These Terms govern your application to and participation in Starke Foundry (the “Program”), operated by Ethan Starke (“Foundry,” “we,” “us”). By checking the acceptance box at enrollment and by using the Program, you agree to these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and the Code of Conduct below. If you do not agree, do not enroll.
You must be at least 18 years old, provide a valid U.S. shipping address, and apply under your real legal name. As part of review we verify identity and require a professional reference link. We may decline any application at our discretion. The Program currently serves U.S.-based founders only.
Starke Foundry is an identity-first founder program delivered over roughly 45 weeks across three stages — Seeker, Builder, and Sovereign (15 weeks each) — entered at the stage matching your proven capability. It includes a weekly curriculum, weekly one-hour coaching sessions with an assigned coach, weekly deliverables, stage gates, physical books shipped by stage, an evidence-based certificate, and a public registry of certified founders. We may reasonably modify the curriculum, coaches, schedule, and Program elements over time.
Application is free. Placement is determined from your self-assessment, subject to our review and adjustment; placement and its price are final once set, though you may raise concerns with us. You may re-apply at any time after a decline. We may permanently decline or block applicants who provide false information, attempt to game placement, or act in bad faith.
Access is granted upon payment. Fees are billed in five-week blocks per stage at the prices shown at enrollment (Seeker $1,250, Builder $2,500, Sovereign $3,750 per five-week block, or as then-published). A discount may be offered for paying a full stage in advance. All fees are in U.S. dollars and exclusive of applicable taxes, which are calculated at checkout. We may change prices prospectively; founders already enrolled keep their enrollment price through their current arc. Scholarships and promotional codes, where offered, are granted at our sole discretion.
All fees are non-refundable. Five-week block payments, once made, are not refundable in whole or in part, and there are no refunds for missed weeks, missed sessions, forfeited work, suspension, removal, or voluntary withdrawal. You acknowledge and accept this by enrolling. Any goodwill accommodation we may choose to extend is discretionary and creates no right or precedent.
The Program runs on a fixed weekly schedule. You acknowledge and agree that:
You accept that this firmness is intrinsic to the Program’s design and value.
If a scheduled block payment fails, we will attempt to collect and remind you over a grace period of about seven days, during which access continues. If payment remains unresolved after the grace period, access is suspended until it is cured.
If you have a billing concern, contact us first so we can resolve it. Initiating a chargeback or payment dispute with your bank or card issuer will result in immediate suspension of your access pending resolution. Because all fees are non-refundable, chargebacks contrary to these Terms may be contested with your enrollment record, access logs, and acceptance of these Terms.
You will be matched with a coach, subject to our approval of the match. Coaches are independent contractors, not our employees, and do not act as your agents, fiduciaries, or licensed advisors. We may reassign your coach at any time, including coverage during a coach’s absence. We do not guarantee a specific coach.
All Program content — curriculum, materials, frameworks, readings we provide, session materials, and the Foundry brand — is our property or licensed to us. Your enrollment grants access only, not a license: a personal, non-transferable, revocable privilege to view Program content for your own development during enrollment. Any continued (“lifetime”) read-access to content you completed is a revocable viewing privilege, not a transfer of rights. You may not copy, download, record, screenshot for redistribution, share, resell, sublicense, or create derivative works from Program content. Certain materials are presented view-only and may carry a per-founder watermark. You retain ownership of the original work product you create.
Physical books are shipped to your U.S. address by stage via a third-party retailer. Titles we have authored that are not yet published are provided instead as read-only materials within the portal. Issues with a physical shipment (damage, loss) are handled through the retailer’s standard process. We do not offer digital substitutes for shipped titles.
Coaching sessions are recorded and automatically transcribed through our video-session provider to support coaching, your recall, and program quality. By enrolling and by joining a session (where an in-session notice is also shown), you consent to this recording and transcription. Recordings and transcripts are accessible to you, your coach, and us, and are handled per our Privacy Policy.
You agree to treat coaches, staff, and other founders with respect (no harassment, abuse, or discrimination); keep confidential any personal or business information other founders share; engage in good faith; respect our and others’ intellectual property; refrain from disparaging or damaging the Program or community; and follow any community rules we publish. We may issue a warning for minor issues and may remove you for breach, without refund, at our discretion. Serious breaches may result in immediate removal.
The Foundry certificate is awarded on evidence, at our discretion and signature; completion alone does not entitle you to it. Certified founders are listed by default on our public registry; you may opt out at any time.
The Program supports your development. We do not guarantee any business, financial, professional, or personal outcome, result, or income. Your results depend on many factors outside our control, including your own effort and circumstances. Nothing in the Program or our marketing is a promise or guarantee of success or earnings.
Our collection and use of your information — including application essays, identity-verification data, shipping address, payment information, and session transcripts — is described in our Privacy Policy, incorporated into these Terms.
You may stop participating at any time; no refund is due. We may suspend or terminate your access for non-payment, breach of these Terms or the Code of Conduct, or as otherwise permitted here, without refund. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including IP, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution) survive.
The Program is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, to the fullest extent permitted by law. To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability arising out of or relating to the Program and these Terms will not exceed the total fees you actually paid to us. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages.
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Foundry and its members, contractors, and coaches from claims, damages, and expenses arising out of your breach of these Terms or the Code of Conduct, your unlawful use of the Program, or content you submit.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. The parties will first attempt to resolve any dispute informally. Any dispute not resolved informally will be settled by binding arbitration on an individual basis under the rules of a recognized arbitration provider. You and Foundry waive any right to a jury trial and to participate in a class, collective, or representative action.
We may reasonably modify the Program and update these Terms; material changes will be communicated, and continued participation constitutes acceptance. We are not liable for failure or delay in performance due to causes beyond our reasonable control (force majeure), including outages, illness, platform or vendor failures, or events of nature.
These Terms, the Privacy Policy, and the Code of Conduct are the entire agreement between you and Foundry regarding the Program. If any provision is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. You may not assign these Terms; we may. Questions go to ethan@ethanstarke.com.