Free Online Session Aims To Help Founders Test Whether Their Idea Can Become A Business

A one-hour virtual workshop on Oct. 15 will teach entrepreneurs practical ways to vet concepts before they pour in time and capital.

Entrepreneurs and side hustlers wondering if a concept can turn into a viable company can attend a free livestream on Oct. 15, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET led by Wendy Wen, founder and chief executive of Antelope, a group of pet-care brands. Wen plans to walk participants through a step-by-step method for deciding whether an idea deserves more runway or should be reworked. Registration is free and available online.

Organizers say the session will cover how to identify the real customer problem, tell apart flattering feedback from evidence that people will actually buy, and read buying patterns to judge demand. Wen will also discuss signals that suggest it’s time to change direction versus scale, and show how data and modern tools can shorten the validation cycle. And she’ll share practical tactics founders can use in the first weeks after launch to limit waste and speed learning.

The timing taps into a wider challenge: many early-stage ventures never reach sustainable revenue, and founders say wasted effort is one of the biggest costs of launching prematurely. “You need to watch what customers do, not just listen to what they tell you,” said Tom Berger, a New York-based startup adviser. “Small experiments that prompt real purchases are the fastest way to learn.” The workshop is aimed at people who want concrete experiments they can run, not high-level theory.

Wen built Antelope beginning in 2021 and now oversees several wellness brands for pet owners, including Bocce’s and Ark Naturals. Before moving into pet care, she earned a bachelor’s degree in business and finance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. In 2015 she co-founded the fashion label SENREVE and helped grow it into a global business while serving as chief operating officer.

Seats are limited and organizers advise early registration to secure a spot. The session is presented as a practical primer for founders who want to know whether their idea will attract customers and revenue before committing significant resources.