Delivered by Marco Bagheri, PhD — rated 4.9/5 in entrepreneurship at IPAM Porto and ISAG-EBS.
Keynote by Heitor Benfeito, Managing Director, Critical Ventures.
Most people with a good idea don't have a starting problem.
They have a clarity problem.
You know something is possible. You can feel it. But when someone asks what you are building, the words come out wrong. Too big, too vague, or too small. The idea lives in your head as a feeling, not a plan.
You keep meaning to start. There is a notes app full of half-written thoughts. Five friends who were excited. That was months ago.
The problem is not discipline. Nobody helped you think it through out loud, with a framework, in a room where everyone around you has the same unfinished idea sitting on their chest.
That is what this workshop is for.
Who it's for
You belong in this room if one of these sounds like you.
The Expat or Immigrant in Porto
You want to build something in your adopted city but don't know where to start or who to talk to.
The Stalled Professional
You have been carrying an idea for months. You know it is good. You have not acted on it yet.
The Career Changer
You know what you are leaving. You don't yet know what you are building toward.
The Fresh Graduate
You have a direction in mind but no concrete way to turn it into something real.
The Side-Project Builder
You are in a role that doesn't fit and you want to build something on the side as a way out.
The Early-Stage Founder
You have started something but the clarity is slipping as the pressure to execute builds.
You do not need a registered business, a pitch deck, or a finished plan. You need an idea you believe in and the willingness to say it out loud in a room full of people doing the same thing.
What happens in the room
The session runs 3.5 hours. Here is exactly how.
The arc runs from inside out: first you, then your customer, then your idea, then your first real move.
15h30
15 min
Welcome and Frame
Marco introduces the session arc and the Value Triangle — the framework behind the whole day. Quick round: name and one word for why you are here.
15h45
90 min
Block A — You and Your Customer
Three exercises in sequence. First: structured questions that surface what you actually care about and where your idea is rooted. Second: a customer tool that turns a vague demographic into one specific human being with a felt problem. Third: a three-question reality check on whether the problem is urgent enough, widespread enough, and poorly enough served to be worth building on. Peer feedback after each exercise.
17h15
20 min
Break — Coffee and snacks
The Social Hub brings the break to the room. Informal time to compare notes with the people around you.
17h35
90 min
Block B — Heitor, Your Idea, and Your Move
Heitor Benfeito, Managing Director at Critical Ventures, opens this block with a 35-minute keynote on what investors actually look for in an early-stage founder. Questions follow. Then Marco bridges to four exercises: your North Star Statement, your "Why This?" answer, your vision, and your Week One Blueprint. You finish the block with an accountability partner.
Venture Pitch Pass holders: During Q&A, you deliver a 3-minute live pitch to Heitor and receive direct VC feedback in front of the room.
19h05
15 min
Break — Workshop 2 early bird registration opens
Priority access for everyone in the room.
19h20
25 min
Final Block — Vision and Collective Close
Each person states their vision out loud. Then the collective close: every participant states their North Star Statement in one sentence. Before we move to the rooftop, every participant votes. Whose founding statement resonated most? Whose vision made you sit up? The person with the most votes takes home the North Star Award. Their first drink on the rooftop is on the house, chosen freely.
★ Physical Diagnostic Cards distributed to Coached Founder and Pitch Pass holders. Accountability partners confirm seven-day check-in format.
19h45
Open
Sunset Drink — Social Hub Rooftop Pool and Bar
We close the formal session and move upstairs. Porto in September. Golden hour. The sixteen people who built something with you today.
What you leave with
Ten things in your hands when you walk out.
Value at every penny of your money, and ten things to prove it.
01
Your North Star Statement
One paragraph: what you believe, who you are building for, what you are building, why it matters to them, and your first step. Written by you, read aloud in this room, tested with sixteen people who were honest enough to tell you what landed and what did not.
02
Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
Not a demographic. One specific human being, who they are, what their life looks like, what the problem feels like from the inside, and what changes for them when your idea exists. Includes one real person in your life right now who fits this profile.
