Treefrog Accelerator is a leading startup support organization and incubator in Canada. In March 2023, I pitched the early concept behind MindXR to Treefrog, a Canadian startup accelerator and innovation organization. A few weeks later, MindXR was accepted into its April 2023 cohort.

Before joining Treefrog, I had already spent more than a decade running my own company and cultural institution in Iran, working across game development, 3D, XR, and virtual production, and participating in a number of management and business programs. Even with that background, Treefrog became one of the most comprehensive and valuable entrepreneurial learning experiences I had encountered.

The program covered an unusually broad range of subjects in a very concentrated period of time. I developed a deeper understanding of product development, production standards, business strategy, intellectual property, pitch deck development, grant funding, investment, and the practical realities of building a scalable startup.

Just as valuable as the course material was the opportunity to learn directly from experienced entrepreneurs and professionals in Canada and the United States, including Sean Stephens, James Daigle, Laurie Baker, and Sisi Gong. Some of these connections continued beyond the cohort and became part of the professional network surrounding my journey as a founder.

Treefrog also changed the way I looked at MindXR. Until then, much of my thinking had naturally come from the perspective of a product builder and developer. The cohort pushed me to think more deeply about MindXR as a company: its market, business model, positioning, financial strategy, intellectual property, growth potential, and the story we needed to communicate to investors and partners.

Another important part of the experience was meeting other Iranian entrepreneurs. We gradually formed a small network where we could exchange experiences, advice, and support. Entrepreneurs from Iran often face practical challenges related to banking, international payments, travel, access to services, and geopolitical uncertainty that can be difficult to explain to people who have never experienced them firsthand. Having a group of founders who understood those realities made the experience much more meaningful.

Throughout the cohort, I presented several iterations of the MindXR pitch deck. Each version was shaped by feedback, new lessons, and a clearer understanding of how the company should be presented. By the fifth version, the pitch had changed significantly from where it started.

At the end of the program, MindXR won first place in the cohort’s pitch competition among 30 Canadian and international startups, receiving a CAD 5,000 marketing and branding package.

That award also introduced me to Blair Minnes, a highly experienced brand strategist. Working together, we developed a document defining MindXR’s brand voice, positioning, and future branding direction. It became one of the first structured steps toward defining how MindXR should communicate not only what it builds, but also what it stands for.

Looking back, the most important outcome of Treefrog was not the competition or the award. It was the shift in perspective.

I entered the cohort thinking primarily about how to build MindXR.
I left thinking much more seriously about how to build the company behind it, how to recognize risks before they become problems, build a leaner and more focused team, and avoid carrying people, structures, or assumptions that could slow the company down.

Behnam Razipour · July 7, 2023