Why the Startup Circle
Most founders begin their journey alone.
Even when surrounded by people, the real questions — the ones about direction, doubt, and decision-making — are often carried quietly. Books help. Workshops provide clarity. Guidance creates momentum.
But what sustains founders over time is something else entirely.
The Startup Circle is being created to meet that need.
It is designed as a long-term companion to StartupBox — a space where founders can stay grounded, continue learning, and reflect alongside others who are navigating similar stages of building. Not to impress. Not to perform. But to think clearly and move forward with intention.
This is not a hustle-driven community.
Startup Circle is not being designed around noise, speed, or visibility. It is being shaped around shared language, lived decisions, and the slow, honest work of building something real.
Right now, the Circle is in its pre-launch phase.
We are inviting a small group of founders to register interest and help shape what this community becomes — before it formally opens.
A Community for the Quiet Builders
Startup Circle is not about vanity metrics or performative entrepreneurship.
It is for founders who are doing the work — often without applause — and who value clarity, reflection, and shared learning over hype.
If you’ve felt out of place in loud startup spaces, this Circle is being built with you in mind.
What Awaits Inside the Circle
Building a startup often feels like navigating unfamiliar terrain — energising at times, isolating at others. The Startup Circle is being designed as a space where that experience does not have to be carried alone.
Rather than offering more content for the sake of it, the Circle is being shaped around continuity — helping founders stay engaged with their thinking, decisions, and direction over time. Everything inside is intended to extend the StartupBox journey through shared reflection, practical exchange, and peer learning.
What follows is an early view into what the Circle is being built to include. The final shape will evolve with the founders who come in early and help define it.
(The elements below represent the current direction. The Circle will evolve as the founding cohort shapes it.)
- Facilitated conversations and open AMAs around real founder questions
- Shared founder resources — tools, frameworks, and working templates
- Monthly focus themes aligned with the StartupBox journey
- Deeper context and reflections that extend the book and framework
- Curated podcasts, notes, and long-form thinking pieces
- Small, intentional collaboration spaces rather than open chatter
- Periodic offline conversations and meet-ups where feasible
- Founder reflections, feedback loops, and peer learning moments
The Circle is not being designed as a platform to consume — but as a space to stay engaged with the work of building, alongside others who take that work seriously.
Built Around the Parallel Ventures Startup Framework
The Startup Circle is not being designed as a free-flowing discussion space. It is being anchored in the Parallel Ventures Startup Framework — a structured, seven-track model shaped by real founder journeys, not abstract theory.
This framework provides a shared language for how founders think, question, and move forward. From early clarity and product decisions to monetisation, growth, setbacks, and founder wellbeing, it reflects the reality that building a startup is rarely linear — but it can still be navigated with intention.
As the Circle takes shape, conversations, reflections, and resources will be guided by this framework. Not to force founders into stages, but to help them locate where they are, understand what matters next, and learn alongside others facing similar decisions.
The result is continuity — not just connection. A community where progress is not measured by activity alone, but by clarity gained over time.
Finding the Right People, Before We Go Live
The Startup Circle is not being rushed into existence.
We are intentionally holding back the launch until the right group of founders comes together — people who are serious about building, open to reflection, and willing to engage with others thoughtfully. The aim is not scale, but substance.
This early phase is about listening, learning, and gathering founders who resonate with the deeper intent behind StartupBox and the Parallel Ventures approach. If you’ve stayed with us through this page, there’s a good chance you already align with that intent.
Who This Is For
You will likely find the Startup Circle valuable if you are:
- Building your first startup and seeking grounded perspective
- Trying to turn a side project into a serious venture
- Exploring parallel ventures while still employed
- Feeling stuck, isolated, or uncertain about next steps
- Looking for thoughtful conversations rather than surface-level advice
This is not about experience level — it’s about mindset.
Why It Isn’t Live Yet
The Circle is being shaped before it is opened.
Through ongoing writing, conversations, and long-form thinking, we are identifying founders who value clarity over noise and depth over speed. This helps ensure that when the Circle opens, it begins with shared intent rather than random participation.
Once there is a strong founding cohort, access will open gradually.
For now, we’re inviting founders to register interest and be part of the group that helps shape what the Startup Circle becomes.
Coming Soon — And Being Shaped Thoughtfully
Register Interest for the Parallel Ventures Startup Circle
The Startup Circle is being built slowly and intentionally.
Before opening it up, we want to understand the founders who feel drawn to this kind of space — what stage they’re at, what they’re navigating, and what kind of support would genuinely help them stay grounded while building.
If you’d like to be part of the early cohort and contribute to shaping the Circle before it goes live, we invite you to share a little about yourself.
Your responses will be used only to design the community with care — and to know when it makes sense to open the Circle and invite you in.