03
Your Opportunity Score
Three questions that test whether a problem is worth building on: Is it urgent? Is it widespread? Is the current solution genuinely not good enough? You score your own idea on all three and leave knowing exactly what to test next. A tool you can use on any idea, for the rest of your life.
04
Your "Why This?" Answer
A clear thirty-second response to the three questions every investor and serious customer asks: Why this? Why now? Why you? Built in direct response to what you heard from the Managing Director of a venture capital firm. The answer most early-stage founders cannot give clearly. You can now give it.
05
Your Week One Blueprint
Three specific actions for the next seven days: Ask (a conversation with a real person who has your problem), Make (a sketch of your idea in its simplest form), and Protect (one thing you remove from your week to create time for the first two). Specific enough that your accountability partner can check you did all three.
06
Your Vision
What the world looks like when what you are building has worked at scale. Written, then said aloud in the room. Tested with sixteen people. The thing that makes the spark appear in a founder's eyes when they talk about their idea. You will have yours.
07
Your Accountability Partner
A real person from the room. Contact exchanged. A structured seven-day check-in with three specific questions agreed before you leave. Not a vague "let's catch up." A precision mechanism for follow-through.
08
The VC Insider Perspective
Having heard directly from Heitor Benfeito, Managing Director at Critical Ventures, what investors actually look for in an early-stage founder and idea. The inside view most founders never get until they are already in a pitch room, which is the worst possible moment to hear it for the first time (for The Venture Pitch Pass holders).
09
Your Diagnostic Card
For Coached Founder and Pitch Pass holders only. A physical card designed to sit on your desk or pin to your wall. Your North Star Statement, your three Week One actions, and your accountability partner's contact. Small enough to carry, specific enough to matter.
10
Your Community of Builders
Access to the private group of all sixteen participants. A real channel where you share progress, hold each other to account, and continue the conversations that started in the room.
Bonus
Printed Case Studies
A curated set of printed case studies from real founders, successful and otherwise, referenced during the session. Yours to keep and return to as you build.
The keynote speaker
What investors actually look for in an early-stage founder.
Keynote Speaker
Heitor Benfeito
Managing Director, Critical Ventures · Porto, Portugal
Heitor evaluates business ideas and founders for a living. Critical Ventures invests in deep tech software companies with the capacity to change how the world uses technology.
He has been on the other side of the table from hundreds of founders at every stage. He knows what gets funded and what doesn't. In 35 minutes, he will share what he actually looks at, and why most founders are wrong about what matters.
What he looks at first when a founder walks in — and why it is almost never the slide deck
Why VCs back people, not concepts, and what that means for how you show up
The three questions every investor asks: Why this? Why now? Why you?
The most common early-stage mistake and how to avoid it before you build anything
***Venture Pitch Pass holders only:
a guaranteed 3-minute live pitch to Heitor with direct, immediate VC feedback.
The venue
The Social Hub Porto.
Meeting Room 2 holds exactly sixteen people. The intimacy is the point. Porto's international community of founders already gathers here.
How the day ends
We close the formal session at 19h45 and move to the Social Hub Rooftop Pool and Bar for a sunset drink. Porto in September. Golden hour. The sixteen people who built something with you today. The North Star Award is announced.
The facilitator
The person behind the Academy
Marco Bagheri, PhD
Assistant Professor, IPAM Porto . Ex-Adjunct Professor and Program Director, ISAG-EBS.
I have started three businesses. Two of them failed. I know what it feels like to have a strong idea and no clear path forward.
I spent seven years studying one question: why do some founders build something people genuinely believe in, while others with equally good ideas never gain traction? My doctoral research at the University of Minho produced the Brand Navigator Pyramid. The research is currently in final preparation for submission to Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice Journal.
I coach startup founders through North Star Advisors on brand strategy and go-to-market positioning. This workshop is the direct application of that research to the people who need it most, founders at the very beginning, before they spend money building the wrong thing.
4.9/5in entrepreneurship
30+courses taught
75+projects supervised
7 yrsdoctoral research
What people say
Words from students and people who know the work.
