise. This is not a one-size-fits-all school model. And we do not take a percentage of your program.

You keep ownership of what you build. We help you build it well.

Founding Cohort Pricing — $999 paid in full or $99/month for 12 months

Join The Founder Year
Who this is really for

This is for the builder.

The person who keeps saying:

“I think families need this.”

“I know school is not working for everyone.”

“I could build something better, but I don’t know where to start.”

“I have the idea, but I need the structure.”

“I don’t want to wing it with real families.”

“I need help turning this into something real.”

That is what this program is for. Not theory. Not inspiration. Not another open-ended course you never finish.

A practical build path.

What you will build

By the end of The Founder Year, you will have a working foundation for your program.

  • your program model
  • your ideal family
  • your pricing and financial plan
  • your schedule and structure
  • your learning model
  • your parent-facing language
  • your landing page direction
  • your enrollment path
  • your parent communication tools
  • your basic policies and expectations
  • your launch timeline
  • your first-family plan
  • your first 30–90 day operating plan

The goal is not perfection. The goal is a program you can explain, price, share, enroll, and operate with more confidence.

Why it’s a full year

Because building something real takes time.

The first part of the program helps you build the foundation: your model, pricing, message, learning structure, enrollment path, and parent systems.

The second part gives you room to implement, launch, adjust, and clean up the pieces that only become clear once families start asking questions.

You are not just building a landing page. You are building a program families may trust with their children.

That deserves more than a rushed weekend course.

The year-long path

Months 1–8: Build the foundation

Each month focuses on one major piece of your program:

1

Clarify your vision and model

2

Build your pricing and financial plan

3

Understand your legal pathway and risk points

4

Design the learning experience

5

Name it, explain it, and create your landing page

6

Find and enroll your first families

7

Set up parent and admin systems

8

Build your launch plan and first 30 days

There is also a bonus section on ESA funding and school choice strategy for founders who need to understand how funding may fit into their model.

Months 9–12: Implement, launch, and adjust

This is where the work becomes real. Use these months to:

refine your offeranswer parent questionsimprove your enrollment processorganize your backendprepare for first familiestroubleshoot operationsstrengthen communicationget feedbackkeep moving when things get messy

You are not dropped at the edge of launch. You stay supported while you implement.

What makes this different

Your model stays yours.

Built around your actual vision

Some founders want a microschool. Some want a homeschool support program. Some want a part-time pod. Some want a tutoring or enrichment offer. Some want a hybrid model that supports athletes, neurodiverse learners, homeschool families, or local community needs.

The Founder Year helps you build around your actual vision, families, location, capacity, and goals. You are not being pushed into a preset model. You are building the right model for your community.

No revenue share. No ownership stake.

You are building your own program. Learning Pods does not take a percentage of your tuition, revenue, or business. Your program is yours.

You pay for the curriculum, tools, support, and ecosystem — not by giving away part of what you are creating.

Not just launch. Build, launch, and sustain.

A lot of programs focus on getting you to opening day. But opening day is not the finish line. The real work continues when families inquire, ask questions, enroll, pay deposits, need onboarding, and begin trusting you with their children.

That is why this is a year-long program. The goal is not just to launch. The goal is to build something clear enough to run.

What’s included

Everything you need to build for real.

The full Founder Year curriculum

Eight practical modules with video lessons, worksheets, exercises, and deliverables. Every module helps you produce something usable.

No fluff. No theory for theory’s sake. No pretending this is simple when real families are involved.

Templates, tools, and planning resources

You get practical tools for pricing, program structure, family communication, enrollment, outreach, operations, policies, launch planning, first-family systems.

You do not have to start from a blank page.

Learning Pods Network Membership

Your Founder Year includes Learning Pods Network access for the year. That gives you a place to stay connected, access resources, build visibility, and remain part of the broader alternative education ecosystem as you build.

Weekly support

Bring your real questions as you build. Use office hours for pricing questions, program structure, parent communication, enrollment questions, landing page feedback, launch decisions, operational stuck points, and “What should I do next?” moments

This is not meant to be watched alone and forgotten. It is built for implementation.

LearningPods OS option

LearningPods OS is the backend system built to help founders manage inquiries, enrollment, forms, payments, onboarding, follow-up, landing pages, and parent communication. The Founder Year teaches you what to build. The OS gives you a place to run it.

