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You have a climate or impact idea, but you're stuck at the starting line
You're passionate about creating positive change, but don't know if your solution is viable, who needs it most, or where to begin.
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You're afraid of building the wrong thing
You've seen climate tech or impact startups fail because they built what they thought the world needed, not what users actually wanted or would pay for.
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You're spinning your wheels
You've attended climate events, read all the books, joined communities, but you still don't have a concrete plan to turn your idea into reality.
Without structure and validation, most climate and impact founders either never start - or they waste months building something that nobody wants, can't use or doesn't create the impact they envisioned.
The world needs your solution, but your idea deserves better than guesswork. Whether you're tackling climate change, social impact or building any meaningful venture, you need a clear path forward.
Imagine
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A crystal-clear product vision that you can explain in a few minutes to anyone
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A validated problem statement based on real conversations with potential customers
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A product roadmap that shows what to build now vs. later
With our structured guides and programs, you'll go from "I have an idea" to "I have a validated plan and I'm ready to build".
Choose the support level that fits your needs and timeline.
Our Philosophy
Validation beats perfection. Talk to real users before you build anything.
Clarity beats complexity. Simple frameworks work better than 100-page business plans.
Action beats analysis. You learn by doing, not just reading.
Focus beats feature creep. Build the essentials first, expand later.
Impact requires viability. The best climate and impact solutions are sustainable businesses.
Why we support climate & impact founders
We've worked with dozens of climate tech and impact founder as well as entrepreneurs and solo-preneurs across all sectors—who had brilliant ideas but felt paralyzed by uncertainty. They'd spend months overthinking, researching, and second-guessing without making real progress.
The problem wasn't their ideas or their drive. The problem was the gap between having an idea and knowing how to build something real.
Most startup advice assumes you already know your customer, your MVP, and your tech stack. For climate and impact founders, the challenge is even greater: you need to balance creating positive change with building a viable business. And if you're just starting out with an idea and passion? Traditional advice skips the most critical foundation work.
Who This Is For
Our programs are designed for climate and impact founders—and all entrepreneurs, aspiring founders, and solo-preneurs - who have passion and drive but need structure, validation, and a clear path forward.
Whether you're tackling climate change, building a social enterprise, launching a solo venture, or creating any meaningful project - we're here to support you.
Meet the Team
How We Support You
Free Founders Guide
Readiness Quiz
Take the Founders Readiness Quiz! In just minutes, uncover your unique strengths for the founder’s journey and identify the critical gaps you shouldn’t overlook. You’ll receive personalized feedback and support as you complete it, helping you gain clarity on your path and the steps needed to succeed. Start now and build your roadmap to success!
What is expected from me?
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A self-assessment and evaluation of how advanced your commitment, short term goals and knowledge of potential gaps are.
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You will receive an email with details on how to access the Trellis Guide training system.
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Allow 20 minutes for the assessment.
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Complete all the multiple-choice, drop-down and text-field questions.
What can I expect from the quiz?
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Receive direct advice on whether your next step should be exploration, foundation, validation or execution.
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Gain an understanding of where you are prepared and where you are not yet ready to take the next steps on your journey as a founder.
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An evaluation of your results sent via email.
launch price
€ 9
verify your readiness
Structured Programs
2 weeks
Clarity
You have an idea but struggle to explain it clearly, don't know if it's worth pursuing or need to clarify their personal motivation.
You Achive
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Define the core problem you're solving and who experiences it most intensely
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Articulate your personal motivation and connection to the problem using proven frameworks
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Clarity on your idea and motivation before moving to customer research
Includes
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Framework for defining your idea, problem, customer and solution with guided prompts
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Exercises to identify your 'why'
€ 249
billed once
4 weeks
Validation
You need to define your ideal customer and validate their idea with real users before building anything.
You Achive
Everything from the 2-week program, plus:
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Create 1-2 detailed personas with demographic, behavioral, and psychographic insights
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Understanding which customer segments have both the need and budget to pay for your solution
- Confirmation that your problem is urgent, painful, and worth solving
Includes
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Problem fit analysis, segmentation strategies willingness-to-pay assessment and negative ICP definition
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Complete methodology for finding, reaching, and interviewing your target users
€ 349
billed once
8 weeks
Roadmap
You want the complete journey from idea to execution-ready with a pitch deck, roadmap, and technical understanding.