“
One of the things I appreciated most was how approachable Marco is. He has a lot of experience, and he explains things in a very practical, easy-to-understand way. He is always available for his students. Whether during class or afterwards, he listens, answers questions, and helps people move forward with their ideas. If you are looking for someone who combines experience, energy, and genuine support, I can definitely recommend Professor Marco.
I have known Marco in a personal capacity for a number of years. He is one of the most passionate, positive yet practical people that I have ever met. He brings a wealth of experience - both lived and academic - grounded in kindness, compassion and a real care for the people who trust him with whichever role is required. Marco is ambitious, inventive, inspiring, driven by his own growth and development alongside that of those who work with him. He really cares about impact, change and transformation and encourages all those around him to show up as their absolute best.
Bernadette Barrett
Self employed music manager and executive creative coach based in Porto
There were many times during university when I felt overwhelmed trying to balance work and my studies. It wasn’t easy, and there were moments when I genuinely questioned whether I would make it to graduation. Marco was one of the people who helped me through that period. He always took the time to listen and encouraged me to keep going when things felt difficult. Looking back, he is one of the reasons I graduated. The support and encouragement he gave me during those years meant more than he probably realizes. Marco never focused only on what we were studying. He encouraged us to think about ourselves, our goals, our values, and what we wanted to achieve in life. If you are considering joining one of his workshops, I would strongly encourage you to do so. His classes taught me that understanding yourself and your values is often the first step toward building something meaningful and lasting.
Farhanah Ebrahim
Regional Manager Africa – SRH University, Nairobi, Kenya
Marco Bagheri challenged me to be different.
When I was a young marketing student in Porto, Marco was my professor and challenged me to record a video CV. Which, to be fair, makes total sense. If you can’t sell yourself, how will you sell some brand or product?
I did it, it was a success, and he even posted it on his LinkedIn to help me out.
I actually learned the concepts of Brand Activation and Guerrilla Marketing from him. Essential.
The point is, I’m thankful to Marco for rooting for me and helping me push my limits. For helping me become a better professional.
So, if you are considering working with Marco, go forward and invest in yourself. I’m sure your experience will be as good as mine.
Learning with Professor Marco over the past three years has genuinely changed the way I show up for myself. In my second year, we had a project that pushed me far outside my comfort zone - a sales market. I had always believed I wasn’t good at anything related to sales or persuasion, and I went into it convinced I would fail.
But with Marco’s support and patience, something shifted. The project turned out to be a success, and for the first time, I saw that I was capable of much more than I thought.
Looking back, it wasn’t just the project itself; it was the way he guided me through it. He helped me see potential where I only saw limitations.
Little by little, I started noticing the shift, I became more confident, more curious, and more willing to take risks. Today, in my professional life, I’ve become someone I never imagined I could be.
Marco created a space where I felt safe to question, to try, to fail, and to try again. That space allowed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect.
Countless stories, countless classes, and through all of them, I learned not only to be a better person, but also to believe in myself. It wasn’t possible without Professor Marco's endless support.
Diana Ferreira
Management Control Trainee, SEG Automotive, Porto, Portugal
More than just a teacher, I felt like I had found my mentor. Today, I am proud to call him a friend. Professor Bagheri was my teacher while I was studying as an Erasmus exchange student.
Having no prior experience in entrepreneurship, the course created and led by professor Bagheri, taught me to recognize (and act upon) challenges and opportunities, both locally and globally.
As a long-time entrepreneur and educator, professor Bagheri always led by example, offering plenty of tools and countless examples, case studies, personal anecdotes, and other resources that helped the entire class to create their own business plan for the first time.
During our discussion in class or 1-on-1, he was always understanding, encouraging and just as motivated to learn as the students themselves; sometimes, maybe even more so!
His curiosity and passion to teach is visible in all of his undertakings, but it is due to his selflessness that I see him as more than just a mentor, but also as a friend.
If you’re reading this now, it is your time to get inspired.
