Advise at Inception Studio

Who we look for

• Proven operators who have shipped, scaled, or sold a company — especially in AI, vertical SaaS, infrastructure, or developer tools.
• Active investors with deep visibility into how AI rounds are getting done right now. Partners and principals at funds; angels with substantive check sizes.
• Subject-matter experts for specific cohort focuses (e.g. healthcare, vertical AI, regulated industries) when the cohort composition calls for it.

What the commitment looks like

• One to two retreats per year. Each is four days, in person. Advisors typically attend one or two days, not the full four.
• Occasional office hours between retreats with alumni who want followup time on something you helped with.
• No portfolio carry or fees from Inception. Advisors are not compensated by the program. The relationships and reputation are the upside.

What advisors get

• Direct access to a deeply pre-qualified founder community
• Brand association with Inception Studio's premium, proven-founder positioning
• Concentrated time with operators who are usually too busy to take a generic intro call
• A line on the next generation of AI-native companies

How to be considered

Advisor selection is currently by referral or invitation. If you are interested in advising at Inception, the most effective path is to be referred by an existing Inception advisor, team member, or alum founder.

If you do not have a direct connection but believe you would be a strong fit, email the contact page with a short note: who you are, what you have shipped, and why Inception. Real responses come through.

NEEDS-REVIEW: confirm with Inception whether they would prefer to:

• Keep advisor selection invitation-only (current default above)
• Open a public application form (in which case replace the email path with the form — the surrounding copy is otherwise the same)