Ugh, the Founders’ Skill Accelerator application is in this dumb form format, where you have to fill out required questions on each page before seeing the rest of the application. I put in dummy answers and then compiled all the questions the application asks as of now.
In neat google doc form:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dgtuI_cpWE-TWoLtpPvW_wsbbLbqRnEQJoWFkgohl-c/edit?usp=sharing
I copied it below as well, but too lazy to fix the formatting.
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http://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/fsa/faq
http://www.tfaforms.com/forms/resume/275181
Teams should commit to work in the FSA office space for the duration of the summer (June 1-August 31), and present at the Demo Day on September 7.
Page 1
Deadline: Friday, April 5, 2013 at 5pm EST
Bio (2-3 students) for each of us
How long have you known each other, and what have you worked on in the past? (Include past work done on this project, if applicable.)
Will the team member work in the FSA space Room E40-160 in Cambridge, Mass. for the duration of the summer (June 1 – Aug 31)?
Page 2
Your Project
We call each team’s work a “project” to emphasize the educational nature of the accelerator.
- What problem are you trying to solve through your project?
- Tweet us your elevator pitch — give us your elevator pitch in 140 characters or less.
- Page 3
Proposed Milestones (aka how your team earns up to $20K!)
What do you want to achieve this summer? We will work with you to create rigorous yet achievable milestones, but we’d first like to hear from you. Where do you want your team to be by mid-September regarding customers, product, team, and finances? (list 2-5) For more explanation about milestones, including examples, please go to http://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/fsa
Proposed Customer Milestones (list 2-5 for each)
- customers
- product
- team
- finances
http://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/fsa/milestones
Page 4
Additional Questions
What inspired your team to get together and work on this project?
Who do you view as your competitors, and how do you differ from them?
Who is your target customer? (Hint: “Everyone” is not the right answer.)
Have you received any funding (including angels, family/friends, personal dollars invested, etc.)? Do you have any customers? (These two questions help us gauge your starting point, so don’t worry, there is no “wrong answer.”)
We will have a lot of applications for this program, so choosing our final teams will be tough. Why do you think you should rise to the top? What sets you apart from other teams?
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Questions I need to ask:
Can I work out of IDC space instead (the MIT-SUTD international design center is a co-sponsor of this) of the E15 space?
Incorporation of media (e.g. video) into application?
Alternative resources (because way to hang by a thread until May 1st)?
Key dates:
- Due Friday, April 5 at 5pm. (week after spring break)
- Notified by May 1st.
- Work in space for duration of the summer (June 1-August 31), and present at the Demo Day on September 7.
Notes:
A select number of teams (in 2012, there were 26) will be interviewed in person during the week of April 22. Of the teams interviewed, we expect to select 8 teams for FSA 2013, but the FSA organizing team has full discretion over the number of teams selected.
So… odds are not great. Stipends are nice. Stipends will feed me. Maybe I should look into trying to get no-strings attached grants from places?