Grow a real network
Cold outreach founders actually reply to, turning one intro into ten, a LinkedIn that gets noticed, and plugging into Nikhil’s founder network.
Warm founder intros1:1 mentorship for young builders
Being young is a reason to go faster.
AI is moving faster than school, and most people our age are falling behind without even knowing it. The AI Cave is weekly 1:1 mentorship with Nikhil Konduru for builders who’d rather lock in now.
$297 $197/mo for pilot members, locked in forever
Network. Hackathons. A paid internship. Real things shipped.
- Weekly
- 1:1 calls with Nikhil
- Unlimited
- Texting for advice
- 6
- Step-by-step playbooks
- 15
- Spots, small on purpose
01 Your guide
Hey, I’m Nikhil.
At 14, I landed 2 paid internships and won hackathons at YC and NASA. 6 hackathon wins in total, all before I turned 16.
Not a guru. An actual builder, and a peer.
I build real things, I’m close to your age, and I’m a few steps ahead of you. I figured out early that the right network beats the perfect résumé, and I built a network of founders while people my age were being told to wait.
Nobody hands you the playbook for who to talk to, what to build and how to pitch it. So I wrote it down, and I’ll walk you through it one on one.
- 2 paid internships at 14
- Won YC & NASA hackathons at 14
- 6 hackathon wins before 16
02 Why now
Most people our age are falling behind.
AI is moving faster than any school can teach it, and most people our age don’t even know they’re behind. They’re waiting for permission, a degree, the “right time.”
The people winning hackathons and landing startup offers at 16, 17, 18 didn’t wait. They knew who to talk to, what to build and how to pitch it.
Being young isn’t a reason to wait.
It’s a reason to go faster.
Nobody teaches this stuff. So Nikhil does.
03 The route · six waypoints
What you’ll learn on the way up.
Six playbooks, one trail. Each waypoint is a skill most people pick up years too late.
Trailhead · you, today
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-
Win the big hackathons
YC, NASA and the events worth your weekend. Picking winnable ones, a team and demo judges remember, pitching in 3 minutes, and turning prize money into money and opportunities.
Prize money -
Land your first paid startup internship
Where startup roles actually come from (not job boards), a portfolio of shipped projects, outreach that turns into interviews, and getting it paid.
Paid, not “for experience” -
Ship agentic solutions fast
Build AI agents and automations in days, not months. The tools, the stack, the speed.
Days, not months -
Build a real business
Products that make actual revenue with real users. Not just demos that live on your laptop.
Real revenue, real users -
Run local models well
Local LLMs are having a moment. Learn to run them properly so you own your stack, because cloud model prices can spike anytime.
Own your stack
The Cave. All six playbooks included.
Get the playbooks04 The pack · what’s included
Everything you need
for the climb.
Not a course you watch alone. A mentor, a cohort and a network, every single week.
01 · Every week
A weekly 1:1 call with Nikhil.
A private call, every single week. Set goals, review your work, plan the next move. This is the heart of the Cave, and it’s why it works.
- Goals, reviews, the next move
- Outreach drafts & pitch practice
- Parents welcome on the first call
-
02
Unlimited texting
Stuck on a cold message, a pitch or an offer? Text Nikhil for advice when you actually need it.
-
03
Project repos
Real repos to build a portfolio worth showing.
-
04
Nikhil’s founder network
Access to founders Nikhil knows, with warm intros when you’re ready.
-
05
Private cohort community
15 like-minded builders, kept small on purpose so everyone gets direct advice and real attention.
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06
The playbooks
Step by step, for every waypoint on the route.
05 How it works
From checkout to the cave.
- 01
Claim your spot
Secure checkout through Stripe. Under 18? A parent or guardian checks out for you.
- 02
Open your welcome email
Onboarding form, your call link, the community invite and how to text Nikhil.
- 03
Book your first 1:1
Map your plan: which hackathons to target, who to meet first, what to build.
- 04
Build, compete, ship
Weekly calls, texts whenever you need them, and a cohort pushing you.
06 Pilot pricing
Lock it in forever.
Pilot members lock in $197/mo forever, for as long as they stay. After the pilot, new members pay $297 and can’t get this price.
Now
Pilot member
The full Cave: mentor, cohort, network and every playbook.
$197 $297 / month
Lock in $197/mo forever as a pilot member
- Weekly 1:1 call with Nikhil
- Unlimited texting for advice
- Project repos for a real portfolio
- Access to Nikhil’s founder network
- Private cohort of 15, small on purpose
- All 6 playbooks, step by step
Secure checkout by Stripe · Cancel anytime
Later · once the pilot closes
After pilot
What new members pay after the pilot closes. Join the pilot now and you never pay this.
$297
/ month
after pilot
Pilot members skip this: you pay $197, not $297
- Same Cave as the pilot
- $100 more, every month
- No pilot price lock
You don’t want to be here
15 seats, on purpose · filling fast
Kept small so every member gets direct advice and real attention. When it’s full, it’s full.
Under 18? A parent or guardian completes checkout. They’re welcome on the first call too.
07 FAQ
Questions?
Everything you (and your parents) want to know before you lock in.
Still unsure? Message Nikhil01Who is this for?
Ambitious high school and college students who want to get ahead early: building, competing and working at startups instead of waiting until after graduation. If you’re hungry and willing to put in the reps, it’s for you.
02I’m under 18. Can I join?
Yes. A parent or guardian completes checkout on your behalf, and they’re welcome to join the first call so they know exactly what we’re working on.
03What does “lock in $197 forever” mean?
As a pilot member you pay $197/month for as long as you stay a member. It never goes up for you. After the pilot, new members pay $297/month and can’t get the pilot price.
04Can I cancel?
Anytime. No contracts. Just know that if you leave, the pilot price doesn’t come back with you.
05Do I need to know how to code?
It helps, but you start from wherever you are. The project repos and weekly calls are built to level you up fast, and winning hackathon teams need people who can pitch, design and sell too.
06How does unlimited texting work?
Exactly how it sounds. Stuck on a cold message to a founder, a pitch, or which offer to take? Text Nikhil and get real advice when you actually need it.
07Do you guarantee an internship or a hackathon win?
No, and anyone who does is lying to you. What you get is the playbook, the network and someone in your corner every week. The rest is up to how hard you go.
08What happens right after I pay?
A welcome email lands with your next steps: the onboarding form, a link to book your first 1:1, your invite to the cohort community, and how to text Nikhil.
Pilot cohort · Only 15 spots, on purpose · filling up fast
Lock in.
Go faster.
15 builders, small on purpose so you get direct advice and real attention. Weekly 1:1s. $197/mo, locked in for as long as you stay.