This is an e-mail I sent to all of Iterative’s 280+ founders this morning. It’s the first time we’re hosting something for the entire community. Unfortunately, it’s only available to Iterative Founders but it’s something I’m excited about so wanted to share it more broadly.
I wonder if we should host something that’s open to the public. Maybe it’s like a conference but it’s only founders and the goal of the conference is to help people with their startups. That would be fun.
Iterative Founder Retreat
Hi Founders!
I’ve been talking about doing this since the beginning of Iterative. Now, 4 years and 130+ Iterative companies later, it’s finally happening! I’m excited to announce the very first Iterative Founders Retreat. It’s open to all Iterative Founders from any batch. If you’re from one of the first 6 batches who didn’t get an in-person orientation, this is your chance.
Who’s Invited
- Iterative Founders – All 280+ Iterative Founders are invited.
- Iterative Team – The entire Iterative team will be there.
- Visiting Partners – All Visiting Partners are also invited.
We’ve reserved 50 rooms and are expecting a very full house. Unfortunately, we prefer you didn’t bring a +1. We think you’ll be able to immerse yourself more and there’s something special when it’s all founders.
What’s Happening
The goal of the weekend is to bring the entire community together. The main thing we’ve noticed from doing in-person orientation is the magic of having a bunch of founders together in the same physical space. As the kids say, the vibes are immaculate. People leave the weekend with renewed energy and more excitement to build. We want to do that on a larger scale and make it available to everyone.
But unlike in-person orientation, you won’t be stuck in a conference room hearing me talk about generating user insights. Instead, you’ll spend time getting to know other founders in the community.
We’re still ironing out the details but here’s what you can expect.
- Activities – There’ll be tons of activities available on-site (archery, snorkeling, basketball, etc.) every day. If that’s not your thing, just hangout on the beach or at the pool with other Iterative Founders who also don’t like those things.
- Small Group Sessions – You’d be surprised at the breadth of knowledge and interest founders have outside of startups. We’re going to ask a few founders to lead activities or teach something they are really into. I’m forcing Brian to host a motorcycle ride (did you know he’s into motorcycles?), maybe I’ll do playing Counter-Strike (did you know I was semi-pro?).
- Special Guest Speaker – I won’t say who yet but we’ll have a special guest speaker fly-in to do a talk. People have really enjoyed these sessions at in-person orientation and we should do something work related :).
Event Details
- Date: Thursday, 7 November to Sunday, 10 November (3 nights)
- Location: Bali (Actual location in Iterative Slack)
- Cost: from SGD $266 per night and it includes all food and drinks, activities and airport transfer.
As mentioned, we’ve reserved 50 rooms and the official deadline to sign-up is 30 September. We’re expecting a full house and for the rooms to be booked way in advance so if you’re interested, I highly recommend you book your slot now.