Make the best out of your experience with him!
Adi Bencun
QA and Configurations Specialist, Personify Health, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Working alongside Marco at ISAG has been one of those rare experiences that genuinely shifts how you think about the gap between idea and action. What stands out most is that he never lets you stay comfortable in the "someday" space. He is direct, practical, and precise. He sees exactly where you are stuck and gives you the one thing you actually need to move forward, not a lecture, not a list, just the right push at the right moment.
He brings an unusual combination, serious academic depth and real-world instinct, and he switches between the two effortlessly depending on what the situation calls for. His energy is contagious, his feedback is honest, and his genuine interest in the people around him is impossible to miss. If you are sitting on an idea and wondering whether this workshop is worth your time, I would simply say that Marco is the kind of person who makes you stop wondering and start building.
Working with Professor Marco helped me start putting myself out there with more confidence. I learned that we should dream big and aim for big goals, but also that you have to take action and actually work towards them. Thanks to Marco’s practical approach, I understood how important it is to connect with people, sell yourself, and not just follow what everyone else is doing. His guidance also changed how I think about creating value and the importance of focusing more on the experience you design for others, and how real connection is what allows you to truly make an impact.
Emily Rivera
Modern Digital Workplace Specialist at SBM Offshore, Porto, Portugal
Marco was my Professor at ISAG. I always greatly admired the way he taught and captured the students' attention. The subjects he taught became much easier and more interesting to study the way he presented the knowledge.
Eduardo Mutti
Management and quality control at Energia do Dia, Porto, Portugal
Marco was my management teacher at ISAG in Porto. He was one of the first people who treated my CV like a real project, not just like another of his students.. He pushed me to believe in myself, improve my LinkedIn and video CV, and think of my skills as something I could build a career around. Since then, I worked as a junior financial consultant in Lisbon, had interviews in the Netherlands, and received multiple PhD offers from abroad. His mix of practical advice and focus on personal values makes him an ideal coach for anyone who has an idea and wants to turn it into something real.
Muhammad Muddasir
PhD researcher, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
With Marco, I felt immersed in the real world of business. What I enjoyed most was experiencing the up-to-the-minute market insights. That's actually crazy. He made me feel like every class was an event I couldn't miss, or I'd fall behind in such a competitive world. Also the feedback he provided in my presentation of my marketing plan for a start-up really changed the way that I see the market as a whole.
I met Marco in the first year of my Bachelor's degree back in 2021. Not only was he our course coordinator but also Marketing professor, and later on, Sales Marketing professor. Marco truly cares about his students and a lot of what I have achieved to this day, was also motivated by him. He always urged me to be the best version of myself and, above all, Marco believed in me when I was uncertain or afraid of what the future had in store for me. I will always be grateful for the academic and personal guidance I got from him. I wish everyone had this support through their academic process. Towards the end of my degree, I got the chance to work closely with Marco for his personal project. He is passionate, driven and has so much knowledge in Marketing. If you get the chance to learn from Marco, take it, you won't regret it.
Helena dos Santos
Analyst at KPMG Meijburg & Co, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Three passes. Different levels of access. All include the full 3.5-hour workshop, ten deliverables, printed case studies and access to the Social Hub rooftop.
Builder Pass
The Builder Pass
The full workshop experience. Everything you need to walk out with ten concrete things.
Pitching a VC Managing Director for €119 is not a standard pricing decision. It is here because the room is the right size for it. 3 spots only.
Bring a Friend
Register together and receive a 10% discount. For groups of four or more contact us for special discounts.
Refer Someone
Refer someone who registers and receive €20 credit toward Workshop 2. Contact Marco directly to register your referral.
All prices include the venue, the coffee break, and access to the Social Hub Rooftop Bar. No refunds for cancellations are allowed. But you can transfer your spot to someone else up to 72 hours before the event. Write to marco@valuesbeyondtime.com to arrange any of the above.
“
I spent one semester during my Erasmus exchange program in Porto. Learning from professor Marco was truly valuable to me, not only for the business knowledge he shared with us, but also because I learned to think out of the box. This is something that I continue to find valuable both in my professional and personal life.
