First Strike Incubator
Find your first customer. Strike a product. Move the Needle.
TAckle your market strategy and product development in one place. with one team. in one incubator.
You get access to an immediate team to help tackle some of the big questions you need to answer as a founder and/or inventor. We place a strong emphasis on evaluating the marketability and feasibility of your product and coupling that with strategic design decisions. We work with you (not just talk but action) to assess the product/market fit, analyze competitors, and ultimately help to provide answers to questions. We are an any stage, any industry incubator. Just be coachable and come prepared to hustle.
First Strike Incubator is based in Albany, NY, in the heart of the Capital Region. We offer practical application of market research and product expertise while working with cohorts over a six week period to provide the tools, mentorship, and environment to analyze your product goals. We focus exclusively on physical products (no software or SAAS).
Are you a…
Home Innovator
Hand sketches or CAD sketches
Either no physical prototype or insufficient prototype
Needs to determine if features match benefits for first target market
Needs proof-of-concept to determine market validation & next steps
No patent or provisional patent, come to us first
Stalled Prototyper
Already has existing prototype, doesn’t know where to go next
You have an MVP
No market validation or product/market fit
Current prototype is insufficient or lacks manufacturability
Individual or 2 person team
Needs to figure out product/market fit, testing, and go to market strategy for production and sales
Groupthink Small Business
Small or medium sized business
Evaluating new product or market
Current staff is comfortable with business model and not interested in extra work to push into new market
Stuck in groupthink or lack of creativity
Potential lack of resources to devote to new market evaluation or lack of open-mindedness amongst employees
Would either send team lead or small team/group to incubator OR WE COME TO YOU
Skunkwork experts
first strike incubator could be a good fit.
FIRST STRIKE INCUBATOR
OUR difference
#1
we have a plug and play vetted, experienced and trusted partner network.
We have a long history of commercialization of products. Our incubator provides access to our multifaceted teams and network for the marketing/branding side; experts in market research and customer discovery; on the tangible side of product development, we can connect you to hard-to-find resources and help you tackle design and fabrication in house/
#2
we are founders and entrepreneurs.
We have been where you are. We are here to provide you with a team to learn from both our successes and our failures.
#3
we are not followers and this is not cookie cutter.
We are not going to blow smoke. We stress time management, accountability, and the prove it mindset. First Strike’s “Prove It Model” means you can say whatever you want as long as you back it up in the group and compare it to market intel. Don’t just say it and it’s real. Prove it to us and then we’ll make it real.
#4
Unlike other models, this is shared risk. we don’t take a piece of your company.
We don’t take equity. This is a shared risk incubator model. By paying a fee, you are a stakeholder to us and vice versa. We all have skin in the game. You work through this process with our experts, and we all hold each other accountable.
First Strike
Development Continuum
Incubator
Build idea to MVP
Test market fit
Identify alpha target customer
Accelerator
Design and build prototype
Go to market strategy/plan
Launch Company Funding
Launch first iteration of small batch manufactured product into market sharing the cost with our fund partners
Mitigated risk, experienced launch team
Meet Our Team of Experts
We can be really serious but we don’t take ourselves seriously.
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Terence, better known as T, is the Founder and CEO of Fabbro Industries. He brings over 12 years of experience in metal fabrication, design, and R&D for the bicycle/motorcycle industries, as well as general prototyping and custom equipment fabrication. He has helped take numerous startups from idea stage to prototype launch, including full development of print sets, CAD drawings, and bills of material (BOM).
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Bob is a serial entrepreneur & brand builder, with experience in 155+ international startups & 400+products/services commercialized, & 1000s of acceleration/commercialization campaigns, as the CEO of In Focus Brands. Over $100M raised for startups, an average of 20—25% uptick in revenue for his acceleration clients, & over $1B in sales.
Do you want to embark on a journey with us?
It’s an adventure, not a destination.
Incubator Six Week Program
It’s not for everyone. But is it for you?
Apply now for the first strike incubator using the application below.
Questions? Email info@firststrikeincubator.com
SOME past cohorts
Let’s move the needle at First Strike Incubator