FREE BOOTCAMP X 0% EQUITY 6 WEEKS X SHIP OR DIE MOROCCO-FIRST X FREE BOOTCAMP X 0% EQUITY 6 WEEKS X SHIP OR DIE MOROCCO-FIRST X
← BACK HOME

THE
PROTOCOL

How MAKENESS governs itself. Our funding model. Our independence guarantees. The rules that keep us honest.

"We build on platforms. We don't belong to them."

[GOVERNANCE MODEL]

Decisions by those who do the work. Not committees. Not founders. Contributors.

Lazy Consensus

Proposals pass if no one objects within 72 hours. Silence = approval.

Decisions are made by those who do the work. If you care enough to object, you care enough to propose an alternative.

Meritocracy

Influence is earned through contribution, not titles or tenure.

Ship code, mentor founders, run chapters. Your reputation grows with your output, not your promises.

Chapter Autonomy

Each chapter runs independently within DRNA principles.

Casa, Rabat, Tangier, Online — each adapts to local context while following the 7 core principles.

Open Source Everything

Curriculum, governance docs, and processes are public under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Anyone can fork MAKENESS. Anyone can improve it. The best ideas win, regardless of source.

No Permanent Leaders

Roles rotate. No one becomes indispensable.

Founder role evolves: Builder → Operator → Advisor → Alumni. The protocol should work without any single person.

[FUNDING MODEL]

Anti-corruption by design. Diversified. Transparent. Uncaptured.

We're free for participants because sponsors fund the program. But no sponsor owns us.

Max 30% each

Sponsors

Companies that believe in the ecosystem. No single sponsor dominates.

1% for 12 months

Success Contributions

Voluntary. Only at $10K+ MRR. Most programs take 5-10% equity upfront.

Variable

Placement Fees

Companies hiring from the community pay the treasury, not participants.

As available

Grants

Government and foundation grants. No strings attached to outcomes.

The 1% Success Contribution

If you hit $10K MRR, we'll invite you to contribute 1% of revenue for 12 months. That's $100-300/month to help the next cohort.

100% voluntary. No enforcement. No guilt. Just gratitude if you do.

[INDEPENDENCE PRINCIPLES]

No-sponsor-capture pledge. Hard rules. No exceptions.

Startup ecosystems worldwide have been captured by entities that benefit from one outcome: venture-scale growth. MAKENESS refuses to become a pipeline for anyone.

01

No Single Sponsor > 30%

Funding diversification is mandatory. No entity can buy influence.

Violation triggers automatic community review within 30 days.

02

No Equity Relationships

MAKENESS never holds equity in participant companies. Sponsors can't require equity stakes.

This is a hard rule. No exceptions. Ever.

03

No Exclusive Tool Mandates

Sponsors can offer tools. They cannot require exclusive use. Always present alternatives.

Curriculum never depends on a single vendor's product.

04

No Hiring Pipeline Deals

Companies can hire from community. They cannot get 'first look' or preferential access.

Job boards (if created) are open to all employers meeting community standards.

05

No Outcome Quotas

We don't report 'companies funded' or 'total valuation' as success metrics.

We won't pressure founders toward any specific outcome.

06

Full Sponsor Transparency

All sponsors above 5,000 MAD annually are listed publicly with agreement summaries.

Declined sponsor requests are documented (anonymized) in annual reports.

[RED LINES — AUTOMATIC REJECTION]

These requests trigger instant rejection. No discussion needed.

✗

"Feature our tool exclusively in curriculum"

Violates tool neutrality

✗

"Give us first access to your best founders"

Creates capture incentive

✗

"Report quarterly on companies that raised funding"

Biases toward VC path

✗

"Co-brand the program as [Sponsor] Makeness"

Compromises independence

✗

"We'll fund you if you use only our cloud"

Platform lock-in

✗

"Let us review curriculum before publication"

Editorial capture

[TOOL SOVEREIGNTY]

Every recommendation answers: "What if this company disappears tomorrow?"

We default to tools that keep you in control of your business and data.

1

Open Source

When quality is comparable

2

Self-Hostable

When founders have technical ability

3

Portable Data

Always. No vendor lock-in on core business data.

4

Big Tech

Only when alternatives create meaningful friction

[CELEBRATING SMALL EXITS]

Success isn't just unicorns. $35K exits count.

FZ

SMALL EXIT — LEVEL 2

"Sold invoice tool for enough to furnish my new apartment"

PRODUCT

FacturaMa

PEAK MRR

$800

EXIT PRICE

$35,000

TIME INVESTED

~10 hrs/week

"I didn't build a unicorn. I built a ladder out of my parents' house. That's success to me."

[LOCAL-FIRST PARTNERSHIPS]

The concentric circle model. Local first. Global last.

CIRCLE 1

Local

  • + City coworking spaces
  • + Local tech meetups
  • + University programs
  • + Municipal initiatives

CIRCLE 2

Morocco

  • + Moroccan VCs
  • + Government programs
  • + National accelerators
  • + Banks & institutions

CIRCLE 3

MENA/Africa

  • + Pan-African VCs
  • + Regional accelerators
  • + Diaspora networks

CIRCLE 4

Global

  • + International accelerators
  • + US entities (for US expansion)
  • + Big Tech (as tools, not partners)

"Small is beautiful.
Independence is valuable.
Local is powerful."

Default: Small, profitable, free. Optional: Big, funded, fast.