Ship Your First Paying U.S. Customer in 21 Days
Free 3-week in-person build camp in Newark, California. Only 12 teams. Operator-led by Kong Yu. No equity taken. You leave with a live product, real revenue, U.S. entity, and warm investor intros.
The Problem
You can ship. But you can't get a U.S. customer.
Most first-time founders — especially those building from outside the U.S. — get stuck after the prototype. You have the idea. You can ship. But you don't have U.S. customers, the legal setup, or the warm intros that actually move the needle for your first round. IdeaCampu fixes that.
How it works — 3 weeks
Real milestones.
No demo-day pitch track. Every week ships something a paying U.S. customer would actually buy.
- Week 1
Customer Hunt
Find 10 people who are already paying for a workaround to the problem you're solving. Talk to every single one.
- Week 2
Ship the Real MVP
Cut the scope ruthlessly. Build only what a paying customer will actually use. Ship it before the cohort dinner.
- Week 3
Live Paying Pilot
Onboard one real U.S. customer. Charge real money. Instrument the funnel and prove it works.
What you leave with
The four artifacts the next round demands.
Founders who finish the three weeks walk away with a shipped product, a signed contract, a U.S. entity, and the warm asks — not a polished deck.
Live Product
An MVP that at least one real buyer is already paying to use.
Paying U.S. Customer
A signed contract with a U.S. counterparty and real revenue in the bank.
U.S. Legal Entity
Delaware C-Corp, EIN, business bank account, and virtual address in Newark, CA.
Capital Path
Modeled round size, warm intros to relevant investors, and signed next-step asks.
Who this is for
Builders ready for the U.S. market.
Perfect for you if
- You're a first-time founder with a working prototype or clear idea
- You're an overseas-Chinese or global diaspora founder ready to enter the U.S. market
- You measure success in customers and dollars, not slides or likes
- You want real traction instead of another accelerator program
Not for you if
- You're looking for a pitch competition or demo day
- You want someone else to do the work for you
- You're not ready to ship and sell in the next 21 days
The Program
A focused room. Not a conference floor.
Operator-led by Kong Yu — 35-year entrepreneur, builder, and strategy thinker with deep experience working alongside diaspora founders. Hosted by SBS Inc. at their headquarters in Newark, California. Small cohort by design (only 12 teams). This isn’t a conference. It’s a focused room where every conversation and introduction actually moves the needle.
Spring cohort — now open
Spring cohort — now open.
- Dates
- [Insert exact dates when confirmed]
- Location
- Newark, California (SBS Inc. HQ)
- Format
- Fully in-person, 3 weeks
- Cost to founders
- Completely free
- Equity taken
- 0% (outcome-based only)
- Limited to
- 12 teams
Reply within 48 hours.
How to apply
Email Kong directly.
We don't use complicated forms or funnels. Just email Kong directly. We reply within 48 hours.
- What you're building
- Who's already paying (or close to it)
- What's currently blocking you from getting U.S. customers
We reply within 48 hours.
Final step
Ready to stop pitching and start shipping?
Apply directly to Kong. We reply within 48 hours.
FAQ