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The Visionary
Has strong opinions about how the world should work.
We transform exceptional people into founders.
Through structured 1:1 sprints guided by serial founders, we help you decide what to build, why you, and how to build it - before committing full-time.
Book an introductory conversation
25 minutes · No charge · No commitment
Our Cause
The hardest part comes before the company exists.
Before the business model, the team, or the first financing, there is a period when everything is possible. And almost nothing is clear.
What should I build?
Why am I the right person?
Who should I build with?
When should I commit?
These decisions shape everything that follows. PHOIA exists for this stage.
WHO PHOIA IS FOR
The next great founders may not look like founders yet.
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The Operator
Keeps seeing the same problems from the inside.
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The Builder
Has side projects that shouldn’t stay side projects.
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The Expert
Understands something deeply few others do.
What they often lack is not potential, but a structured way to turn experience, insight and ambition into a company.
PHOIA is built for that transition.
Book an introductory conversation
25 minutes · No charge · No commitment
The Programme
From possibilities to the venture you should build. In 10 weeks.
PHOIA is a private, 1:1 founder formation programme designed to be completed alongside your current role. Over 10 weeks, you work directly with a serial founder to decide what to build, why you, and how to take it from zero to one, without having to leave your day job.
01
10
weeks
Enough time to explore, test and build to get to a tangible initial outcome.
1:1 founder sprints
Regular joint working sessions focused on your ideas, decisions and progress - not a generic curriculum.
Built around you
The process adapts to your experience, expertise and starting point. No matter if you have many or no ideas.
Real-world progress
You do not leave with a business plan. You leave having spoken to customers, tested assumptions, shaped the company and built a clear path forward.
The Framework
The PHOIA framework
Weeks 1–2
IDEA
Find what is worth exploring.
Start with you: your experience, strengths, motivations and unfair advantages. Then explore the ideas and problem spaces where those strengths could matter.
We work on
Founder fit · Personal edge · Ideas · Problem quality · Timing · Feasibility
You leave with
A shortlist of venture directions — and clear criteria for deciding which one deserves your focus.
Weeks 3–4
THESIS
Turn an idea into a company.
Move from “this could be interesting” to a clear view of what you might build, for whom, why now and why you.
We work on
Vision · Problem · Customer · Why now · Why you · Business model · Venture ambition
You leave with
A coherent company thesis you can explain, challenge and begin testing.
Weeks 5–6
VALIDATION
Replace assumptions with evidence.
Identify what has to be true for the company to work, then design the fastest ways to find out.
We work on
Core assumptions · Customer interviews · Experiments · MVP tests · Proof points · Traction signals
You leave with
Real-world evidence, clear proof gates and conviction based on signal — not enthusiasm alone.
Weeks 7–8
TEAM
Decide who you need beside you.
Work out whether to build alone, find a co-founder or fill critical gaps another way — before making a major commitment.
We work on
Solo vs co-founder · Complementary strengths · Roles · Working styles · Commitment · Equity · Red flags
You leave with
A clear team strategy and a framework for deciding who you should build with.
Weeks 9–10
LAUNCH
Learn how to take it from zero to one.
Turn the thesis and evidence into real-world momentum: customers, product, traction, fundraising decisions and an operating rhythm.
We work on
Customer discovery · MVP · Founder-led sales · Early traction · Funding path · Priorities · Founder cadence
You leave with
A concrete 30–60 day plan for building, testing and getting the company moving.
Ways to Begin
Choose how you want to begin.
Start with a conversation, spend two weeks exploring your direction, or commit to the full programme.
Introductory conversation
No charge
25 minutes · No commitment
A short conversation to understand what you are exploring and whether PHOIA is the right fit.
Begin with 2 weeks
US$500
2 weeks · 2 × 2-hour private 1:1 founder sprints
Identify which venture directions are worth pursuing before committing to the full programme.
Includes
Explore and compare venture directions
Test founder fit, problem quality and feasibility
Private 1:1 founder sprints scheduled around your availability
The full US$500 is credited toward the programme if you continue.
Full programme
US$2,000
10 weeks · 10 × 2-hour private 1:1 founder sprints
Five structured stages from venture exploration through validation, team formation and launch.
Includes
Five structured stages from exploration to launch
Real-world validation and a concrete path forward
Private 1:1 founder sprints scheduled around your availability
Book an introductory conversation
25 minutes · No charge · No commitment
Why PHOIA
Developed over a decade of building companies.
3 ventures · $170M+ raised · 0 → 1 · Seed → Series B · Acquisitions & exits
From idea to company to exit. Multiple times.
Founder
Cedrik Hoffmann
Throughout the programme, participants work directly with Cedrik, a serial founder with 10+ years of experience building companies across manufacturing, e-commerce, supply chains and AI.
- AMEBA, Co-Founder & CEO. Built an enterprise AI company from zero, raised $10M, built a 17-person team, and worked with global brands including Gymshark.
- VALOREO, Co-Founder. Built one of Latin America’s leading consumer brand roll-ups, raised $160M, acquired 20+ companies and scaled a 100+ person organisation across multiple countries.
- TMP, CEO. Acquired and operated a 50-person manufacturer in Taiwan, supplying electro-mechanical products to global enterprise customers.
Cedrik’s companies have been backed by
For Institutions
Bring serial founder expertise into your ecosystem.
PHOIA works with universities, accelerators, venture funds and founder communities to help exceptional individuals explore, validate and launch new ventures.
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Venture exploration workshops
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Founder formation cohorts
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Validation and zero-to-one programmes
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Founder residencies
Our Mission
AI is changing who can become a founder.
What once required technical teams, significant capital and months of development can increasingly be tested by an individual alongside an existing career.
As the cost of building falls, the harder question shifts from “Can I build this?” to “What should I build… and why me?”
PHOIA exists to unlock a new generation of founders — turning experience, expertise and ambition into companies that would otherwise never exist.
PHOIA
Turn your entrepreneurial ambition into action.
Book an introductory conversation
25 minutes · No charge · No commitment