What is ODF?
What is ODF?

What is ODF?

📆
ODF24 kicks off February 28th in San Francisco
📣

Interviews will be held January 19th-February 17th 2025

❓
Email us at founders@joinodf.com if you have any questions

What is ODF?

Explorer Persona

ODF is for founders at a very specific stage.

Generally, it's for people who are about ~3 months into starting a company or ~3 months away from starting one.

Builders only.

Weeklong IRL Sprint

Folks are onboarded via cohorts that meet in SF for a weeklong intensive. It’s for those who want to start a company and believe their success odds will increase surrounded by a cohort of 80+ high-momentum founders.

Network of Early Supporters

Join a community of 3000+ alumni, and access over $800k worth of perks from companies like AWS, Stripe, Carta, Mercury, and more. Here’s what others say about their experience.

Who should apply?

✅ ODF is perfect for you if:

  • You have a history of shipping impressive things.
  • You have high intent to start a startup (even if you haven’t left your job)
  • You’re genuinely excited to help other founders in the community.

❌ ODF is not for you if:

  • You’ve raised more than a pre-seed, have built a significant product, and/or are already experiencing PMF.
  • You’re not exploring trying to build a venture-scale business (whether or not you intend to take VC money).
  • Your product serves mainly non-US customers.

Cost of participation

We’re a non-dilutive program that has always cost money to join since we launched 5 years ago. For our 23rd cohort we’re experimenting with a pay-what-you-want model. Check out our announcement video on X and LinkedIn.

What you contribute covers the weeklong intensive in San Francisco and access to the digital community. Our suggested contribution is $1,000 USD.

Membership Benefits

When you join ODF, you get:

✅  One week of onboarding alongside 80+ high-momentum founders

✅  Access to the ODF community, including 2,500+ alumni and events

✅  Access to our Community Platform

✅ Thousands of hours of recorded workshops and how-tos

✅ >$800k in perks from companies like AWS, Brex, and Carta

Time Commitment

You must attend the week-long event in San Francisco to join the community.

You decide how much time you invest in ODF. You’ll have access to an online community, programming, and IRL events.

The first week is an intensive, in-person experience. You must commit to being in SF for the majority of the one-week intensive.

How much time you invest in ODF for the rest of the year is up to you. You’ll continue to have access to a vibrant online community.

Living in SF

You don’t need to live in SF, but you must commit to being in SF for the majority of the one-week intensive. It’s important to have everyone present physically to make the most of the week. If you can’t make the dates work, you can defer your admission to a future cohort- just know you’ll be asked to interview again to make sure the program still makes sense for you.

International Founders

We welcome international founders to apply and join our community. ODF alumni have used the one-week onboarding and online support network to start a company in the US. If you’re not planning to sell to US customers or move there long term, ODF might not be a fit.

Confidentiality

Participation is held in strict confidence. You are requested to respect the privacy of other members who aren’t ready to make their plans public, even if you’re happy to share.

ODF Admissions process

1️⃣
Step 1. Application
  • Interested candidates should begin by submitting a written application, found here.
  • Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
2️⃣
Step 2. Video Interview (as needed)
  • Some candidates will receive an invitation to an asynchronous video interview.
    • Video interviews should not require formal prep, and you can rerecord your submission as many times as needed.
    • There are three questions in the video interview, which should be completed within 72 hours.
  • Video interview submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis, and candidates will receive an update on the status of their submission within one week.
3️⃣

Step 3. Interview

  • A small number of candidates will advance to a 10-minute live interview, conducted with a member of the ODF team.
    • Be prepared to discuss your previous work experiences, your future goals, and how ODF can help you get there.
    • There will be time to answer any of your outstanding questions, if needed.
    • Please be concise in your answers, as interviews are brief and we want to learn as much about you as possible!
  • Candidates will receive an update on their status within one week.
    • The ODF Admissions team meets once a week to discuss candidates that have finished their interviews, and to align on an outcome.
4️⃣
Step 4. Second Interview (as needed)
  • A second interview with a member of the ODF team might be needed to reach a final decision on your application.
    • Receiving a second interview is not a negative or positive signal — sometimes we simply run out of time during the first interview.
    • The length, content, and structure of the second interview is similar to the first interview.
  • Candidates will receive an update on their status within one day of a second interview.
5️⃣
Step 5. Receiving an offer
  • If you receive an offer — congratulations!
    • You will have up to 7 days to respond to your offer. Because ODF is over-demanded, we cannot guarantee your spot beyond this deadline.

Additional Questions:

‣
When does the next cohort start?
‣
How does the Admission process work? How do we assess candidates?
‣
Will ODF be held virtually?
‣
What are the guiding values for ODF?