Founder Weekender · Three Cohorts 2026/27

Healthy High Performers.

Three-day retreat. Six months of sparring. For experienced founders, serial entrepreneurs and scale-up operators — and for the VCs who invest in their sustainable performance.

Next Cohort Munich · Oct 9–11, 2026
Then Cape Town · Feb 26 & Mar 19, 2027
Seats 15
Three founders at the lake shore in morning light
68%
Burnout risk among scale-up founders without structured recovery
Productivity increase through deep work and meeting hygiene
15
Founders per cohort, curated by company stage
6 Mo
Structured follow-up sparring after the retreat
A glimpse inside

Three days that shift something.

Warrior sprint in an industrial hall
Movement
Yoga class with mixed group
Recovery
Founders at the lake shore
Reset
Community moment on the rooftop terrace
Community
Why This Retreat

Most founder programmes treat symptoms. We build the foundation.

Founders of growing scale-ups face unique pressures: rapid scaling, complex stakeholder landscapes, the emotional weight of mission-driven work. Traditional productivity approaches ignore the fact that sustainable performance requires systematic attention to recovery, health and organisational design.

We combine evidence-based health science with practical organisational tools — and train you to become a Healthy High Performing Leader.

Three Fields · Twelve Topics

Strong within. Clear outside. Growing sustainably.

Healthy High Performers work on three fields simultaneously: the inner foundation, external impact on investors, and their own market and growth strategy.

01

Inner Game

The foundation of sustainable performance
  • Sleep, energy and recovery
  • Mental detachment and recovery
  • Fear, uncertainty and inner pressure
  • Self-worth and self-acceptance
  • Money, security and financial pressure
02

Investor Game

Building trust, winning deals
  • Investor readiness and external impact
  • Fundraising, pitching and persuasion
  • Authenticity and visibility
03

Growth Game

Brand, reach and new clients
  • Brand positioning and growth
  • Personal brand and communication
  • Growth and lead generation
  • Partnership and network development
Three Days · Three Levels · One Sprint

This is what the three days look like.

A deliberate choreography of workshops, tool labs, collaborative meals and recovery breaks. Curated according to the cubeacademy 7-pillar model: Human, Content, Spatial, Temporal, Social.

Day 01 · Inner · Investor · Growth

Laying the foundation.

Sleep and energy as a base. How investors really perceive you. How you build a brand people talk about.

  • 09:00InnerEnergy audit and sleep architecture
  • 10:30InnerMental detachment — switching off internally
  • 12:00Active Recovery and Breathwork
  • 13:00Collaborative Cooking Session
  • 14:30InvestorInvestor Readiness — clarity, focus, coachability
  • 16:00GrowthBrand Positioning — bold and distinctive
  • 17:30Peer reflection and daily debrief
Day 02 · Inner · Investor · Growth

Pressure and presence.

Looking at fear and financial pressure head-on. Pitching with conviction. Making your own voice visible.

  • 09:00InnerFear, uncertainty and inner pressure
  • 10:30InnerMoney, security and financial pressure
  • 12:00Movement Session and Peer Walk
  • 13:00Collaborative Lunch and Open Table
  • 14:30InvestorFundraising and Pitching — telling your story clearly
  • 16:00GrowthPersonal Brand and Communication
  • 17:30Buddy pairing and accountability setup
Day 03 · Inner · Investor · Growth

Anchor and grow.

Self-worth without number-driven validation. Becoming authentically visible. Growth through unconventional ideas and strong partnerships.

  • 09:00InnerSelf-worth and self-acceptance
  • 10:30InvestorAuthenticity and visibility
  • 12:00Anchoring Session and Subconscious Reprogramming
  • 13:00Collaborative Lunch and Closing Insights
  • 14:30GrowthGrowth and Lead Generation
  • 16:00GrowthPartnership and Network Development
  • 17:3090-day commitment, roadmap and closing
Made measurable

Pre. Retreat. Post.

We want to know what works — and so do you. Every founder completes structured self-assessments before and after the retreat on leadership skills, resilience, team health and operating maturity. This creates clear baselines and shapes the focus areas for the six-month sparring phase.

01

Pre-Assessment

Online diagnostics before arrival: Leadership Self-Score, Energy Baseline, Team Health Snapshot, Operating Maturity Check.

02

Topic Filter in the Retreat

During the 3-day sprint, we jointly identify your two to three most important deep-dive topics for the coming months.

03

Post-Assessment

After 90 and 180 days: same diagnostics, visible delta values, documented progress for you and for your VC.

Beyond the Retreat

Six months of sparring. Not three days of inspiration.

The real leverage lies in implementation. That's why our programme doesn't end on Sunday evening.

01

Bi-Weekly Sparring Calls

45 minutes every two weeks with your assigned sparring partner. Structured reflection on your top topics from the retreat.

02

1:1 Deep-Dive Coachings

Via a coin system, you book targeted sessions with specialists from the expert network — leadership, compliance, OKRs, operations.

03

10-Day Challenges

Micro-challenges with daily impulses: "Unwind by 10:30 pm" for sleep habits, "Meeting-free blocks Tue/Thu 10–12" for deep work.

04

Peer Buddy System

Accountability partnerships from the retreat cohort. Structured check-ins across the full programme duration.

The 6-Month Path

Wk 1–2
Sleep and Evening Systems

Implementing your personal recovery architecture.

Wk 3–4
Team Feedback Ritual

3-2-1 feedback loops and psychologically safe communication norms.

Wk 5–8
Deep Work and Meetings

Protecting focus time, radically simplifying meeting architecture.

Wk 9–16
Advanced Topics

Tailored deep dives: delegation, OKRs, resilience toolkits, operations.

