Cambridge Female Founders Network
The Commercial Lab
Where Founders Build the Engine That Drives the Business
Building a great product is only half the job. The other half is knowing how to sell it, sustain it, and scale the team around it. The Commercial Lab is a free hybrid series for founders who want to build the commercial foundations of their business — with real practitioners, not theory.​
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Launching Easter Term 2026
Free for members
Hybrid: virtual & Cambridge IRL
Built by founders, for founders
Why The Commercial Lab Exists
Most founder support focuses on the idea or the pitch. But the gap between "great product" and "sustainable business" is almost always commercial.
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Sales and marketing advice that's generic, siloed, or aimed at companies 10x your size.
Finance guidance that assumes you already have a CFO.
People and HR resources that don't account for the messiness of early-stage hiring.
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The Commercial Lab brings together practitioners who are working with founders right now, in the real market, at the real stage you're at.
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This isn't a workshop series. It's a founder toolkit, built in real time.
THREE COMPONENTS
Finance & Ops
Financial literacy for founders: cashflow, unit economics, forecasting, and knowing your numbers.
People
First hires, equity, culture, and how to build a team that doesn't fall apart at scale.​
Sales & Marketing
Pipeline, positioning, pricing strategy, and how to sell without a sales team.
What you'll walk away with
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A sales motion that fits your stage
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A positioning narrative that converts
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Marketing that doesn't rely on budget
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Pricing strategy grounded in value
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Clarity on your unit economics
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A 90-day cashflow structure you actually trust
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A hiring framework for your first 5
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Connections with founders who get it, and providers who can help
EASTER 2026 - SCHEDULE
28 APRIL
Virtual Roundtables
Full day of roundtables on our 3 core components: Finance & Ops, People, and Sales & Marketing.
Small groups, expert-led, interactive.
29 APRIL
In-person Roundtables - Cambridge
Bring your commercial challenges. Roundtable format with curated practitioners.
Spaces strictly limited.
Questions?
Is this only for Cambridge-based founders?
No. The virtual sessions are open to founders anywhere. The in-person session on 29 April is in Cambridge, but the virtual roundtables on 28 April welcome remote participants fully.
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I'm pre-revenue. Is this relevant for me?
Yes. The earlier you build commercial foundations, the better. Sessions are designed to be useful whether you're pre-revenue or already generating sales — we'll meet you where you are.
Do I need to attend all sessions?
No. Join the sessions most relevant to where you're stuck. That said, the more you engage, the more you'll get — especially from peer conversations and connections made in the room.
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Is The Commercial Lab free?
Yes — free for CFFN members.
Not yet a member? Join from £30/term. Founding member rates available until the end of March 2026.