PLEK Accelerator

Business School for Independent Artists

Turn your music into a sustainable business. Graduate with the skills to live off your art.

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The Problem

Most artists treat their music career like a hobby, not a business. This leads to inconsistent income, no growth strategy, and dependence on exploitative record deals that take 80-85% of your earnings.

The music industry's math is broken:

- 1 million Spotify streams = $3,000

- Need 5+ million streams for minimum wage

- Labels keep 80-85% of your revenue

- Artists own nothing and have no leverage in negotiations

The PLEK Solution

We teach artists to operate like bootstrapped startups while retaining 100% ownership of their masters.

Our 12-week intensive program transforms musicians into music entrepreneurs using proven startup methodologies. You'll learn to build sustainable revenue streams, understand unit economics, and create scalable systems that work without you.

Most importantly, you'll capture and organize data that gives you leverage in every business meeting. No more "take it or leave it" exploitative offers. You'll have metrics that command respect and negotiate from a position of strength.

The goal: Build a music business that covers all your living expenses.

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Program Structure

12 weeks • 5 artists per cohort • Fully remote

Month 1: Business Foundation & Data Systems

- Week 1-2: Business incorporation (Delaware C-Corp via Stripe Atlas)

- Week 3-4: Notion workspace setup for complete business organization, financial systems, and analytics tracking

Month 2: Growth Strategy & Platform Positioning

- Week 5-6: Customer acquisition (CAC), lifetime value (CLTV), unit economics

- Week 7-8: PLEK platform mastery for direct-to-consumer scaling, streaming as discovery tool

Month 3: Leverage & Negotiation Systems

- Week 9-10: Data capture and organization for business meetings and negotiations

- *Week 11-12:* Team building, funding strategies, catalog valuation with metrics-driven positioning

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What You'll Learn

Startup Fundamentals Applied to Music

- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) vs Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

- Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) tracking and optimization

- Unit economics: How much each fan costs vs. what they spend

- Go-to-market strategy for releases using tech product principles

Business Operations & Data Organization

- Delaware C-Corp formation through Stripe Atlas ($500)

- Complete Notion workspace setup for business organization and metrics tracking

- Professional banking, accounting, and financial tracking systems

- Building your artist "leadership team" (CEO/COO/CFO structure)

- Data capture systems that give you leverage in every business meeting

PLEK Platform Mastery

- Direct-to-consumer sales strategy using PLEK (keep 90-95% vs 30% on platforms)

- Positioning streaming as discovery tool, not primary revenue source

- Fan database management and lifetime value maximization

- Advanced analytics and fan intelligence systems

- Scaling systems for sustainable growth

Revenue Optimization & Positioning

- Understanding true unit economics vs. streaming-dependent models

- Merchandise strategy and inventory management

- Event planning and ticketing systems

- Building negotiation power through data and metrics

- Partnership strategy from position of strength rather than desperation

Growth & Scale

- Market research and competitive analysis

- Partnership strategy and brand collaborations

- International expansion planning

- Building systems that scale without your constant involvement

Long-term Strategy

- Catalog valuation and preparation for sale

- Understanding investment options vs traditional label deals

- Building sellable business equity and intellectual property

- Exit strategies and wealth building through music

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Success Metrics

Primary Goal: Graduate with a music business that covers all living expenses

Milestones:

- First $1,000 monthly recurring revenue

- 1,000+ engaged fans in database

- Professional business structure and team in place

- Clear path to $60,000+ annual revenue (1,000 fans × $60/year)

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Alumni Success Stories

"I went from making $200/month on Spotify to running a $8,000/month music business in 6 months. PLEK taught me to think like a CEO, not just an artist." - Sarah Chen, Cohort 1

"The unit economics framework changed everything. Now I know exactly how much each fan is worth and how to acquire more profitably." - Marcus Rodriguez, Cohort 1

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Who This Is For

Independent artists ready to:

- Build a sustainable business around their music

- Learn startup methodology and business fundamentals

- Commit 10-15 hours/week to the program

- Implement systems and track metrics consistently

- Think long-term about wealth building through music

Not ready? Come back when you are serious about treating your music like a business, not a hobby.

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Investment

Program Fee: Free

Full scholarship program for selected artists

What you get:

- 12 weeks of intensive training

- 1-on-1 mentorship with successful music entrepreneurs

- Access to PLEK's financial infrastructure and tools

- Lifetime alumni network and continued support

- Quarterly alumni events and ongoing education

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Application Process

Next Cohort: March 30, 2026 • Applications Due: January 28, 2026

Requirements:

1. Recent Music Release: New music released within the last 6 months

2. Career Plan: One-page document outlining:

- Where you currently are in your music career

- What you want to achieve

- Your current strengths as an artist/entrepreneur

- Areas where you need development and support

3. Commitment: Ability to dedicate 10-15 hours/week to the program

Selection Criteria:

- Coachability: Willingness to learn business fundamentals

- Commitment: Realistic timeline and resource allocation

- Market Potential: Evidence of fan engagement and growth trajectory

- Professional Attitude: Serious about building sustainable income

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Apply Now

Ready to transform your music into a business?

The most successful artists in our program graduate with the skills to live independently off their music. They return as mentors, investors, and proof that the starving artist narrative is a choice, not a destiny.

Applications are competitive. We accept 5 artists per cohort.

[Apply for March 30, 2026 Cohort]

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PLEK Accelerator • Building the future of independent music entrepreneurship