Wk 17–24
Anchoring and Review

Post-assessment, delta review, roadmap for the next twelve months.

The Hosts

Led by operator-founders, not coaches with theories.

Portrait Sophie Friedrich
01
Sophie Friedrich
Initiator · Brand, Positioning and Growth

Three-time founder, MBA in Strategy, Organisation and Leadership. First chapter in Silicon Valley, then seven years of startup and investment experience in the German tech ecosystem. Known from Die Höhle der Löwen. Manager of Tijen Onaran, Germany's most prominent voice on visibility and leadership. Now founder of grw+ and t:base — specialised in unconventional brand strategies that generate visibility and sustainable growth without losing yourself in the process.

View on LinkedIn →
Portrait Dr. Jana Reuther
02
Dr. Jana Reuther
Co-Host · Investor Relations and Founder Sparring

Founder of LeanOnMe, an AI-based FounderOS for better founder performance and earlier visibility of human risk in the portfolio. Jana completed her doctorate in venture capital at the University of St. Gallen and brings experience in corporate venture capital, investor relations and startup financing — including through her work with Global Corporate Venturing in Silicon Valley and London. As a trained CBT coach and hypnotherapist, she bridges VC perspective, founder psychology, AI and the inner game of entrepreneurship. In the retreat, she leads the founder-investor dynamic and accompanies the six-month sparring phase together with Sophie.

View on LinkedIn →

Expert Network

For in-depth deep dives, we draw on a curated network of specialists in health, leadership, operations and VC.

Kathrin Messer — Bloomergym, ZPP
Florian Then — Dockyard Ventures
Anna Wörner — Facilitation
Marc Metz — Accounting
Daniel Jungkunz — Funding & Grants
Fabiola Munguia — Compliance
Rebecca Beerman — Leadership
Isobel Leigh — Operations
Ion Hauer, Lukas Schenker — VC Insights
Johannes Köhl — Insurance
Investment

Three ways to join.

Founders pay themselves — or their VC covers the investment. We facilitate the match directly between founder and investor if needed.

Founder Self-Pay

Solo Seat

€1,900
net · per person

The direct route into the programme. One seat, three days with accommodation & full board, six months of sparring — self-funded.

Apply as Founder →
VC Sponsorship

Portfolio Pack

from €17,000
net · 10-pack

Full cohort or 10-pack for multiple portfolio founders. Co-branding, aggregated health dashboard, priority booking.

Partner as a VC →

All prices net plus VAT · Accommodation & full board for three days included. Travel to the venue is each participant's own responsibility. [confirm: Pricing]

Three Cohorts 2026/27

One in Munich. Two in Cape Town.

Each cohort has 15 founders, curated by company stage. Both locations follow the same programme — the atmosphere and environment differ.

Cohort 01 Open

Munich

Fri 9 – Sun 11 October 2026

Autumn cohort in the city. Clarity in the Q4 endgame — and a roadmap for 2027 to take home.

Date
Friday to Sunday, 9–11 October 2026
Venue
Munich [confirm: Venue]
Travel
Own travel · Accommodation & full board included
Seats
15 Founders
Apply by
31 August 2026 (six weeks prior)
Cohort 02 Early Apply

Cape Town

Fri 26 – Sun 28 February 2027

Summer cohort at the Cape. Distance from daily operations, a new environment, a different perspective.

Date
Friday to Sunday, 26–28 February 2027
Venue
Cape Town, South Africa [confirm: Venue]
Travel
Own flights · Accommodation, full board & group transfers on-site included
Seats
15 Founders
Apply by
15 January 2027 for early-bird terms
Cohort 03 Early Apply

Cape Town

Fri 19 – Sun 21 March 2027

A direct follow-on cohort, one week later. Same setup, new founder group — for those who can't make it in February.

Date
Friday to Sunday, 19–21 March 2027
Venue
Cape Town, South Africa [confirm: Venue]
Travel
Own flights · Accommodation, full board & group transfers on-site included
Seats
15 Founders
Apply by
5 February 2027 (six weeks prior)
Cape Town with Table Mountain in the background
Cohorts 02 & 03 · Cape Town
Summer at the Cape. Distance creates clarity.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Which founders is the retreat for?

Experienced founders in the growth phase — typically Series A to later stage, team size 30–150. Serial entrepreneurs, second-time founders and CEOs with board experience are our core target group. We curate cohorts carefully by company stage so that peer dynamics happen at eye level. C-level hires (CTO, COO) are welcome as co-participants.

How does VC sponsorship work in practice?

We work with three models: full sponsorship of 10-packs for complete portfolio cohorts, 50/50 co-investment per founder, or individual seats as an investment in key founders. For VCs, we provide aggregated, anonymised health and performance reports at the portfolio level.

What's included in the price?

Three-day retreat programme, all workshop materials, accommodation and full board for three days (breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks, shared dinners), pre- and post-assessment diagnostics, six months of sparring calls and a coin budget for 1:1 deep dives. Travel to the venue is each participant's own responsibility.

What is the scientific basis of the programme?

The health modules are ZPP-certified (stress management, sleep hygiene, movement, nutrition). The organisational modules are based on established frameworks (DISC, Team Canvas, Cal Newport Deep Work, OKR-Light, MVOS). The retreat design follows the cubeacademy 7-pillar model.

What happens to my assessment data?

Your individual data stays with you and your sparring partner. For VCs, only aggregated and anonymised reports at portfolio level are produced — never individual data without explicit consent.

What if I can't attend all three days?

The three-day sprint is designed as a coherent sequence. We ask for your full participation — that's part of what sustains the cohort dynamic. Emergencies will be handled individually.

Ready to become the founder your company needs?

Drop us a short note about your company's stage and who will join you. We'll get back to you within 48 hours with the next step.