Tamara B.
Marketing Coordinator at Paperturn; Odense, Denmark
I worked closely with Marco across several ISAG courses, including the MBA and a module on AI for business. He also later interviewed me on his podcast, Values Beyond Time. He prepares carefully and teaches with real clarity. Hee has a talent for connecting business questions to the values underneath them, which came through as much in the interview as in the classroom. If you are thinking about working with him or joining a workshop, I would recommend it.
As an Erasmus student, I attended Marco’s Sales Management and Marketing classes, and they were honestly some of the most memorable classes I had during my bachelor's degree.
What I appreciated most was that the lessons were never just about theory. Marco always connected the topics to real-life examples, which made everything much easier to understand. I left each class with something practical that I could actually use in my own project.
I also remember how creative his teaching was. One of the first activities we did was about thinking outside the box, and even a year later, I still remember it, and I often find myself coming back to that lesson.
If you have the opportunity to learn from Marco, I would definitely recommend it.
Tamara
Marketing Student and Leader of a Student Marketing Agency, Czech Republic
Marco and I worked together in my master thesis at IPAM Porto. He is a devoted professor that focuses on delivering value to the projects and students more than just content. Working or studying with Marco is one step closer to starting to excel in your line of work. Marco will make sure you are heading to the right direction and with hard work from your side, I’m sure you’ll do it.
I had the honor of getting to know Marco while I was doing my Erasmus at ISAG in Porto. Marco was one of my main teachers, and I had him for courses such as Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Sales Management.
I can honestly say that Marco is one of the best teachers I’ve had throughout my educational journey. From the very beginning, I realized that his approach was different. He is genuinely interested, engaged and passionate about what he teaches. He has this energy that keeps you engaged in class and encourages open conversations, both on and off topic.
I was already passionate about business, so his classes made me even more excited about it. But even for those who were not particularly interested in the subject, he had a way of making them curious and engaged through his approach.
That being said, Marco inspired me to develop a real entrepreneurial spirit, and I’m very grateful for that. I want to thank him for mentoring me beyond the courses and taking the time to support me outside the classroom as well.
Chris
Sales consultation, Education First (EF), Düsseldorf Germany
I met Marco while I was a Master's student in Global Marketing at IPAM Porto. From an early stage, I recognized his genuine dedication to his students, as well as his passion for the subjects he taught, particularly Entrepreneurship. This gave me the confidence to ask for his support as the supervisor of my Master's thesis.
This period was especially challenging, as it took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing significant obstacles to classes and personal interaction. Nevertheless, Marco played a key role in helping us navigate this difficult environment. His consistently positive attitude and optimistic mindset motivated me to develop a topic that was highly relevant at the time and remains so today: online personal branding.
I would highly recommend collaborating with Marco in any capacity, whether as a mentor, lecturer, workshop facilitator, advisor, or in any other professional setting. Beyond his knowledge and academic guidance, what stands out most is his genuine commitment to helping others and supporting the people and initiatives he takes on.
Vasco Capela
Trade Marketing Specialist at SOGRAPE, Lisbon, Portugal
I had the opportunity to be a student of Professor Marco Bagheri during my degree in Business Management, and he played an important role in both my academic and professional development. From the very beginning, his energy, organization, and professionalism made classes engaging and created an environment where students felt encouraged to participate and learn. He communicates clearly, brings practical perspectives into discussions, and has a natural ability to connect with people. During my final thesis, he provided guidance and feedback that helped me achieve a strong result, and he later continued to support me with advice on my CV, job applications, and career opportunities. What I appreciated most was his willingness to invest time in helping students better understand their strengths and think more strategically about their professional growth.
I have attended a workshop on entrepreneurship by Prof. Marco and I can say that he is passionate about serving others with knowledge! His teaching style is fantastic because he has the ability to make students get to the points he wants to convey, even before he actually says anything about them! He is also very welcoming when it comes to helping and advising people. I found in him a likeminded person with a very impressive knowledge base and a rather helping hand. If considering one of his workshops, do it. You will be kept on the edge of your seat!
