HOSTED BY STEVE BLANK, PETE NEWELL, STEVE WEINSTEIN& JOE FELTER
Lean LaunchPad ... is dead
Course architectures are not sacred. Join us to build what is next.
DATES
Nov 18-19, 2026
LOCATION
Pescadero, CA
FORMAT
Invite Only
The MVP collapse was only the first thing to break.
Artificial intelligence has collapsed the time between research, build, test, and something real in front of a customer.
From Steve Blank:
"When AI hit our spring Lean Launchpad for Deep Tech class, our teaching team was unprepared for the impact it made on the class. What we didn’t realize was that other educators were seeing the same problems, and all of us were grappling with how to solve them. If students can build in hours what once took weeks, the way we teach them has to change too."
So Steve declared the Minimum Viable Product dead.
Join our small, off the record working session to change the way we deliver Lean Launchpad courses from today forward.
THE WORK
Put the Course on the Murder Board
Bring the course, program, or learning model you use today. We will work through what artificial intelligence has changed, what still earns its place, what no longer does, and what students should now be capable of by the end. Pedagogy, sequence, assignments, expectations, and use of time are all open for revision.
THE OUTPUT
Leave with your Next Version
The goal is not one standardized course. It is a stronger architecture for teaching people to find real problems, test assumptions against evidence, exercise judgment, and move something worth building into the world. Participants leave with a model they can teach, run, test, and continue improving.
BEFORE YOU ATTEND
Where it all started.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Read the four posts, Come with your suggestions and tools.
FORMAT
Wednesday, November 18
Working Dinner • 6pm
An evening with Steve Blank, Pete Newell, Steve Weinstein, and the other participants to surface what is changing, what is breaking, and what belongs on the murder board the next morning. Special speaker guest.
Thursday, November 19
Full Conference Day • 8am-4pm
Working sessions focused on rebuilding the courses, programs, and learning models participants brought into the room.
Participants leave with the next version in hand.
Entreprenurial Leaders, Educators, Builders, Practitioners
This gathering is for people whose work depends on teaching others how to discover, test, build, and make decisions under uncertainty.
That includes educators and mentors from Lean LaunchPad, National Science Foundation Innovation Corps, and Hacking for Defense, alongside entrepreneurship faculty, enterprise innovation leaders, product and venture practitioners, government innovators, accelerator leaders, founders, and others applying these methods beyond the traditional classroom.
If you help people move from assumption to evidence, from problem to opportunity, or from idea to something real,
you belong in the room.
LOGISTICS
DATES
November 18-19, 2026
LOCATION
Pescadero, California at a private Ranch. Exact location shared upon approved registration.
MEALS
All meals and beverages are provided on-site.
WHAT TO BRING
Comfortable or hiking shoes. There will be an opportunity for those who wish to join Steve Blank for a guided walk of the property. The hike is considered moderate.
COST
$250. Participants are responsible for airfare, lodging, and transportation.
MATERIALS
Submit your syllabus or course outlines for review.
REGISTER
This is a unique opportunity for the leaders of America's universities, state systems, service academies, and war colleges.
COMMON MISSION
501(c)(3) Nonprofit | Tax ID: 81-2345565