Avante: Johnson City Chamber

Welcome to Avante Bootcamp!

Welcome to Avante Bootcamp! We had many strong applicants for this bootcamp cohort, and we’re thrilled to have you joining us. Here’s what you can expect:

Bootcamp sessions will be held on [day of week] from [start time to end time] at [location], and our first session will be [date]. The sessions will include a mixture of lecture, discussion, and time to work on your business. The program will require some reading and homework outside of the session times. To get the most out of Avante, we recommend that you schedule time to work on building your business between sessions each week – you get what you put into it! We also abide by our value of give before you get, and we encourage you to approach this bootcamp with that mentality toward your cohort and beyond. 

Next Steps:

• Please reply to this email and confirm your participation! This will help us prepare materials and get the bootcamp off to a running start
• Read and complete the short Pre-Work assignment that was sent to you. Don’t see it? Check your promotions / spam folder!
• If you’re not a member already, visit AvanteCommunity.com and become a member of our Avante community! You’ll be granted access to bootcamp members-only spaces in the community as we near kickoff
• Take some time to review the attached pre-work before our first session. This will ensure you’re off to a running start!
• Complete the pre-program survey shared here https://launchavante.com/pre-survey

Feel free to reach out with any questions in the meantime, and we can’t wait to see what you build!

Sincerely,

[Your Signature]

Avante: Week One Preparation

Hi Everyone,

Our first Avante Bootcamp session is tonight! 

To make the most of your bootcamp experience, we encourage you to complete the pre-work that was shared with the welcome email. If you just joined, or are not able to complete it, that is ok. We will go over everything tonight. If you are able to finish it, then you will feel very comfortable in tonights session!

If you haven’t yet joined, you should have an invitation to the Avante Community in your inbox (check your spam folder if you’re not seeing it). You’ll need to access the portal for some class materials, so please sign up and familiarize yourself with it!

If you want to have easy mobile access to the community, download the Circle App (circle.so) after you create your Avante Community account. The sign-in will be the same account information.

Let me know if you’re having trouble accessing anything!

This first session is all about exploring and validating your business ideas. Come prepared to be fully present, ask questions, and participate in discussions and exercises as we review the first week of content together. Each week of the program requires some reading and homework assignments, so we encourage you to stay on top of the content as prepared. We’ll send recap emails to remind you of each week’s reading and homework assignments, but this program gives what you put into it!

We will distribute your workbooks at this session, and we recommend that you bring your favorite writing utensil. 

See you at [place and time]!

[Your Signature]

Avante: Week One Recap

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for a great first session! I’m excited to see how your businesses take shape and evolve over the next six weeks.

After this session, you should feel confident in how to approach validating your idea and sharpening your vision. Next week, we’ll be diving into the quest for Product-Market Fit, as well as identifying and understanding your customers. We’ll review a framework for conducting customer interviews that will be a powerful tool for collecting insights. In preparation for next week’s session, your homework is to:

• Review Week 1 content in your textbook (see Chapter 1 resources)
• Think about and update the Problem You Are Solving
• (Optional but recommended) Complete the Pitch Training Course in the Avante Community
• Read Week 2 content in your textbook!

[Optional] The video of tonights class is available on our Avante Community portal under resources!

See you next week!

[Your Signature]

Avante: Week Two Preparation

Hi Everyone,

Looking forward to seeing everyone at our next session [tonight/tomorrow/on Monday]! 

This week is all about your customers and how to talk to them in ways that return results. 

A few reminders ahead of our second session:

• Come prepared to review your homework assignments and findings:
• The Problem You Are Solving
• Any roadblocks or victories you have had
• Get ready to pitch! [Optional – remove if not pitching]
• Tonight we’ll cover some really impactful content focused on:
• Product-market fit
• Understanding customers
• Developing customer personas
• The Mom Test framework

See you at [time/place on what day]!

[Your Signature]

Avante: Week Two Recap

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for another great session!

Tonight we dove deep into understanding your customers, the quest for product-market fit, building customer personas, and the Mom Test, which will allow you to extract meaningful insights from anyone you interview.

Your homework for next week is to:

• Build out three customer personas – (see Chapter 2 resources)
• Interview three customers and take notes
• Practice your pitch!
• Read Week 3 content in your textbook

Also, take a moment to post a hello in the National Avante Community’s Self Promotion page. A friendly hello and a high level statement of what you are working on will get the community cheering you on and you never know what kinds of connections might be out there waiting for you!

See you next week!

[Your Signature]

Avante: Week Three Preparation

Hi Everyone,

Looking forward to seeing everyone at our next session [tonight/tomorrow/on Monday]! 

A few reminders ahead of our third session:

• Come prepared to review your homework assignments and findings:
  • Customer personas
  • Customer interview learnings
  • Review Week 2 content
• Get ready to pitch! 
• The goal for this week is to build a plan for your startup’s future success.

In this third session, we’ll cover:

• Distribution models
• Business models
• Pricing strategies
• Updating the Business Model Canvas

This week covers a lot of material, so come prepared to ask questions and engage in discussions. Doing your best to go through the content before we meet helps us all focus on helping you move your business forward!

