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The Problem: Founders Building in the Dark
When Founder VC Managing Partner Lane Litz moved from global operator to local founder in New Zealand, she encountered a familiar pain:
talented founders spending hours searching for grants, templates, accelerators, and investors that already existed — just buried.
“At VIPKID, I was employee #6. We scaled to a $1.5B valuation and grew 30 percent month over month for five years.But none of that prepared me for being a first-time founder in New Zealand.”
What she found was an ecosystem rich in support but poor in visibility.
Every resource existed somewhere — just not in one place.
The $1,000 Lesson
When Lane spent $1,000 on Microsoft cloud credits she later discovered could have been free, the frustration crystallized:
“Founders aren’t failing from lack of talent — they’re failing quietly because they can’t find what’s already there.”
That moment became the seed for What Founders Want — a platform built to ensure no founder burns precious runway through lack of access.
The Solution: Infrastructure, Not Advice
What Founders Want is New Zealand’s first founder infrastructure layer — a neutral access platform that helps founders save money, make money, and raise money in one place.
It’s not an accelerator. Not a publication. Not a fund.
It’s an operating system for the founder journey — built by founders who’ve been there.
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What It Does
- Save money: Find perks, grants, and templates that cut costs and extend runway.
- Make money: Access sales and go-to-market tools that open revenue channels.
- Raise money: Identify accelerators and capital connections that fit your stage.
And it’s is free for founders - forever.
Why It Matters
Founders don’t need more mentors or manuals - they need infrastructure.
Search engines and AI tools miss context, local detail, and legitimacy.
What Founders Want provides:
- Verified resources curated for NZ founders
- Direct links to funding and support programs
- Continuous updates driven by real founder behavior
“Founders don’t want advice. They want access.”
What We’re Not
We’re not here to replace New Zealand’s startup community — we’re here to amplify it.
What Founders Want acts as a connector between existing programs, mentors, and funders — a visibility layer that makes their impact go further.
New Zealand’s ecosystem has been built by thousands of generous founders and operators.
We stand on their shoulders with gratitude — and we’re building tools to make their contributions more discoverable and scalable.
Built by Founder VC
As a fund, Founder VC meets hundreds of founders every year.
Not all are ready for capital — but every one deserves access to infrastructure.
What Founders Want is Founder VC’s way of supporting the entire ecosystem — not just the VC-fundable few.
How It Connects to Our Model
- Tracks founder activity and intent across the ecosystem.
- Unlocks go-to-market momentum for early-stage teams.
- Creates a “capability layer” that powers future capital and exit outcomes.
It’s infrastructure that supports today’s founders — and builds tomorrow’s deal flow.
Impact So Far
- 🇳🇿 50 K+ sessions in five months
- 2.5 min average session duration
- Zero marketing budget — entirely organic adoption
Every founder who uses the platform makes the ecosystem smarter and stronger.
How to Help
What Founders Want is free and community-powered. You can help by:
- Sharing it with a founder who’s building in the dark.
- Linking it from your accelerator or program page.
- Submitting resources to keep the platform fresh.
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