Know Your Phase: The Startup Lifecycle Masterclass with Gregory Shepard
Friday, October 16, 2026, 1:00 PM PDT – 3:00 PM PDT
Farmer & The Seahorse · 10996 Torreyana Rd, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
Hosted by Gregory Shepard
WHICH PHASE IS YOUR STARTUP REALLY IN—AND WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NEXT? Most founders do not need more advice. They need to know which advice matters now. Join Gregory Shepard for a two-hour, in-person masterclass built around The Startup Lifecycle, his seven-phase framework for moving from vision to exit. You will learn how to identify your current phase, focus on the priorities that belong there, and avoid applying later-stage tactics too early. The framework draws on Gregory's experience building and selling 12 businesses and a five-year Startup Science research project that included interviews with more than 2,200 founders. WHAT YOU'LL GAIN A practical way to map your startup to one of seven phases: Vision, Product, Go-to-Market, Standardize, Optimize, Growth, and Exit. A clearer view of the priorities that matter in your phase—and what can wait. A better understanding of the most common risk at each phase. A focused action for the next 90 days. Time to ask Gregory your toughest startup question during the live Q&A. HOW THE AFTERNOON RUNS 1:00 PM - Arrival and founder connections Check in, get settled, and meet founders, operators, and investors in the room. 1:30 PM - Why startups fail See the patterns Gregory's research uncovered and why sequence matters. 1:50 PM - The seven phases Learn what each phase requires, how to recognize it, and which mistakes to avoid. 2:15 PM - Live phase diagnostic Work through the framework and turn your current phase into a practical next step. 2:30 PM - Open Q&A with Gregory Bring your hardest question about product, fundraising, hiring, scaling, or exits. 3:00 PM - Close ABOUT GREGORY SHEPARD Gregory Shepard has built and sold 12 businesses across biotech, transit tech, ad tech, and martech. He is the author of The Startup Lifecycle and the founder of StartupScience.io, a platform designed to help founders and startup programs apply the framework. WHO SHOULD ATTEND Founders at any stage, startup operators and executives, angel and early-stage investors, and accelerator or incubator leaders. If you help decide what a startup should do next, this masterclass is for you. EVENT DETAILS Friday, October 16, 2026 1:00-3:00 PM PDT Farmer & The Seahorse 10996 Torreyana Rd, Suite 240 San Diego, CA 92121 General admission: $49.95 Reserve your seat on Eventbrite. Want to go deeper? The From Vision to Exit 2-Day Intensive ($595) takes a small group through the complete lifecycle playbook with Gregory. Masterclass attendees receive first priority for available seats. Bring your hardest question and leave with a clearer view of where your startup is, what matters now, and what to do next.