Building a Startup While Living at Network School

Network School's Earn track is specifically designed for people who are building or want to build. It provides structure, accountability, and resources for startup development. The track includes workshops on product development, business model design, fundraising strategy, and go-to-market planning. Sessions are led by experienced founders and investors within the NS community and network. Unlike a formal accelerator with a fixed curriculum, the Earn track offers flexible programming that members engage with based on their stage and needs.

NS offers a fellowship program with 100,000 USD in funding for selected projects. The fellowship is competitive and targets builders working on ideas aligned with the NS thesis around network states, crypto, AI, and health technology. The application process involves presenting your project to a selection committee. Fellowship recipients receive the funding along with continued access to NS facilities, mentorship, and the community network. This is a significant resource for early-stage founders who are pre-institutional funding and need capital to build their first product.

One of the most valuable aspects of building at NS is the density of talent and ambition. With 400-plus members from over 70 countries, many of whom are engineers, designers, marketers, and operators, the co-founder matching potential is high. Members regularly form teams around shared ideas during their stays. The daily interaction at meals, workouts, and coworking sessions creates natural opportunities to assess potential co-founders over weeks rather than minutes at a networking event. Several startups have been founded by people who met at NS.

The NS environment is unusually supportive for building. The removal of daily logistics, cooking, cleaning, commuting, and gym planning frees up mental bandwidth for creative and technical work. The community provides instant beta testers, product feedback, and technical help. The isolation of Forest City, which is a downside for lifestyle, becomes an advantage for focused building since there are genuinely few distractions. Some members describe it as a sustained hackathon environment, but healthier and more sustainable because of the fitness and nutrition programming.

If you are building a startup at NS, keep in mind that incorporating a company in Malaysia from Forest City is possible but may not be the best jurisdiction for your business. Many NS founders incorporate in Singapore, Delaware, or their home countries. Internet speeds are adequate for development and communication but may not support bandwidth-intensive operations. Meeting investors typically requires trips to Singapore. You can apply at ns.com and specify that you are building a startup in your application, as this can strengthen your candidacy and connect you with the right resources within the community.