Iterative begins each batch with a dynamic three-day in-person orientation, where you'll forge lifelong connections with fellow founders, engage in your first Office Hours, and gain insights from successful founders. Many past attendees have hailed this orientation as a highlight of the program—read on to discover why.
This guide covers everything you need to know, from the orientation's structure to the incredible benefits founders gain from attending.
Iterative's orientation is an immersive three-day experience, where you’ll build deep and meaningful connections with your batch mates, dive deep into the Iterative Growth Framework, and acquire the strategies to accelerate your startup’s growth by 5-7% weekly.
Being a founder can often feel incredibly isolating, and it's why past attendees have expressed immense gratitude for the connections made at our orientation. These social interactions help combat the loneliness of the founder journey, providing a supportive network and fostering a vibrant sense of community.
At Iterative, our mission is to build the most vibrant, supportive, and intellectually honest community of founders - and we've experienced firsthand the power of a community where founders can reach out for help.
During orientation, you'll participate in your first Office Hours—the cornerstone of our program.
Office hours are weekly 1:1 sessions between you, the founder, and one of Iterative’s Visiting Partners - people who have been successful founders before - where you'll update on your progress against your growth goals, and discuss challenges, priorities, and next steps towards the goal. Think of office hours as one-week sprints for your company's growth - they're our primary way to help you debug and grow faster. Read more on why office hours are so effective.
Your first Office Hours at orientation lay the groundwork for your journey with Iterative, where you'll identify key metrics, share challenges with your Visiting Partner, and align on targets for the program's duration.
You'll also do Group Office Hours with your batch mates, where you'll share challenges and leverage each other's expertise and experiences.
The Iterative Growth Framework is the backbone of our 12-week program—a proven system designed to propel founders towards a 5-7% weekly growth rate. This is crucial because our program's goal is to significantly increase the value of startups by demonstrating that they are tackling important problems and growing quickly. Orientation provides a comprehensive introduction to this powerful framework.
Many startup stories are like highlight reels—glamorous and heavily edited, making the journey seem easy. This can create unrealistic expectations and leave founders unprepared for real challenges. Not at Iterative.
At our orientation, past speakers like Tessa Wijaya (Xendit) and Oswald Yeo (Glints) give closed-door sessions, sharing the complete truth: the good, the bad, and the ugly. These no-recording-allowed sessions foster transparency and vulnerability, with speakers discussing their struggles, feelings of inadequacy and burnout.
The Iterative program is run remotely (and continues to be), and orientations traditionally conducted over a one-hour Zoom call. While this format worked well, we recognized the unique value of an in-person experience. There's just something special about an in-person experience that's hard to imitate online. That's why we experimented with an in-person orientation for the Summer 2023 batch, and the results were transformative.
In our first orientation, we hosted 40+ founders from across Southeast Asia in Bali for three days, and we made three key observations:
Given these qualitative data points, we've never looked back since! In-person orientation is now the default way to kick off every batch.
Orientation is designed to set you up for success — and for you to get the most out of the program. Here's what you get out of Iterative's orientation:
As the saying goes, “Everybody wants to tell you how to do it, but none of them did it.” That's not the case at Iterative. All Partners at Iterative either are founders or have been founders before - it's a rule, not a coincidence.
During our orientation, you'll hear from founders who have built successful companies and want to help you do the same. Brian and Hsu Ken, our Managing Partners, will teach you the Iterative Growth Framework, a proven system that drives founders toward a 5-7% weekly growth rate (and more). Our Visiting Partners also attend the orientation to meet you, share their startup stories, and provide invaluable insights.
Each company is assigned a dedicated lead partner—experienced founders with a track record of success. No exceptions. This ensures you receive tailored guidance and support from someone who’s been in your shoes.
Imagine getting to meet and connect with the top founders of the region. Now imagine getting to spend time with them for the next three days.
Iterative's acceptance rate is 1.8% for the previous batch; that means when you're at our orientation, you're sitting next to the best builders and hustlers in Southeast Asia. It's the best time to share ideas, resources, and challenges. We've seen it happen organically. One founder will have a question on a problem she's facing, and then another founder from a different company will chime in, and the next thing you know, they pull out their laptops and start brainstorming ideas together.
Founders have also made lifelong friends through our in-person orientation. Many become close friends after and continue to lean on one another for support. Having founder friends is crucial, as they're the only ones who will know exactly what you're going through.
