The 4-6 week pilot is the right move. The biggest mistake first-time education founders make is designing the full curriculum before they've sat in a room with

The 4-6 week pilot is the right move. The biggest mistake first-time education founders make is designing the full curriculum before they've sat in a room with the students. What you think the problem is in week one almost never matches what's actually happening by week three, and the more you build upfront the harder it is to change direction. On credentials versus demonstrated ability: for a math circle, the gap is real but bridgeable. A few olympiad problems solved in writing, maybe a short video of you working through something difficult out loud. Parents making decisions about their kids want to see how you think, not a teaching certificate. The first cohort is almost always recruited through personal trust anyway. What age range are you targeting for the pilot, and do you already have a handful of parents in your network who'd let their kids be your first group?