We Build the First Version of Your Product for Real Users
Not a demo. A foundation you can grow from idea to validated product in 2-4 weeks.
What Gets Us Out Of Bed
We collectively spent 20+ years building products at OpenAI, Google, Yahoo, Box, OpenTable, WealthFront, Nurx, and more. We could keep doing that. We chose not to.
But here's the thing: we are builders. We are greenfielders. We love the blank page. The ambiguity, the constraints, the puzzle of finding what works. Scaling a product that's already working? That's a different skill, and honestly, it's not what gets us out of bed.
That's why we built AlphaTheta² around the phase we're best at: zero to one. We know what works and what's technical debt.
The Founder's Dilemma
Users say one thing . . . but do another.
Customer interviews tell you people care about the problem. Only a working product reveals if they actually care enough to use it. We get you there in weeks, not months.
Who This Is For
You're a founder who...
Has conviction
"We know users want to solve X, and here's how we'll do it."
Knows the problem is real
You've experienced it yourself and/or you've talked to 5-10 potential customers.
Has resources
You're ready to invest $15-42K to answer a critical question: "do people want this?"
Is ready to move fast
You don't have 6 months to iterate. You have 4-6 weeks to prove the concept works.
Is ready to sell
By week 4, you want to onboard users, get them to try it, maybe even pay. This isn't exploratory—it's validation with commercial intent.
Wants to own the outcome
You don't want to be dependent on a dev shop or stuck managing offshore contractors. You want the code, the data, and the independence to move fast after we're done.
Not Quite There Yet?
If you've got a strong idea but haven't done customer interviews yet, or you're not sure if your hypothesis is solid, let's schedule a consultation. We might be able to help you get there before we build the solution.
How It Works
Week 1
Kickoff
(2 hours)
Week 2-3
Build & Iterate
Week 4
Validate & Decide
- •User problem
- •Set success metrics
- •Identify user persona
- •Customer interviews
- •Refine messaging
- •Validate demand
- •Test with users
- •Gather feedback
- •Decide: iterate or pivot
Weekly 30 min check-ins
- •Consultation and intake
- •Strategy for testing
- •Working product
- •Weekly demos
- •Iterations
- •Feedback analysis
- •Roadmap advice
Speed. Quality. Partnership. AlphaTheta2
We're strategic partners, we don't complete tasks. We bring the YCombinator school of thought—rapid iteration, validation-first, founder as decision-maker. We don't code what you ask for. We code what your users need.
Why Founders Choose AlphaTheta2
We think about scalability from day one. Your prototype isn't scaffolding you'll throw away—it's a foundation.
Hire CTO
📅📅📅📅
💰💰💰
Might work, time consuming
Maybe you have something
Manage a Dev Shop
📅📅📅
💰💰💰
Works well, time consuming
Locked in for iteration, uncertain code quality
Build with AI/No-Code
📅
💰
Not functional
Doesn't validate
AlphaTheta2
📅
💰💰
Works. Scalable. Validated.
✓ Clean codebase you own. Ready to scale.
Fixed-Price Packages
Choose the sprint that matches your validation needs
Sprint
One core user workflow
- Test with 5-10 users
- Validate your core assumptions and value prop
- Deploy on day 10, iterate with feedback by day 14
- Get ready for seed round demos or pivot with confidence
Launch
3-5 core features users can use
- Test multiple user journeys and workflows
- Gather real usage data + feedback
- Confidently decide to iterate vs pivot vs scale
Scale
Full end-to-end experience across user types
- Test complex interactions
- Validate monetization
- De-risk technical questions
Not sure which package is right for you?
Meet the Team
Ian Atha
Product & Engineering
YC Alum · Built products at OpenAI, Box, Wealthfront, Google, Yahoo
I've been exactly where you are—a YC founder trying to figure out what to build. I've shipped products at OpenAI, Box, Wealthfront, Google, and Yahoo. Now I help founders ship fast and validate smart.
Expertise
Languages
Athena Engesæth
Product Strategy & Go-to-Market
Healthcare Tech Founder · 10+ Years Product Research · MSc
I was the first non-founder PM at 2 YC startups. As a founder myself, I scaled a healthcare product to 30K users and breakeven. I bring a founder's mindset to every sprint—focused on derisking ideas fast with real user feedback and data.
Expertise
Languages
Apostolos Regas
AI & Data Engineering
MSc in AI & Visual Computing · MSc in Applied Bioinformatics · Azure Certified
I specialize in data pipelines, machine learning, and conversational AI. I build the technical infrastructure that turns your ideas into working products fast.
Expertise
Languages
We're builders, not scalers, and definitely not maintainers.
What You Walk Away With
Real User Feedback
You'll watch 5-10 people use your product. You'll know exactly what confuses them and what excites them. Not "Do you like it?" or "Would you pay for this?"
Clear Roadmap
You'll know whether to pivot, iterate, or scale. Most founders waste 3 months guessing. You'll have answers in 2-4 weeks.
Foundation You Own
Production-ready code you own. Not a proof-of-concept. A scalable codebase with clean architecture. Hire someone to extend it. Or sell the company with it.
Rocketship Trajectory
Validate your core hypothesis before your runway ends, avoid 6 months of iterating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What If This Doesn't Work For My Idea?
We're selective about who we work with—because we care about outcomes
Application Review
We evaluate every application to ensure we're the right fit. If we can't help you validate your idea, we'll tell you upfront.
Scope Alignment
In the kickoff, we define clear success metrics together. You'll know exactly what you're getting and what you'll learn.
Weekly Check-Ins
No surprises. You see progress every week and can course-correct before we waste time building the wrong thing.
Ready to Validate Your Idea?
We partner with up to two founding teams each month, and only where we're confident we can help you learn fast. That leaves us time to track the technology industry's best practices in real time. We bring context to your project, not just code.