25-45%
of the profit is yours, every month the company runs. Set at the start, based on the build. No ceiling on what that becomes.
0%your share100%
The Forge · Founder residency
Don't apply for a job. Found a company.
The Forge is a founder residency, not an internship. You apply, we hand you an idea we have already researched and validated, we build the company with you, and you run it with agents as the sole founder. The outcome is a company you own outright.
- Profit share
- 25 to 45%
- Agent costs
- on us, to a limit
- You are
- the sole founder
Founder termsdraft
- Role
- Sole founder
- The idea
- Researched, validated, yours to run
- Profit share
- 25 to 45%
- Stipend
- Monthly, while you build
- Agents + infra
- Covered to a limit
- Cap on upside
- None
Founderyour name
sign when readyThe deal
What you actually get.
It starts with an idea we have already researched, then tokens, profit share, mentorship, and the infrastructure to run it all stack up while you build. The upside sits with you.
You are the sole founder
It is your company and your name on it. Not a co-founder seat, not equity in ours.
A researched idea, handed to you
You do not start at a blank page. We bring an idea we have already dug into, with the reasoning behind it open for you to argue with.
- market sized
- demand tested
- competition mapped
- wedge chosen
Or bring your own
You are welcome to build your own idea instead. The bar is the same one we hold ourselves to: the market research, the validation, the evidence that someone will pay. Bring that and we will build it with you.
A monthly stipend
Enough to live and build on while the company finds its feet. Not a salary, a runway.
Agents + infra, covered
Tokens, compute, and the infrastructure your agents run on, paid for by us up to a limit.
Direct mentorship
Operators who have built and sold companies, in the room with you as you build yours.
| Your role | Sole founder. Your company and your name on it, not a co-founder seat and not equity in ours. |
|---|---|
| Profit share | 25 to 45% of profit, paid every month the company runs. Set at the start, based on the build. No ceiling on the total. |
| Equity | Possible once the company hits an agreed milestone, vesting on a standard schedule. |
| Stipend | Monthly, for as long as you are building. Modest by design: a runway, not a salary. |
| Agents and infra | Tokens, compute, and the infrastructure your agents run on, paid for by us up to a limit. |
| Mentorship | Direct, from operators who have built and sold companies. |
| The idea | Researched and validated by us, then handed to you. Or bring your own, held to the same bar. |
| If it does not work | The profit share is small or nothing. The risk is real and it is yours. |
The path
From application to a company you own.
Five stages. It starts as a conversation and ends as a business with your name on it, running on agents you built.
- 01
Apply
Tell us how you think. We read for hunger and taste, not a polished resume.
- 02
Get the idea
We hand you a researched, validated idea. Or bring your own, with the same homework done.
- 03
Build it with you
We build the product, the processes, and the agents that run them, alongside you.
- 04
Run it with agents
You launch, grow, and sustain it. Agents do the day-to-day operating for you.
- 05
Own the upside
Profit share lands monthly. The company is yours to keep, grow, and one day sell.
The honest part
No cap on the upside. Real risk on the downside.
This is a residency, not a job. The payout depends on how good your company is. We would rather tell you that up front than sell you a safe bet that is not one.
The upside
- You keep 25 to 45% of profit, with no ceiling on the total.
- A working company pays every month, and it compounds.
- You own the asset. Grow it, hold it, or sell it later.
- Possible equity in the company once it hits an agreed milestone, vesting on a standard schedule.
- You come out a founder with a real track record, not a line on a resume.
The risk
- The stipend is modest by design. This is a runway, not a salary.
- If the company does not work, the profit share is small or nothing.
- You are the founder. The outcome rides on how well you build and run it.
- It is real work with real uncertainty. That is exactly the point.
The fit
We are picking founders, not employees.
The residency only works for a specific kind of person. Being honest about who saves us both time.
- You want to build a company, not fill a role at one.
- You are young and hungry, and you learn fastest by owning the outcome.
- You are comfortable being the person everything depends on.
- You want leverage: agents doing the work you would otherwise have to hire for.
- You would rather run a validated idea now than wait years for a perfect one of your own.
- You want a predictable paycheck above everything else.
- You are looking for a title at a company that is not yours.
- You want the work specced out for you. An idea is a starting point, not a plan.
- You have an idea you love but no interest in proving anyone will pay for it.
- You need the risk removed before you are willing to start.
First cohort forming
Apply to the Forge.
No resume required, and no idea required either. We bring one. Tell us how you think, and we reply to every serious application.
- ✓ A researched, validated idea to build
- ✓ You are the sole founder of the company
- ✓ 25 to 45% profit share, uncapped
- ✓ Stipend, agent costs, infra, and mentorship on us