Problem workshop
A 90-minute session to separate the valuable problem from the imagined feature list.
JMS Foundry · Two founding places
Some of the best software ideas belong to people who cannot build them yet.
The Awkward Idea Fellowship gives two exceptional, non-technical founders access to product thinking, development time and practical commercial support.
Applications close 30 September 2026. No pitch deck, company or technical background required.
Backing overlooked expertise
You bring the insight.
We bring the technical leverage.
You do not need startup vocabulary or a software budget. You do need a real problem, a reason to understand it unusually well and the willingness to test your assumptions.
You retain your ideaWe do not judge presentation skillsNo equity in the pilotNo obligation to hire JMS later
A technical partner, not a prize
Enough support to answer the question that matters
Should this exist—and what is the smallest useful way to prove it?
Validation plan
Specific customer conversations and tests that can disprove weak assumptions early.
Technical assessment
A candid view of feasibility, risks, privacy, running costs and sensible architecture.
Focused development
Up to 40 hours toward a prototype or one clearly defined, production-ready outcome.
Commercial direction
Help with positioning, first customers and the most credible next funding route.
Six-month counsel
One monthly advisory session after the focused build, so the idea is not abandoned at handover.
A successful fellowship may end with “do not build this yet”. Avoiding an expensive mistake is a useful result. The fellowship does not promise a complete multi-platform product, unlimited revisions, paid third-party services, funding or commercial success.
App development support without the usual gatekeeping
For non-technical founders in Ireland—and good ideas from farther afield
Most founder programmes help people refine a pitch, prepare for investment or navigate grants. Those are valuable once a project is ready. JMS Foundry addresses an earlier obstacle: turning first-hand knowledge of a problem into something testable.
You have an app idea but no developer
You understand the user and the failure in the current process, but cannot judge architecture, cost or what the first version should contain.
You have a business idea but no prototype
You need evidence and a focused experiment before a grant, accelerator or investor conversation becomes credible.
You run a community with an overlooked need
The problem may be socially useful or commercially modest rather than fashionable—and still deserve an intelligent technical test.
Already ready for conventional support? We may point suitable applicants toward their Local Enterprise Office, Enterprise Ireland, NDRC or another specialist programme. Foundry is intended to complement those routes, not imitate them.
Who it is for
We are not looking for the person who pitches best.
We are looking for someone who understands a worthwhile problem unusually well—and changes their mind when the evidence tells them to.
Strong fit
- You have direct experience of the problem
- You can identify the people affected
- You have seen the current workaround fail
- You will speak to users and test the work
- A narrow first outcome could create real value
Not a fit
- “An app for everyone” with no specific user
- A clone with no distinctive insight
- A request for someone else to do all the work
- A product dependent on unlawful or unsafe data use
- A regulated claim without qualified leadership
How selection works
Effort beats theatre.
No public vote. No random draw. No advantage for a glossy deck.
1
Show the problem
Complete the plain-language application below by 30 September.
2
Test the evidence
Shortlisted applicants speak with three prospective users and report what surprised them.
3
Work together
Four finalists join a practical 45-minute problem session—not a pitch contest.
4
Select two
The founding projects are chosen in October, with work beginning in November 2026.
We score: problem severity, domain insight, evidence, founder effort, achievable scope, safety and potential value. Every eligible applicant receives a build, validate, buy or wait direction.
Founding cohort application
Show us what you have noticed.
Allow around 15 minutes. Plain language is better than startup language.
Questions people sensibly ask
Before you apply
Do I need an incorporated company or pitch deck?
No. The founding cohort is deliberately open to people who have insight before they have startup infrastructure.
Do I give JMS equity or ownership?
No. The pilot takes no equity. You retain the bespoke project work produced for you; JMS retains its existing tools, reusable libraries and general know-how. The written participation agreement will define this before work begins.
Is this a free complete app?
No. It is a focused contribution of advice and up to 40 development hours. The result might be a prototype, one production-ready workflow or a validated decision not to build yet.
Can charities, community groups and existing small businesses apply?
Yes. Selection is based on the problem and the people behind it, not on whether it resembles a fashionable startup.
Will you sign an NDA?
Applications are treated as confidential within the review process. Finalists can discuss additional confidentiality needs before sharing sensitive material. An idea by itself may not be legally protectable, so do not submit trade secrets that are unnecessary for assessment.
What happens if I am not selected?
Every eligible application receives a concise build, validate, buy or wait direction. Strong applicants may also be pointed toward relevant LEO, Enterprise Ireland or accelerator support.