Back to School Terms + Builder Pool Rules

Last updated 1 August 2026

Back to School is a 15-day build cohort organised by The Tech Culture Co, operating as AI & Weekends. These rules explain how the cohort and Builder Pool work. By accepting these rules and completing your contribution, you agree to the version shown to you at payment.

Getting into the cohort

We review applications based on fit for the programme. A selection email does not reserve your place on its own.

Your seat is confirmed only after your ₹2,499 Builder Pool contribution has been successfully verified.

Seats cannot be transferred to someone else.

How the Builder Pool works

Every confirmed builder contributes ₹2,499 to one shared Builder Pool.

After the cohort, the final pool is divided equally among every builder whose public launch claim is approved.

AI & Weekends does not take a fee or profit from the pool. However, some money may leave the pool through payment-processing fees, taxes charged on those fees, refunds, reversals, chargebacks, dispute fees and direct payout costs.

Here is the simple version. Gross Builder Pool: all successful and settled ₹2,499 contributions. Final Builder Pool: the Gross Builder Pool minus the costs listed above. Your pool share: the Final Builder Pool divided equally among all builders whose launch claims are approved.

The examples on the stake page show the highest possible share before deductions. They are examples, not promised payouts.

Before payouts, we will share a final pool statement showing confirmed contributions, costs deducted from the pool, the number of approved builders and the final share per approved builder.

What counts as a launch

To qualify for a share, you must: have a confirmed Builder Pool contribution; build or meaningfully improve a working product during the cohort; make the product publicly accessible; launch it publicly between 4 and 6 September; submit the launch form before the same deadline; and give us enough information to test and verify the product.

A landing page, waitlist or design mock-up on its own does not count as a working product.

Your product can be free or paid, but someone outside your team should be able to use it.

Products that are copied, misleading, unsafe, illegal or submitted with false evidence will not qualify.

Existing products and teams

You may work on an existing product, but your submission must show meaningful work completed during the 15-day cohort.

If people are building as a team, decide and declare who owns the claim before the deadline. One product cannot receive multiple pool shares unless AI & Weekends has approved the team arrangement in writing beforehand.

Submitting your launch

Launch claims open on 4 September and close on 6 September.

You’ll need to submit: your product link, your public launch link, a short explanation of what you built, any access instructions we need to test it, and your payment or selection email.

Submitting a claim does not automatically mean it is approved.

If something small is missing from your submission, we may give you up to 24 hours to fix it. This does not extend the public launch deadline.

How reviews work

We will review every submission against the same published launch criteria.

A claim may be declined if the product is incomplete, inaccessible, submitted late, not publicly launched or supported by misleading information.

We will share claim decisions by a date announced during the cohort.

If you think we made a factual mistake, you may ask us to check the decision once within 48 hours. This is not extra time to finish or launch the product.

Payouts

We will share the final pool statement after all claims have been reviewed.

Approved builders will be asked for the details needed to receive their payout. Payouts will be initiated by a date announced with the claim decisions.

A failed or reversed payment, refund request or chargeback makes that contribution ineligible for a pool share.

Payment-processing costs reduce the final pool, but do not otherwise affect whether a valid launch qualifies.

Refunds and withdrawals

Your Builder Pool contribution is not refundable because you change your mind, stop participating or do not complete the launch.

If AI & Weekends cancels the cohort before it begins, we will return your contribution, minus only costs that cannot be recovered from the payment provider.

If the cohort is postponed or materially changed, we will tell confirmed builders what happens next before making further changes.

Conduct

Back to School works only if everyone participates in good faith.

We may remove someone for abusive, unsafe, fraudulent or seriously disruptive behaviour. A participant removed for these reasons will not qualify for a pool share.

What you build

You own what you build. AI & Weekends does not take equity, intellectual property or ownership in your product.

Any credits, software or services provided by partners are governed by that partner’s own rules. Their availability and value are not guaranteed by AI & Weekends.

Photos and publicity

We may share photos, videos, projects and highlights from the cohort and Demo Day.

If you do not want your image used, email us before the programme begins. We will make a reasonable effort to respect that request.

Taxes

You are responsible for taxes that may apply to your payout.

If the law requires us to collect information or deduct tax before paying you, we will let you know.

No magical promises

We will give you structure, people, tools and a deadline.

We cannot promise funding, users, revenue, employment or startup glory. What you build and what happens after that is up to you.

Changes to these rules

The version you accept at payment will govern your contribution.

We will not materially reduce your financial rights through a later update without telling you and obtaining consent where required.

Questions

Write to us at aiweekendsxyz@gmail.com.

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