The experience

Four weeks inside a real company problem

Here's exactly what happens in a SydeDoor edition: what you do, who you learn from, and what you walk away with.

Live session
Before you start

From waitlist to kick-off.

01

Join the waitlist

Pick your track (14–18 or 18–22) and your city. Founding members hear first.

02

Confirm your membership

When dates are set, you confirm your place. Under-18s need a parent or guardian to give consent.

03

Meet your team

You're placed in a team of 4–5 people from your track, mixed by school, area and skill.

04

The host is revealed

48 hours before kick-off, you find out which startup is setting your brief.

Week by week

Four roles. One brief.

Each week is led by a different person from the host company, so you see the problem from a different seat every time.

Week01
Led by the founder

Get the brief

The founder explains the company, the market, and a real problem they're facing right now. Then it's yours.

You do
Diagnose the problem, research users and competitors with AI
Tools
ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Notion
You produce
A one-page problem statement
Week02
Led by product & ops

Build with AI

Watch how the product team actually works, on screen. Then build a working prototype of your solution.

You do
Design and ship a first version
Tools
Lovable, Cursor, Figma, n8n
You produce
A clickable prototype or working automation
Week03
Led by growth & marketing

Test with real users

Learn how a growth team finds out what works. Put your prototype in front of real people and measure it.

You do
Run tests, create content, gather evidence
Tools
Canva, Midjourney, Higgsfield, ElevenLabs
You produce
Test results and a launch asset
Week04
Founder + judging panel

Sprint and pitch

A 48-hour sprint to polish everything, then a live pitch to the founder and a guest panel. Prizes awarded on merit.

You do
Finalise, rehearse, pitch, take questions
Tools
Gamma, Synthesia, everything so far
You produce
A finished pitch and portfolio piece
Journeys

One brief.
Five perspectives.

Across four weeks you diagnose, prototype, test and pitch. These five perspectives help you explore different kinds of work within the same brief. You don't pick one for good: you try them on. Each edition's focus depends on its host.

Journey 01✦
Founder
The brief

Explore how ideas become ventures.

Investigate customers, products, selling, pitching and the decisions behind building a company.

Possible proofA customer brief, prototype or venture pitch
Explore →
Journey 02£
Investor
The brief

Explore how investors decide.

Map markets, assess value and risk, research companies and defend a reasoned view.

Possible proofAn evidence-led investment recommendation
Explore →
Journey 03⚙
Technologist
The brief

Explore how technology creates value.

Work with AI, software and automation to understand and solve technical problems.

Possible proofA prototype, workflow or technical investigation
Explore →
Journey 04✺
Creator
The brief

Explore how ideas reach people.

Practise media, design, storytelling, audiences and distribution across real channels.

Possible proofA story, campaign or creative portfolio
Explore →
Journey 05◎
Changemaker
The brief

Explore how change happens.

Investigate communities, institutions and policy, then test an idea for impact.

Possible proofA researched intervention or impact proposal
Explore →
Wednesdays · live
Inside a session

Every Wednesday. No lectures.

Sessions are planned for 12–1pm or 5–7pm, GMT and CET, so they fit around school, university or work. The longer evening slot gives teams more sprint time.

00:00

The role, unfiltered

What this person's job really involves, what's hard about it, and what nobody tells you.

00:10

Live screen-share

Real work happening in real tools. You see exactly how they use AI day to day.

00:20

Challenge drop

This week's task, straight from the company's real backlog.

00:25

Team sprints

Breakout rooms with your team. Build, argue, decide. The SydeDoor team rotates through to help.

00:45

The hot seat

Teams share what they've got. The expert gives honest, specific feedback, live.

00:55

Next steps

What to finish before next Wednesday. Then you're off.

Between sessions

2–3 hours a week, with your team.

You work together on your own schedule, in a private team space. The SydeDoor team checks in, answers questions and unblocks you.

  • Private team space for each group
  • Async check-ins from the SydeDoor team
  • Tool guides and templates for each week
  • Clear deliverables, so you always know what's next
The final

Judged on merit. Out in the open.

The rubric is published before the sprint starts, so everyone knows exactly how they'll be scored.

Understanding the problemDid you get to the real issue?
Quality of what you builtDoes it work? Is it good?
Evidence from usersWhat did real people say and do?
The pitchClear, honest, convincing
Students working together on a laptop
Prizes

Prizes that open doors.

We lean towards opportunities over cash. The kind of thing you can't buy, and that changes what happens next.

PRIZE

A paid shadow week

A week inside the host startup, working alongside the team.

PRIZE

A Fellowship place

An invitation to the SydeDoor Fellowship, our selective long-form programme.

PRIZE

Dinner with the founder

A seat at the table with the people building what's next.

Online and in person

Virtual-first. IRL when it counts.

Every session runs live online, so you can join from anywhere. In-person editions add the moments that are better in a room.

Virtual edition

Live from wherever you are.

  • Weekly live sessions and breakout rooms
  • Pitch final online
  • Available first, from launch
In-person edition · coming soon

In the room, in your city.

  • Sessions at host company offices
  • Immersion days with the team
  • An IRL final in front of a live panel
What you leave with

More than a certificate.

A portfolio pieceReal work, for a real company, that you can show anyone.
Expert feedbackHonest notes from founders and operators.
Working AI skillsThe tools, and the judgement to use them well.
A clearer directionFour roles tried. You'll know which ones fit.
Your peopleA team and a community of people like you.
Founding members

Ready to
try it?

Join the waitlist to become a founding member. You'll hear first about dates, hosts and places, and help shape what we build.

Join the waitlist →

Takes two minutes. Under 18? We'll ask a parent or guardian to confirm before you take part.