Building a startup in 2026 and beyond.
Software has never been cheaper or faster to build. That moves the hard part somewhere else. Twelve lessons on where it went, and what to do about it, from a studio that builds companies for a living.
- 12 lessons
- 4 modules
- 1 h 19 min
- of reading
- 108 sources
- cited inline
- 19 figures
- charts and diagrams
- Audio
- every lesson narrated
What you will be able to do
Each lesson ends with an assignment for the week, so the course moves your company, not just your reading list.
- 01Pick a problem that is painful, frequent and expensive, and write the thesis in one paragraph
- 02Validate demand with conversations and commitments before you write code
- 03Ship a first version in weeks with AI-assisted development, without skipping security
- 04Design AI features people trust: evaluations, confirmations, limits and audit logs
- 05Find one channel that works, price for margin, and know your unit economics
- 06Decide whether to raise, understand SAFEs and dilution, and run a 90-day plan
Four modules, in the order a company happens
Start
Why now, what to work on, and how to know before you build.
3 lessons · 18 min- 01The New Shape of a StartupBuilding software has become cheap and fast. What that changes about starting a company, and what it doesn't.6 min1 figure8 sources
- 02Choosing a Problem Worth a DecadePainful, frequent, expensive problems; founder–market fit; and wedges a model provider can't absorb.6 min1 figure7 sources
- 03Validate Before You BuildCustomer conversations about real behaviour, the signals that count, and what to build first.6 min1 figure10 sources
Build
Shipping the first version, and making AI products people trust.
2 lessons · 14 min- 04Building the First VersionOne job for one user, shipped in weeks with AI-assisted development and boring infrastructure.7 min1 figure13 sources
- 05Designing AI Products People TrustDesigning for model failure, evaluations, inference cost, and agents that act on a user's behalf.7 min2 figures12 sources
Grow
Reaching customers, charging them, and funding the company.
3 lessons · 20 min- 06Distribution Is the ProductWhen building is cheap, reach is the scarce asset. Founder-led sales, channels, brand and discoverability.6 min2 figures9 sources
- 07Pricing, Margins and the Business ModelSeat, usage and outcome pricing, margins when every request costs compute, and runway math.7 min2 figures7 sources
- 08Funding: From Bootstrapping to VentureWhether to raise, what each kind of capital expects, SAFEs and dilution, and running a tight process.7 min2 figures10 sources
Operate
The team, the safeguards, the weekly rhythm and the first 90 days.
4 lessons · 27 min- 09The Small Team, and How to Build OneCo-founders, vesting, hiring for judgment, and using AI as leverage without losing the human work.7 min1 figure9 sources
- 10Trust, Security and RegulationSecurity basics, privacy by design, the regimes founders meet, and when onchain adds real value.8 min2 figures14 sources
- 11Running the Company Week to WeekOne metric, a weekly cadence, reversible decisions, runway reviews, and knowing when to pivot.6 min3 figures5 sources
- 12Your First 90 DaysThe whole guide as a 90-day plan, with a checklist, and when building with a studio makes sense.6 min1 figure4 sources
How every lesson works
- 01Learning objectivesWhat you will be able to do by the end, stated up front.
- 02Read or listenA focused essay of six to eight minutes, with a narrated audio version.
- 03Key takeawaysThe lesson in three or four sentences, for review.
- 04An assignmentFour to six things to do this week, tracked as you tick them off.
Every claim links to its source
Figures come from primary research, regulators and the people who coined the ideas: Stanford's AI Index, Verizon's breach report, the European Commission, Y Combinator, Paul Graham and Amazon's shareholder letters among them. Where the evidence cuts against the easy story, the lesson says so.
- 108
- sources cited
- 19
- charts and diagrams
- 12
- assignments
- Oct 2026
- last researched
William Schulz
Founder & CEO, AW3 Technology
Will Schulz is a multidisciplinary founder, engineer and creative technologist who has spent the last decade at the intersection of code, capital and culture.
As the creator of AW3 Technology, a San Francisco venture studio, Will has led the design, development and go-to-market execution for dozens of startups across AI, Web3, SaaS and education. The studio's work has helped seed clients raise over $5 million in early-stage capital, generate millions in ARR, and scale to national and global visibility.
Previously at Cisco, Genentech and Gap.
Before you start
Is it really free?
Yes. Every lesson, figure and assignment is free to read, with no sign-up and no email gate.
Do I need an account to track progress?
No. Completed lessons and ticked assignments are saved in your browser on this device. Nothing is sent to us.
How current is it?
The course was researched in October 2026. Figures carry their year and every factual claim links to its source, so you can check what has changed since.
Who is it for?
First-time and repeat founders, operators thinking about starting something, and anyone who wants a clear picture of how companies get built now that software is cheap to make.
Is any of this legal or financial advice?
No. The funding and regulation lessons explain how things generally work. Use a lawyer for documents and an accountant for tax.
Can AW3 help me build the company?
That is what the studio does: product, brand, engineering and fundraising support, from first thesis to first revenue.
Building something now?
AW3 works with founders from first thesis to first revenue: product, brand, engineering and the raise. Tell us what you are working on.