Build Your Own Company.
Launch your iOS app this summer.
Own the majority of what you build.
A 12-week equity-based founder program in Ann Arbor. You design and launch a real iOS app under your own brand. I handle all the code, legal paperwork, and App Store work. You own 70%. There is no salary. Your cover letter decides whether we talk.
Why this summer could be the one you remember
The best education doesn't happen in a classroom.
It happens the first time you watch a stranger open your app, get confused, tell you exactly what's wrong, and hand you a chance to make it right. It happens when you release a feature on Tuesday, get a user email on Wednesday, and realize you just built something that actually matters to someone.
BYOC is 12 weeks of exactly that kind of learning. You'll design and launch a real iOS app. By the end of the summer, you'll own the majority of a real company you built. If it works, you own something that grows for years. If it doesn't, you walk away with proof you can build and launch a real product — which beats a GPA every time.
Seven seats. On purpose.
Why 7 founders, not 20.
I'm taking exactly 7 founders into this cohort. Not 10, not 15. Seven is the most I can mentor deeply for 12 weeks without diluting the quality of attention each of you gets.
I'm Irfan Mahmood— 20 years across technology, education, the Department of Defense, and my own companies. I've launched products still running today, hired teams, lost money, made it back, and learned most of what I actually know by getting things wrong in public.
This summer I'm pouring that experience directly into seven students. Not as a lecturer. As your co-founder for the season.
The quick version
70% yours.
You earn your ownership over 24 months. Nothing unlocks for the first 6 months; 25% lands at month 6; the rest vests monthly.
Zero cost to you.
I cover all engineering, hosting, App Store fees, and legal. You cover your living expenses (no salary, no stipend).
One app. Your brand.
Shipped on the App Store under the Startup Lab 24 developer account with your product's own name, icon, and brand on the listing.
What's behind you
9 products live. 10 shipped in total.
I've been building and shipping real products for years across education, law, commerce, and operations. Your BYOC app ships out of the same studio — with the same engineering stack behind it.
SaveMeTutor
● LiveAn AI-assisted tutoring marketplace focused on better matching, scheduling, and student support.
AppSchool.ai
● LiveAn AI-first learning platform for students and parents who need flexible, guided academic support.
DiscountPK
● LiveA local deals platform helping small businesses publish offers and reach nearby customers.
Runway16
◐ BetaA structured talent discovery platform for models, agencies, and brands.
TikiHut
● LiveA feedback intake and triage tool that turns messy product signals into clearer engineering priorities.
NABC
● LiveA nonprofit legal platform combining institutional credibility, membership systems, and event infrastructure.
You run the company. I build the app with you.
Seven seats for Summer 2026. Cover-letter-first. Apply by May 5, 2026. If your letter tells me a real story about a specific user and a specific problem — and you can back it with evidence of the Daily-30 — we'll talk.