From Idea to Direction — A Hands-On Entrepreneurship Workshop in Porto
About this Event
You studied hard. You worked hard. Is this really all there is?
You check your bank account and wonder if this is what you were fighting for. You look at business owners and wonder how they all started. You listen to every podcast, read every book, attend every webinar, and still haven't started anything.
That is not laziness. That is productive procrastination. And it is time to stop.
Does any of this sound like you?
You have been carrying a good idea for months and haven't acted on it yet. You are changing careers and know what you are leaving but not what you are building toward. You are an expat or immigrant in Porto who wants to build something but doesn't know where to start. You are in a role that doesn't fit and want to build a way out. You are a fresh graduate with a direction but no concrete next step.
If any of these resonate, this workshop was built for you.
What is From Idea to Direction?
This is the first workshop in the Values Beyond Time Academy series — a three-part programme designed to help you transform your idea into a real business.
It is not a lecture. It is not a slideshow full of theory you will forget in a few days. It is a 4-hour hands-on session where you will do the actual work of figuring out what you are building, who it is for, and what your first real step is.
You will leave with ten concrete things in your hands:
— A founding statement that captures what you are building and why it matters
— A clear portrait of your first potential customer
— A gap analysis between what you believe and what your brand currently communicates
— An opportunity score for your idea
— A "Why This?" answer you can say out loud with confidence
— A Week One Blueprint — one action, one deadline, one outcome
— A personal vision statement
— A peer accountability partner from the room with a 7-day check-in agreed
— A VC insider perspective from a managing director who has evaluated hundreds of founders
— A community of 16 like-minded people who are on the same journey
You do not need a registered business. You do not need a pitch deck. You need an idea you believe in and the willingness to act on it.
Who is organising this?
Marco Bagheri, PhD | Professor | Startup Coach | Researcher
Marco spent seven years researching why some founders build something people genuinely believe in, while others with equally good ideas never gain traction. His doctoral research at the University of Minho produced the Brand Navigator Pyramid, a framework for how startups build brand credibility from day one.
Before entering academia, he worked in marketing and business development across four countries. He has started three businesses, two of them failed. The lessons from those failures became the foundation of this workshop.
He currently teaches entrepreneurship at ISAG-European Business School and IPAM - Marketing Business School, consistently rated 4.9 out of 5 by students from over 35 nationalities. He coaches startup founders through his consulting practice on brand strategy and go-to-market execution.
He is not here to inspire you with a speech. He is here to help you think more clearly than when you arrived.
Keynote Speaker
Heitor Benfeito | Managing Director, Critical Ventures | Porto & the US
Heitor evaluates business ideas and founders for a living. With over 20 years of experience in venture capital across Europe and the United States, he has been involved in more than 70 venture deals worth over $200M and has led more than 20 successful M&A exits.
He has been on the other side of the table from hundreds of founders at every stage. He knows what gets funded and what does not.
At the workshop, Heitor will share what he actually looks at when a founder walks in — and why it is almost never the slide deck.
★ Venture Pitch Pass holders only: a guaranteed 3-minute live pitch to Heitor with direct, immediate VC feedback.
The Details
📍 The Social Hub Porto
📅 September 18, 2026
⏱ 15h30 to 19h30 — 4 hours
👥 Maximum 16 participants
🗣 Delivered in English
Tickets
Builder Pass — €79 — 5 spots
Coached Founder Pass — €99 — 8 spots (most popular)
Venture Pitch Pass — €119 — 3 spots only (includes guaranteed live pitch to Heitor)
One last thing
If not now, when?
Agenda
🕑: 03:30 PM - 03:45 PM
Welcome and Frame
Host: Marco Bagheri, PhD |Professor, Startup Coach, Researcher
Info: Marco introduces the session arc and the Value Triangle — the framework behind the whole day. Quick round: name and one word for why you are here.
🕑: 03:45 PM - 05:15 PM
Block A — You and Your Customer
Host: Marco Bagheri, PhD |Professor, Startup Coach, Researcher
Info: Three exercises in sequence. First: structured questions that surface what you actually care about and where your idea is rooted. Second: a customer tool that turns a vague demographic into one specific human being with a felt problem. Third: a three-question reality check on whether the problem is urgent enough, widespread enough, and poorly enough served to be worth building on. Peer feedback after each exercise.
🕑: 05:15 PM - 05:35 PM
Break — Coffee and snacks
Info: The Social Hub brings the break to the room. Informal time to compare notes with the people around you.
🕑: 05:35 PM - 07:05 PM
Block B — Heitor, Your Idea, and Your Move
Host: Heitor Benfeito, Managing Director at Critical Ventures
Info: Heitor Benfeito, Managing Director at Critical Ventures, opens this block with a 35-minute keynote on what investors actually look for in an early-stage founder. Questions follow. Then Marco bridges to four exercises: your North Star Statement, your "Why This?" answer, your vision, and your Week One Blueprint. You finish the block with an accountability partner.
Venture Pitch Pass holders: During Q&A, you deliver a 3-minute live pitch to Heitor and receive direct VC feedback in front of the room.
🕑: 07:05 PM - 07:20 PM
Break — Workshop 2 and early bird registration opens for Workshop 2
Host: Diana Chacón|Financial Sector Expert, Ex-Federal Reserve
Info: Priority access for everyone in the room.
🕑: 07:20 PM - 07:45 PM
Final Block — Vision and Collective Close
Host: Marco Bagheri, PhD |Professor, Startup Coach, Researcher
Info: Each person states their vision out loud. Then the collective close: every participant states their North Star Statement in one sentence. Before we move to the rooftop, every participant votes. Whose founding statement resonated most? Whose vision made you sit up? The person with the most votes takes home the North Star Award. Their first drink on the rooftop is on the house, chosen freely.
★ Physical Diagnostic Cards distributed to Coached Founder and Pitch Pass holders. Accountability partners confirm seven-day check-in format.
🕑: 07:45 PM - 09:00 PM
Sunset Drink — Social Hub Rooftop Pool and Bar
Info: We close the formal session and move upstairs. Porto in September. Golden hour. The sixteen people who built something with you today.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
EUR 85.57 to EUR 128.27
