Before the program, consider the aspects of getting to market where teams will struggle with long lead-times - those are critical time-wasters for teams, and can be eliminated quite easily by readying the accelerator network.

Often, this is in making connections, both customer and industry, but frequently enough, its some form of education or attitude-adjustment which needs time to set in before they can take full advantage of what you have to offer.

It's your job, as an accelerator, to shorten these lead times to days and hours. This means a lot of time over-invested in getting resources, connections and knowledge at the ready.

A key point to remember here is that optimising the programme around reducing lead time for teams can necessitate wasted effort for the accelerator. Getting 5 leads ready when the startup only acts on 2 is better than only one lead or 2 leads, a week later, because the startup progresses at an accelerated rate. The time investment for the acclerator pays off.

When the program starts, it's prudent to reevaluate these needs with your teams, letting them lead the discussion. A Post Up is useful way to do this.