You Achive
Everything from the 4-week program, plus:
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Learn to rank features based on user insights
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Your professional deck ready for partners, investors, or co-founders
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Learn the language of software , to make confident tech decisions
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Comprehensive execution plan with step by step guidance, and next steps
Includes
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Feature generation techniques
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Prioritization frameworks to define your minimum viable product
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10-slide YC-inspired template
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Business model design, GTM strategy, and traction metrics
upon request
billed once
All Programs include
Not sure which program is right for you?
Contact us for more information
Book a 15min call and we clarify your requirement and questions
Download the Free Guide to start learning today
Take the Startup Readiness Quiz to get first personalized recommendations
Testimonials
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Marie Livingstone
Singer / Artist
"As an entrepreneur, Gretta helped me clarify my business goals and the steps needed to achieve them. The support and guidance I received helped me make more confident decisions and shape a stronger, more focused business strategy. As a result, I was able to move forward with clearer direction and improved confidence in growing my business"
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Bernadette Fah
COO | Chief of Staff
"Cherian Mathew makes excellent points and was able to help clarify so many questions I had about being a potential non-tech founder one day. Plus, his approach is extremely straightforward, shows a clear understanding of non-tech founder pain points, and I left the conversation with him feeling both validated and really excited to see what happens next. I recommend reaching out to him!"
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Cagla Karsli
Founder CarbonSquare
"What I learned from his advice during our meetings was - understanding what the market actually wants. Cherian has 22 years of tech experience but he doesn't make you feel like you need to catch up. He's direct, practical, and genuinely interested in impact driven work. I would really recommend having a conversation with him to better understand your startup’s stance with a helicopter view."
FAQ
1 / Which program should I choose?
If you haven't done it, then start with our free Startup Readiness Quiz to get personalized recommendations. Choose the 2-week program if you need clarity on your idea and customer. Choose the 4-week program if you're ready to validate with real users. Choose the 8-week program if you want the complete journey from idea to execution-ready with a pitch deck and roadmap.
2 / I'm working on a climate or impact idea. Is this relevant for me?
Absolutely! While our programs work for all entrepreneurs, we have a special focus on climate and impact founders. We understand the unique challenges of balancing impact with business viability, and our frameworks help you validate both. Many of our participants are building climate tech, sustainability, and social impact ventures.
3 / I'm not technical. Will I understand this?
Yes! Our programs are designed specifically for non-technical founders. We explain tech concepts in plain language, and you won't write a single line of code. The 8-week program includes a Tech 101 module that gives you just enough knowledge to have confident conversations with developers.
4 / What if my idea changes halfway through?
That's actually a good sign—it means you're validating and refining. The frameworks work regardless of your specific idea. Many climate and impact founders pivot during user interviews, and our programs help you do that intelligently based on real data.
5 / I don't have customers to interview yet.
We teach you exactly how to find and reach potential users through LinkedIn, climate communities, Slack workspaces, Reddit, and other channels. You'll learn outreach strategies that work even if you're starting from zero—especially valuable for niche markets like climate tech.
6 / Is this worth the investment?
Consider the alternative: spending 3-6 months building the wrong product costs far more (in time, money, and opportunity cost). Our programs compress months of trial-and-error into focused weeks. Plus, cohort programs come with a 100% money-back guarantee if you complete the work and don't see value.
7 / What's the difference between self-paced and cohort-based?
Self-paced gives you lifetime access to all materials to work through at your own speed. Cohort-based adds live support: group intro call, weekly office hours with mentors, peer matching sessions, daily Slack support, and a community of fellow founders. Cohort programs also include lifetime access to materials.
8 / Can I try before I buy the course?
Absolutely! We offer two free resources: (1) Take our Startup Readiness Quiz to get a personalized analysis of your strengths, gaps, and recommended next steps, or (2) Download our 5-Question Founder Guide that walks you through the fundamentals of validating your idea. Both give you a taste of the frameworks you'll get in our paid programs.