Tech Startup Workshop: Validate Your Idea (with Harvard Alum Mario Pochat)
Schedule
Sat Jan 31 2026 at 10:00 am to 04:00 pm
UTC-08:00Location
The Centre | Burnaby, BC
About this Event
Tech Startup Workshop for Beginners
Ready to turn your idea into reality? Join our one-day, in-person workshop where you'll learn how to validate your startup idea quickly and effectively. Perfect for beginners eager to dive into the tech world and get hands-on experience. Don’t miss this chance to connect, create, and kickstart your entrepreneurial journey!
Have a business idea but don't know where to start?
Most startups fail because they build a product nobody wants. In this workshop, you will stop guessing and start validating. Led by Mario Pochat (Harvard Alum & 14-year Tech CEO), you will walk in with a rough idea and walk out with a validated business model and a roadmap to revenue.
About the Organizer:
Mario Pochat is the CEO of VANAS (Canada's first accredited online digital school) and a Harvard University Master's Candidate in AI. He teaches practical, "no-fluff" frameworks to help founders build profitable companies, not just slide decks.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariopochat/
Agenda:
(Note: This is a hands-on technical workshop. Laptop is required.)
10:00 AM | The Reality Check: Flashy vs. Boring
Most founders fail because they chase "Moonshots" instead of "Base Hits." We break down why "boring" ideas often generate the most wealth and how to avoid the "10-Year Trap" of building a product nobody wants.
10:30 AM | The Idea Audit (Workshop)
Quantity does not equal quality. You will generate 5 potential startup concepts and apply a ruthless **"Operator's Scoring Matrix"** to measure them against MVP velocity, market depth, and revenue potential.
11:00 AM | "The Slaughter": Selection Phase
There are no participation trophies in business. We use peer-review and data filters to ruthlessly "K*ll" the weak ideas. You will walk away with the single Survivor Idea that has the highest mathematical probability of success.
12:30 PM | Unbiased Validation
Friends and family lie to you because they love you. Learn the specific framework for interviewing potential customers to get the hard truth, not false encouragement.
1:00 PM | Market & Gap Analysis
If you think you have no competitors, you have no market. We use digital research techniques to analyze market leaders, find their weak spots (the "1-Star Review" strategy), and identify the profitable gap they missed.
2:00 PM | The "Smoke Test" Sprint
Stop guessing and start testing. We will launch a live "digital probe" to gauge real-world interest. You will learn how to find and message your exact target audience to test your value proposition before writing a line of code.
3:00 PM | The Economics of Scale
Product-Market Fit is not a feeling; it is math. We cover the **Unit Economics** of your idea: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Lifetime Value (LTV), and exactly how many units you need to sell to quit your day job.
4:00 PM | Closing & Next Steps
Where is it happening?
The Centre, 6378 Silver Avenue, Burnaby, CanadaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 213.69