Pedro Ribeiro
Management Student, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Marco has a professional and fair approach to teaching. He was always well-prepared, punctual, while successfully connecting theory with real-world practice through engaging projects. With his practical approach and clear communication, I gained a much better understanding of how to apply knowledge in real situations. I would highly recommend working with Marco to anyone looking for a person who is knowledgeable, approachable, and genuinely invested in his students' learning.
Branislav K.
Order Management Specialist at ABInBev, Prague, Czechia
Learning from Marco has been a highlight for my professional career. He's a leader that has the ability to inspire from within, and these mentors are rare to find. His way of teaching is grounded in real life experience He also makes you question your own thoughts and beliefs, to expand your knowledge even further. Learning from him gave me the courage to seek for what I really want, losing all the fears and doubts on the way. I believe each one of us deserves such a person at least once in our lives. If you have the chance to learn from him, do not hesitate.
Milda Butkevičiūtė
Marketing Specialist at ZebraSign | Sr. Team Lead at Turing College, Vilnius, Lithuania
Professor Marco taught me during my bachelor at ISAG, and I couldn’t have asked for better guidance during this journey. He was always incredibly supportive, motivating and available whenever any situation. He was also the person who encouraged me to join the English-taught Bachelor’s program when it was still its pilot year. Looking back, I couldn’t be happier with that decision. What I appreciated most was his genuine interest in helping me grow, especially during my final project. Instead of giving generic advise, he always challenged me to think further and to “extract the juice” to the best of my abilities. I would highly recommend Professor Marco to anyone looking for a mentor who truly cares about helping people develop and reach their full potential.
Tomás Coelho
Business Analyst at Lusíadas Saúde, Porto, Portugal
I met Marco through my Marketing Masters Degree as my professor in Disruptive Business Models. As a very knowledgeable professional in the Marketing field, I admired Marco's insights and tried to absorb as much as I could from each class, given that I came from a different field of study. To my great surprise, I was very touched when Marco saw potential in me and invited me to work freelance in his consulting business creating copy and content for client accounts. This opportunity not only made me grow as a professional but, most importantly, has proven to me that giving chances to people matters!
Is this for me if I don't have a business idea yet?
You need something — a vague direction, a frustration you keep coming back to, or a thing you have been meaning to start. You do not need a finished idea. Part of what the workshop does is help you find and sharpen what is already there.
What is the difference between the three passes in practice?
All three attend the same full workshop and receive the same ten deliverables. The Coached Founder Pass adds a physical Diagnostic Card and a private 30-minute 1:1 call with Marco after the event to refine your Week One Blueprint. The Venture Pitch Pass adds a guaranteed 3-minute live pitch to Heitor Benfeito with immediate VC feedback, plus front-row seating. The Coached Founder Pass is the most popular choice for first-time attendees.
What if I already have a running business?
If you have been operating for more than a year with paying customers, Workshop 3 (From Credibility to Viability) may be a better fit. If you are between idea and first revenue, this is the right place.
I am not Portuguese. Will I follow everything?
The workshop is entirely in English. Porto has a large international community and this workshop was designed with expats and immigrants specifically in mind. The audience will be mixed.
Do I need to prepare anything before arriving?
No preparation is required. Bring a notebook or laptop. If you want to arrive with your idea written in one sentence, that is helpful — but we will work on it together in the room.
Is the rooftop drink included?
Access to the rooftop is included, the drinks will need to be purchased by you.
How is this different from a networking event or a standard workshop?
You leave with ten specific, concrete things. A founding statement written by you and tested with the room. A real customer portrait. A three-move action plan with a named accountability partner. A keynote from a VC Managing Director. A sunset drink on a rooftop in Porto. Nothing that happens in the room stays in the room.
From Idea to Direction · Values Beyond Time Academy
16 spots. One date. Porto, 18 September 2026.
This is a small room by design. If you have read this far, you are probably the right person.
