New program helps startups turn ideas into products and customers

A new program through Innovation Depot aims to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into market-ready products and secure their first customers.

The newly launched Boost initiative, crafted in partnership with AppThink, builds on the momentum of the 3-year-old Voltage idea stage accelerator. Eight Voltage graduates have been selected as Boost's first cohort.

Voltage, which launched in early 2021, is designed to support entrepreneurs who have an idea for a tech or tech-enabled business as they translate that idea into a prototype. The streamlined, six-week program is held outside of traditional weekday working hours to test viability. Voltage helps founders assess the feasibility of new concepts to determine whether they should forge ahead or revisit the original idea.

More than 100 entrepreneurs have completed that program, and the Boost initiative allows them to take their ideas a step further.

“This new program builds on the solid foundation established by Voltage, emphasizing crucial stages like Minimum Viable Product development and customer acquisition, with the added expertise and resources provided by our partners at AppThink,” according to a release.

Boost is only for Voltage graduates and is designed to create a direct path from ideation to market entry.

Key features of the program include:

● Focused curriculum: The program centers on securing the first paying customer, highlighting the importance of feedback and real-world application.

● Objective-driven learning: Participants will learn how to design, launch and refine their MVPs, aiming to increase value delivery and business growth.

● Support network: Enrollees will have access to Innovation Depot's network of mentors, industry experts and fellow entrepreneurs, continuing the collaborative spirit of Voltage.

"With the success of Voltage, we saw a clear need for a program that helps with the early stages of customer engagement and MVP development," said Brooke Gillis, CEO of Innovation Depot. "Boost is our response, designed to help our founders achieve their first significant business milestone."

Trevor Newberry, co-founder of AppThink and director of product at Harmony Venture Labs, said the new program “fills a crucial void in entrepreneurial education: successfully finding and selling to your first customers.”

“There’s so much content and training focused on product discovery and building your product, but we’ve found that there’s little said on the topic of actually finding and selling your product to your first customers,” he said. “Unfortunately, without that crucial piece of the puzzle, founders are at extremely high risk of failure. Boost is designed to help founders find their first customers in a matter of weeks with a special emphasis on learning and iterating their products to better serve their customers along the way. We’re excited and hopeful to see the impact that this training can have on startups in the Birmingham ecosystem.”

The first cohort for the Boost program includes: