LEARN TO LAUNCH A STARTUP
From Stanford University’s startup course in partnership with Y Combinator and guided by mentors from Wichita who’ve actually scaled and exited tech companies.
what is campfire?
CAMPFIRE is a 12-week program built on “How to Start a Startup”, a course taught through Stanford University and Y Combinator, the world’s most prominent startup accelerator, now available to Kansas founders through Groover Labs.
Each week, you’ll prepare by watching a video from some of Silicon Valley’s most talented founders, then, you’ll workshop ideas in person with local mentors who’ve built and exited tech companies, or still run them.
WHEN: Wednesdays, March 4 - May 20, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Groover Labs, 334 N. St. Francis, Wichita, KS, 67202
COST: $250 ($150 early bird if paid by Feb. 16)
SEATS: 24 max—90+ founders have graduated since 2019
Limited scholarships available.
Video Lecturers include
Sam Altman (OpenAI): Ideas, products, teams, execution
Dustin Moskovitz (Meta/Asana): Why to start a startup
Paul Graham (Y Combinator): Before the startup
Peter Thiel (PayPal): Compeittion
Marc Andreessen (Andreessen Horotwitz): How to raise money
Alex Schultz (Meta): Growth
Adora Cheung (Homejoy): Building product, talking to users
Ron Conway (SV Angel): How to raise money
Patrick and John Collison (Stripe): Hiring and management
Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn): Hiring and management
how it works
Each week pairs a lecture with a local expert matched to that topic. You watch the lecture beforehand, then come to class ready to discuss, ask questions, and workshop your ideas. We’ve selected mentors who are Kansas founders and have built software companies in Wichita and elsewhere.
What You’ll Learn
Evaluate startup ideas
Find product-market fit
Plan your MVP
Set prices that work
Understanding startup funding
AI tools
Pitch to investors
Analyze legal and accounting needs
Build workplace culture
Know when to exit
new for 2026: AI Integration
This year’s cohort addresses how large language models have changed the way software gets built. We’ve updated the curriculum to account for AI tools: what they can do, what they can’t do, and how to use them.
S’mores
Classes run about an hour, but the conversation often continues aftward. Post-class gatherings, colloquially called “S’mores”, spring up naturally. They’re not required, but sometimes that’s where the good stuff happens.
“When I created Flint Hills Group Group nine years ago, I found there was nothing out there for new entrepreneurs to help create tech startups. I came across dozens of people willing to charge me thousands of dollars to coach me, but nothing reasonably priced with experienced people. CAMPFIRE is now that option for entrepreneurs to get their business idea off the ground with an insanely low cost.”
— Dave Cunningham, CEO and Founder of Flint Hills Group Custom Software