Paid-in-full Founder Year members receive 3 months of LearningPods OS access as a bonus when they are ready to begin setting up their enrollment and operations systems. Monthly members may add LearningPods OS separately when ready.

Choose how you want to build

Two ways to join The Founder Year

You can move through the program month by month, or you can commit to the full year upfront and unlock the full build path from day one.

Both options include The Founder Year curriculum, tools, templates, Network Membership, and live support. The difference is pace, access, and implementation support.

Monthly PlanPaid-in-Full Plan
Investment $99/month for 12 months $999 once
Program length 12 months 12 months
Curriculum access One module released each month Full access to all modules immediately
Tools and templates Released with each monthly module Full access immediately
Learning Pods Network Membership Included for the year Included for the year
Weekly office hours 1 live office hours session per week 2 live office hours sessions per week
Office hours days Wednesdays Wednesdays + Fridays
LearningPods OS Not included 3 months included as a paid-in-full bonus
Best for Founders who want a lower monthly entry point and a guided monthly pace Founders who want full access, faster implementation, more support, and the OS bonus
Payment requirement Access continues while payments are current One-time payment
Best next step Start month by month Commit to the full build year
Join Monthly Join Paid in Full
Monthly Plan
$99/month for 12 months

The monthly plan is best if you want to move through The Founder Year one step at a time.

You will receive one module each month, along with the tools and templates connected to that stage of the build. This keeps the process paced and manageable.

Includes:

  • 12 months of Founder Year access
  • one module released each month
  • tools and templates released with each module
  • Learning Pods Network Membership for the year
  • one weekly office hours session
  • Wednesday office hours
  • implementation support as you move through the program

LearningPods OS is not included in the monthly plan, but it can be added separately when you are ready for backend systems.

Join Monthly
Paid-in-Full Plan
$999 once

The paid-in-full plan is the best value if you are ready to commit to the full build year and want access to everything upfront.

You will unlock the full curriculum, all modules, and the complete tool library immediately, so you can move faster where you are ready and revisit lessons as needed. You also receive additional live support and 3 months of LearningPods OS as a bonus.

Includes:

  • 12 months of Founder Year access
  • full access to all modules immediately
  • full access to tools and templates immediately
  • Learning Pods Network Membership for the year
  • two weekly office hours sessions
  • Wednesday + Friday office hours
  • 3 months of LearningPods OS included as a paid-in-full bonus
  • stronger support for founders who want to build and implement faster
Join Paid in Full
Why paid in full unlocks more

For founders who want to move with more momentum.

You get the full build path upfront, more live support each week, and 3 months of LearningPods OS to help you begin setting up the backend of your program.

That means you can start connecting the course work to real systems sooner:

inquiry formsenrollment trackingdiscovery call bookingfollow-uplanding pagesoffers and depositsonboardingparent communication

The course teaches you what to build. LearningPods OS gives you a place to start running it.

Who this is for

The Founder Year is for people building or seriously exploring:

microschoolslearning podshomeschool support programstutoring collectivesenrichment programshybrid learning modelsparent-led programseducator-led programsalternative education businesses

It is especially strong for founders who want structure, but not a cookie-cutter model.

This is not for you if

This is probably not the right fit if:

  • you only want to browse ideas
  • you are not ready to make decisions
  • you want a passive course with no implementation
  • you want someone else to build the whole thing for you
  • you are looking for guaranteed legal, licensing, or compliance advice
  • you want to copy a preset model instead of building around your real community

The Founder Year gives you structure, tools, support, and a path. You still build the program.

Start smaller

Not ready for the full year yet?

Book a Founder Strategy Deep Dive. In one 50-minute session, we can look at your idea, model, pricing, questions, and next steps so you can decide what level of support makes sense.

Book a Founder Deep Dive

Build it your way. Keep what you build.

Families are looking for different options. Educators are rethinking what is possible. Communities need smaller, more flexible learning environments.

If you are ready to create a microschool, learning pod, homeschool support program, tutoring collective, enrichment offer, or alternative education business, The Founder Year gives you the structure, tools, support, and ecosystem to build with more clarity.

$999 paid in full or $99/month for 12 months

No revenue share. No ownership stake. Your program stays yours.

Join The Founder Year