Founding cohort open: 10 places in Sell as you build at US$1,997 until 31 December (then US$2,997). Founding cohort: 10 places, US$1,997 Apply now
The Lean CPTO
Free MVP checkFree check

Australia x Japan x The Globe

For non-technical B2B founders

A 12-week path to your first paid pilot.

Without hiring a CTO.

Sell as you build is a 12-week group program for non-technical B2B founders. Get paid before you build, deliver with a simple Founder MVP you own, and grow from there, without spending a fortune on an app nobody asked for.

Get the free Manual MVP Check See the full offer

Free, two pages, two minutes. Find out if you can sell it by hand before you pay anyone to build it.

Build it first? The most expensive advice you'll ever get. A 2-minute intro from Matt AinsworthPlay · 2:25
First intake 3 November Weekly live calls Six months in the group Times that suit Australia and Japan

Free founder tool

Can you sell it by hand?

Before you pay anyone to build it, take the Manual MVP Check. Five questions give you a green, amber or red result. Then check your sector for what works by hand, what doesn't, and the red lines to watch.

  • The 5-question self-check
  • Your green, amber or red result, and what to do next
  • 10 sectors checked, from martech to healthtech

You get the PDF on the next screen and in your inbox, plus 5 short emails from Matt on what to do with your result. Unsubscribe any time. No sales call. Privacy

Page 1 of the Manual MVP Check: the 5-question self-check and the green, amber and red results.

Three traps. Three cures.

None of these are tech problems. They're decisions about what to sell, what to build and where to find customers.

  1. Nobody's paying Get paid A paying customer, or a clean no
  2. Too many features Founder MVP Simple, delivered by hand with AI, and yours to own
  3. Growth stalled Steady growth New customers every month from one channel
See the nine steps behind it
The Sell as you build triangleThree traps and three cures. Nobody's paying is cured by Get paid. Too many features is cured by the Founder MVP. Growth stalled is cured by steady growth. The method runs Sell it, Build it, Grow it, measured every week.NOBODY'S PAYINGTOO MANY FEATURESGROWTH STALLEDSELL ASYOU BUILDmeasured every weekSELL ITBUILD ITGROW ITGET PAIDa paying customer, or a clean noFOUNDER MVPsimple, and yours to ownSTEADY GROWTHnew customers every month

How it works

The first intake starts Tuesday 3 November, and a new one starts every month after that. Everyone begins at week 1. You move at your own pace, with founders at every stage around you. It takes 4 to 5 hours a week.

The 12-week path

Short recorded lessons and ready-to-use templates for every week.

Weekly live call

A short lesson, then hot seats where you get help on your exact situation.

Weekly Scorecard

You post your conversations, offers and payment asks, so nobody drifts.

Six months in the group

Because some sales take longer than 12 weeks.

Founding member price US$1,997 or 3 payments of US$697 for the first 10 founders or until 31 December. Then US$2,997.

Covered by the Week 4 Promise: refine, pivot, start fresh or get your money back. Want it 1:1? Private is US$6,000, 2 places at a time.

Everything that's included

What founders say

It also helps me recognise when I am falling into common founder traps or patterns, and redirects or pauses me before I go too far in the wrong direction.

Haruka, founder, Tokyo (on the Lean CPTO)

As a founder without a strong technical background, I knew that we needed to introduce advanced IT and AI solutions into our company, but I often felt uncertain about where to start. He guided me from the very beginning.

Kayo, founder, Tokyo

I got to know what the right MVP looks like.

Webinar attendee, Japanese founder

Not ready for 12 weeks?

Start with a live workshop for founders building with AI: keep your MVP costs down, get unstuck at 80%, or check it's safe to sell. From US$47, and your ticket comes off the program if you join within 14 days.

See the workshops

Ready to sell before you build?

Apply in a few minutes. If it fits, you can join straight away. If it doesn't, we'll tell you why.

Apply Read the full offer