Build — The Attempt Engine
Build
From idea to company. Build gives an ambitious attempt direction, structure and first proof points — whether the starting point is still rough or already concrete.
The arrangement
Co-founder, not consultant
Build is where 0.1 commits to the attempt. We join the founding team as Chief Venture Officer, take equity, share accountability for the outcome and operate inside the team rather than alongside it.
The arrangement — equity, scope, decision rights, exit conditions — is set out in a written agreement before we start. The work in Build is the work of building a company, and that needs clarity from day one, not later.
Key point
In Build, 0.1 takes equity and joins as Chief Venture Officer — a co-founder role with a clear written agreement, not a service contract.
What Build is
Finding the direction
Build is the stage where an ambitious attempt gets direction. Some founders arrive with something already concrete — a prototype, a first customer, a clear technical insight — but no obvious path from idea to company. Others arrive with conviction and rough contours but no clear next step. Build is for both.
The work is the same: find the right direction, sharpen the next proof point, and start building a company around the idea rather than circling it.
Key point
The next proof point can be a first customer conversation, a pilot partner, a prototype, demo, landing page, technical experiment, research plan or pitch deck.
What you get
Rhythm and a plan
You work with 0.1 to define the next serious step. We look at what needs to be true for the attempt to deserve more time, money, attention or support. From there, we help shape a practical plan for testing that assumption.
This can include customer discovery, validation interviews, first pilot conversations, a clearer product concept, a demo, prototype, landing page, pitch, funding story or a structured proof-of-concept.
We also bring rhythm and accountability into the process. Many early attempts get stuck because the founder keeps thinking, refining or explaining without putting enough in front of the world.
Key point
Build is meant to create movement: clear choices, regular progress, useful feedback and a next step that can actually be completed.
What we work on
Three types of risk
We usually start by clarifying the proof point. What should this attempt prove first? Is the main risk technical, commercial, regulatory, operational, scientific or narrative?
If the biggest question is market interest, we focus on potential customers, users, partners or launching customers — identifying the right target group, setting up interviews, preparing outreach.
If the biggest question is technical feasibility, we focus on a prototype, demo, experiment or expert review.
If the biggest question is funding readiness, we focus on story, structure and credibility — sharpening the pitch, making the roadmap more realistic, defining the use of funds.
How it works
Structure without chaos
Build should create pace without making the attempt chaotic. We help translate the idea into a small number of concrete actions: who needs to be contacted, what needs to be built, what needs to be tested and what decision should follow.
In practice, this can mean weekly check-ins, a short validation sprint, a prototype plan, a customer discovery track, a pitch refinement process or preparation for a specific funding or support route.
We provide practical support, critical questions and access to people in our network where that is useful. Sometimes the most valuable contribution is an introduction. Sometimes it is helping the founder simplify the story. Sometimes it is forcing a clearer choice about what to test first.
Key point
Less guessing, more testing. The structure depends on what the attempt needs, but the principle is the same.
Why this matters
Meet reality earlier
Ambitious ideas often stay abstract for too long. They remain in conversations, documents or pitch decks without enough contact with customers, users, experts or real constraints.
Build is designed to shorten that distance. It helps the attempt meet reality earlier, in a way that is structured and useful.
The aim is simple: move the attempt from private conviction to practical evidence.
What CVO looks like in practice
Inside the team
As Chief Venture Officer, 0.1 takes an active role in shaping the roadmap, preparing for funding conversations and making sure the right decisions get made at the right moment. We sit inside the team, not alongside it.
The work is concrete: structuring the roadmap, sharpening the pitch, opening doors in our network, pushing the next proof point and carrying part of the operational load where it makes sense.
The terms are agreed up front — equity, scope, decision rights and exit conditions. This is one of the things that makes 0.1 different from a standard accelerator: we commit, in writing, to the attempt.
Key point
CVO is not a consulting arrangement. We are accountable for the outcome — alongside you.