See you soon!

[Your signature]

Avante: Week Three Recap

Hi Everyone,

Thanks again for another great session! I’m excited to see your businesses taking shape. We reviewed a lot of material in Week 3, and you may still be considering the options for your business – and that’s okay!

Take some time to update your Avante business model canvas and review the material as needed. Chapter 3 resources are linked here.

Your homework for next week is:

• Interview three new customers
• Practice your pitch!
• Read Week 4 content 

Reach out with any questions in the meantime, and we’ll see you next week! 

[Your Signature Here]

Avante: Week Four Preparation

Hi Everyone,

I’m looking forward to hearing about your customer interview learnings and any new insights you’ve gathered. This week is all about the different types of company types and deciding on what structure you should have.

In our fourth session, we’ll cover:

• Company structure
• Nonprofit vs For-profit considerations
• How to incorporate a business
• Trademark basics
• Building the founding team

These sessions cover a lot of ground, so we strongly recommend that you read ahead or review the content in more detail after our session together. As always, come prepared to engage with the material, share your victories and roadblocks, and ask questions.

See you soon!

[Your signature]

Avante: Week Four Recap

Hi Everyone,

We reviewed a lot of new material this week, including company structures, trademark basics, and the importance of having the right team. The resources referenced in Week 4 of the textbook are linked here.

Your homework is:

• Incorporate your startup (optional)
• Interview three new customers
• Practice your pitch!
• Review Week 4 content
• Read Week 5 content in your textbook

Please reach out with any questions, and see you next week!

[Your Signature]

Avante: Week Five Preparation

Hi Everyone,

Looking forward to seeing everyone at our next session [tonight/tomorrow/on Monday]! 

The goal of our Week 5 session is to get you comfortable with your business financials. This topic is often the most avoided and rarely receives the focus that Founders need to succeed. We’re going to go through it one step at a time!

The Topics We’ll Cover:

• Knowing your numbers
• Key metrics for success
• Calculating your break even point
• Funding options for your Startup

This is another meaty chapter, so we recommend reading the Week 5 chapter ahead of our session and attempting the exercises. I’m Looking forward to hearing about your latest customer interview learnings, roadblocks, and victories!

See you at soon!

[Your Signature]

Avante: Week Five Recap

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for another engaging session! I know the financial chapter can be a lot but it is such an important topic. If you are struggling with any concepts, let me know. We can work with you or connect you to additional help. The Week 5 resources are linked here for your reference.

Your homework for this week is:

• Review Week 5 content and exercises
• Update your break-even point
• Update your Avante Business Model Canvas
• Interview 3 new customers
• Practice your pitch!
• Read Week 6 content in your textbook

Demo Day is Coming!
Next week is our last session before our demo day, so we encourage you to catch up on any reading or exercises you haven’t completed so that you can bring any learnings or challenges to your cohort for discussion. 

Let me know if you have any questions in the meantime!

[Your Signature]

Avante: Week Six Preparation

Hi Everyone,

We have another impactful session prepared for Week 6! This final week of content is focused on marketing your business like a pro. Marketing is often what makes or breaks a company. This chapter covers a lot and has quite a few exercises. By the end you will have a plan and an approach to marketing your brand.

We’ll cover:

• What marketing REALLY is
• Marketing channels
• Building your brand & brand voice
• Storytelling for startups
• Intro to marketing with AI

Demo Day is Coming!
Practice your pitches and remember to invite family and friends to watch your final presentation of all the work you have been doing over this 6-week period.

See you soon!

[Your Signature]

Avante: Week Six Recap

Hi Everyone,

I’m so proud of all of your progress during this bootcamp! We’ve covered a lot of material, engaged in meaningful discussions, and moved your businesses forward. You can reference the resources from Week 6 here. Now it’s time to take your Avante business model canvas, the learnings you gained through customer interviews and cohort discussions, and keep charging ahead! 

But first – Demo Day will be [date/time] at [location]! Invite your friends and family to see you pitch your business. Thanks to [sponsors], we’re proud to provide a $xxx prize to the winning business, as determined by a judging panel of local business leaders. 

We Need Your Help!
We’re so grateful for your engagement and your feedback as we make this program the best it can be. We practice what we preach, and we want to hear from you! Please take a moment to fill out this anonymous survey to share feedback that will help make Avante Startup Bootcamp better: https://launchavante.com/post-survey.

Remember:
Keep talking to your customers, practicing your pitch, and leaning on your community. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey, but the Avante community is here to change that. Keep driving forward, and keep in touch! There’s power in connection.

See you at Demo Day!

[Your Signature]

Avante: Demo Day Preparation

Hi Cohort,

It’s almost Demo Day! 

This is a chance to showcase your businesses, connect with early customers, and highlight the exciting ventures coming to the community. 

Some reminders:

• Demo Day will be held at [location] at [time on date]
• Please arrive at [time] to practice with the tech equipment and prepare for your pitch
• Suggested dress code for pitchers is [business casual / etc.]
• [anything else you want to add: RSVP link to share, prize details, etc.]

I am looking forward to seeing your pitches and celebrating this milestone with you all!

[Your Signature]