Being a founder is hard, and knowing that you're not alone makes all the difference. Iterative's community is a superpower, and it's there for you to benefit from.
We've said it before and we'll say it again: being a founder is a job unlike any other. Every single decision comes down to you, there’s a fire to put out every week (read: every day), and you're getting punched in the face left and right. Founders also have to be ‘on’ most of the time - with customers, with investors, with employees - and it can be hard to switch ‘off’. In fact, founders often don't have the space to switch ‘off’.
Our orientation provides a rare space for founders to be themselves. We've seen founders quickly switch from ‘pitching’ to ‘vulnerability’ mode because they're surrounded by like-minded individuals who understand their journey. The unique setting of the orientation helps founders lower their defenses and be real. Jash Mota, the founder of Flywheel, shared this:
Here's what to expect in terms of logistics.
Note: If you've been accepted to Iterative, do note that these may change for your batch. We encourage you to check with your point of contact.
In this section, we dive more into what you can expect during our orientation.
After everyone arrives, we host a kickoff session to set expectations and share what will happen over the next three days. This is also where we introduce everyone: the founders who are part of the batch, the General Partners, the Visiting Partners, and the Iterative team.
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At orientation, you'll participate in your first Office Hours and Group Office Hours.
During your first 1:1 Office Hours session, you'll set the stage with your assigned lead partner. Together, you'll identify key metrics, align on target goals for the program, and discuss your current challenges.
Office Hours are tailored specifically to your startup's needs. No two companies have the same office hours because every startup is unique, with its own set of problems and requirements. We focus on whatever your most pressing issues are, ensuring you receive the nuanced help you need.
Our portfolio founders have found these sessions invaluable, keeping them on the right path. Discover more about why office hours are so effective.
In Group Office Hours, you'll be paired with other founders to share common challenges and tap into each other's expertise and experiences. This is also a great opportunity to get to know your batch mates better. Group office hours are effective for three key reasons:
Past attendees have shared that group office hours not only helped them solve problems faster but also made them feel less alone - knowing others are going through similar experiences helps.
Brian and Hsu Ken will host three masterclasses that provide a structured framework for the next three months, designed to help your startup grow 5-7% every week. These masterclasses serve as an essential introduction to our program.
Most startup stories you hear are highlight reels—glamorized and edited to make the journey seem easy. In reality, startups are far from easy or glamorous. It's vital to hear the downsides too—the struggles, feelings of inadequacy, and burnout.
Our speaker sessions offer a raw, unfiltered view of what it truly takes to build successful companies. We invite founders like Tessa Wijaya (co-founder of Xendit) and Oswald Yeo (co-founder of Glints) to share their stories in ‘closed-door’ sessions. This honest storytelling helps founders understand that while the startup journey is tough, they’re not alone.
Past attendees have found these sessions inspiring, showcasing perseverance, grit, and the belief that building a successful company is achievable by anyone, anywhere.
In between learning sessions and office hours, you’ll enjoy leisurely lunches and ample break times. These breaks aren’t just for resting and recharging—they’re integral to fostering connections and building relationships with fellow founders.
We’ve found that social interactions outside of formal sessions are crucial for deepening bonds. That’s why we design our schedule to include plenty of opportunities for you to connect on a personal level. In past batches, founders have organized their own informal drinks and gatherings too, enhancing the community experience.
Community is what you make of it. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of these moments to get to know your peers better, share experiences, and build lasting relationships. This is your chance to network, collaborate, and create lasting connections that will support you long after the orientation ends.
If you're attending the orientation (we're so stoked to meet you!), here's some advice to make the most out of it:
It's essential to hear not just from us, but from the founders who attended previous orientations. What was the Orientation experience like for them? What were their expectations, and how did their perceptions change? How do they view their batch mates?
We uncover everything below.
What did founders think it was going to be like before they attended? What did people think after Orientation? What is something that was an unexpected positive experience?
Despite these concerns, founders mentioned that the orientation either met or exceeded their expectations. Here's why:
What did founders think of their batch mates?
Here are more takeaways from founders of the W24 batch:
Visiting Partners are a crucial part of orientation, and we compiled their thoughts below too.
What did Visiting Partners think it was going to be like before they attended? What did they think after Orientation?
What was Visiting Partners’ impression of the founders in the batch?
If you’re unsure whether you’re at the right stage, we recommend you apply.
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