Official Program Handbook · Beta Cohort

AI Startup Career Lab Handbook

Beta Cohort · Summer 2026

A practical guide for students joining MovingCOST.ai's real AI startup project experience.

Apply for Beta Cohort → Back to Startup Lab
Founder Letter

A Letter From the Founder

Welcome to the AI Startup Career Lab.

This program was created for students who want more than another online course. In the AI era, knowledge alone is not enough. What matters is whether you can understand real problems, work with a team, use modern tools, communicate clearly, and build something that creates value.

MovingCOST.ai is a real AI mobility platform. Through this lab, selected students will work on practical assignments across research, data, content, growth, product, and business development. You will not only learn how a startup is built — you will participate in the building process.

Our goal is simple: help motivated students gain real project exposure, build portfolio-ready deliverables, and develop founder-level thinking.

This is the beginning of a long-term talent and startup ecosystem.

Welcome to the founding cohort.

Founder, MovingCOST.ai
Mission

Our Mission

To help students gain real AI startup experience by working on practical projects, receiving founder and mentor guidance, and building evidence-based career assets.

🔨
Build Real Things
Work on assignments that produce tangible outputs for a live AI platform.
🧪
Learn by Doing
Practice beats theory — every week centers on applied project work.
🧭
Think Like a Founder
Understand how products are shaped, tested, positioned, and grown.
📁
Create Portfolio Evidence
Leave with deliverables you can show employers, schools, or collaborators.
Program Principles

What Makes This Different

Real project context
Assignments connect to MovingCOST.ai's actual product, growth, and research needs.
Practical deliverables
Every track produces work you can document, present, and defend.
Founder mentorship
Weekly guidance from experienced founders — not generic career coaching.
Small cohort
Limited seats so participants receive meaningful feedback and attention.
Performance-based recognition
Letters and recommendations reflect actual work — never automatic guarantees.
No false promises
We are transparent about what this program is — and what it is not.
This program does not guarantee employment, internship certification, OPT, CPT, STEM OPT, H1B, or any immigration benefit.
Project Tracks

Project Tracks

Six tracks. Pick one primary focus — or explore adjacent areas across the cohort.

AI Content & SEO
What you will learn
How to research mobility topics, map search intent, and structure content for an AI platform.
Example tasks
City guide research, keyword mapping, content briefs, on-page SEO recommendations.
Possible deliverables
Content brief pack, SEO audit memo, editorial calendar proposal.
Data & Market Research
What you will learn
How to collect, organize, and interpret relocation and cost-of-living data.
Example tasks
City cost comparisons, competitor scans, data validation, market sizing notes.
Possible deliverables
Research dataset summary, market analysis brief, competitor landscape report.
Growth Marketing
What you will learn
How early-stage products test channels, messaging, and community outreach.
Example tasks
Campaign ideas, social content plans, referral concepts, landing page feedback.
Possible deliverables
Growth experiment proposal, channel strategy memo, campaign performance review.
Business Development
What you will learn
How startups identify partners, sponsors, and service providers in a mobility ecosystem.
Example tasks
Partner research, outreach lists, sponsor mapping, partnership pitch drafts.
Possible deliverables
Partner prospect list, sponsor research deck, BD outreach plan.
Product & User Experience
What you will learn
How to evaluate product flows, test features, and translate user feedback into improvements.
Example tasks
Usability reviews, feature testing, user interview notes, UX improvement proposals.
Possible deliverables
Product feedback memo, UX audit, feature recommendation brief.
AI Workflow & Automation
What you will learn
How AI tools can responsibly support research, content, marketing, and operations.
Example tasks
Workflow mapping, prompt design, automation experiments, tool evaluation.
Possible deliverables
AI workflow playbook, automation proposal, tool comparison report.
6-Week Journey

The 6-Week Journey

Week 1
Startup Mindset & MovingCOST Overview
Week 2
Research, Data & Market Mapping
Week 3
SEO, Content Strategy & AI Workflows
Week 4
Growth Marketing & Community Outreach
Week 5
Business Development & Sponsor Research
Week 6
Final Presentation & Portfolio Review
Weekly Commitment

Time Commitment

Participants should expect to spend 8–10 hours per week.

1 founder or mentor session
1 project review or check-in
5–7 hours independent project work
Final presentation preparation in Week 6
Deliverables

What Participants Will Build

Evaluation

How Participants Are Evaluated

Attendance
Participation
Quality of deliverables
Communication
Reliability
Initiative
Final presentation
Completion recognition is based on actual participation, submitted work, and mentor evaluation.

Attendance Requirement
Participants should attend at least 80% of mentor sessions.

Completion Requirement
All required weekly deliverables must be completed in order to receive a Certificate of Completion.

Recognition Policy

Completion Letter & Recommendation Policy

Qualified participants who complete the required sessions and deliverables may receive a Completion Letter.

Outstanding participants may be considered for a Recommendation Letter based on actual performance, quality of work, reliability, communication, and contribution to the project.

Recommendation letters are issued only after successful completion of program requirements and are based on demonstrated performance throughout the cohort.

No document is guaranteed. All letters must reflect actual participation and performance.

AI Use Policy

AI Use Policy

Participants are encouraged to use AI tools responsibly for research, drafting, analysis, ideation, and workflow improvement. However, all submitted work must be reviewed, edited, verified, and owned by the participant.

Professional Conduct

Professional Conduct

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a job?
No. This is a project-based career development program.
Is this an internship?
It is a project-based startup lab. Any future internship or employment opportunity would be separate and based on business needs, eligibility, and performance.
Will I get a Completion Letter?
Qualified participants may receive one after completing required sessions and deliverables.
Can I use this on my resume?
Participants may describe completed project work accurately and truthfully.
Does this support OPT/CPT/H1B?
This program does not guarantee or provide immigration benefits. Students should consult their school DSO or immigration attorney.
What language is used?
English is the primary working language. Chinese support may be available for selected sessions.

Legal Disclaimer

MovingCOST AI Startup Lab is an independent educational and professional development program hosted by MovingCOST.ai.

Participants join as student trainees for educational purposes.

Participation does not establish employment, payroll status, immigration benefits or any employer-employee relationship.

Ready to build something real?

Apply for Beta Cohort → Back to Startup Lab