I became aware of Don Stein about 24 hours ago, watched his invite-only live seminar for founders this morning and joined his Spatial Collective on Skool an hour ago. I have received more encouragement and trustworthy, actionable information within these 24 hours than I have in six months on LinkedIn, twitter etc. His true life, gutsy, funny and rhyming (yes rhyming) story about meeting a multiBillionaire and Warren Buffet on the same action-packed day should be made into a movie. DON MOVES AND DELIVERS. I am honored and thankful to dive deeper into AR with Don and those in his orbit.

Joining Don's group has allowed me to connect with other humans doing hard things in the XR space. Thankful for both the wisdom shared and the ability to contribute to this growing community.

Don paid attention to what I was doing when few cared and gave me feedback and encouragement along the way.

Has been the formidable glue that binds the indie XR entrepreneur committee. Glad to be a part of the Spatial Collectivs

Don, You’ve done an incredible job building a space where so many of us feel seen, supported, and encouraged—especially in a world where founders often feel isolated and under immense pressure. This community has been more than just a place to pitch—it’s a reminder that we’re not alone, that we can pause, reflect, and recalibrate when things get overwhelming. Your energy, humor, and unwavering commitment to showing up for others—even when you’re burned out—has left a real impact. I admire how you keep things real and light at the same time, and I’m grateful for the space you’ve created. Please know we’re here for you too. I'd love to keep contributing however I can to help this community grow and continue being a source of strength for founders. You matter. What you’ve built matters. We’ve got your back. —Jessica

Don Stein's service has provided me with Silicon Valley insider knowledge that I otherwise wouldn't have obtained due to being an outsider. His help in mapping out a network of more VCs and angels than I can count has been very helpful. Additionally, he shined light on how you go about contacting them, and how you go about eventually finding the perfect "match" to invest. Don's advice and mentorship has given me information that I didn't learn in university. One very notable example was that he told us you shouldn't just take any offer of investment, because once you do, you're stuck with them for a long time. He compares it to dating, or moreso marriage in my opinion, and either one is correct. I have been greatly informed on how this scene works, and how to avoid common rookie mistakes.

Don's Skool materials have been incredibly helpful: clear, practical, and genuinely valuable. The network he's cultivated among founders is impressive, creating a vibrant community that’s beneficial just to be around. The weekly standup is especially valuable, offering motivation and clarity when encountering obstacles or feeling stuck. It’s reassuring to have a standing invitation to openly discuss challenges with peers and leverage Don's extensive network of tech experts, investors, and fellow founders. While structured events are great, it’s equally helpful that not every week needs rigid agendas, just genuine conversations where Don and other founders freely share insights. Highly recommended!

Don's founders community gives founders encouragement, clarity, and sense of belonging. The 50 level fundraise program has tremendously value in helping us kickstart the fundraise process from zero. I strongly recommend every founder take a look at the "trust the process"! The weekly gathering helps me to get some critical questions answered, but also to hear about issues that other founders are facing and their perspectives, which are very valuable lessions.

With the Spatial Collective, Don is tackling the huge, underserved problem of supporting XR Founders taking their startups to the next level. Don consistently pulls in awesome guests from his network, including top notch VCs and successfull founders, to both inspire and have the tough conversations about what it takes to build and scale an XR startup. Highly recommended for insights and networking!

Don — you’re a great guy. I’m sorry you’re feeling down. Exercise self care and remember people are rooting for you. If you need anything, I’m here. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep doing what you’re doing — helping the startup tech community grow with your authenticity, eagerness to help, and friendliness — and I promise you, tomorrow will be a brighter day.

Don is a fantastic person, mentor and help to, and advocate for, startups. His Spatial Collective and Ugly Startups initiatives have helped literally hundreds of founders learn, raise capital and improve their products. Anyone reading this who is thinking of working with Don, do it now!

I've been through a few accelerators, and they don't compare to what Don has put together in the Spatial Collective. If you're a founder who's struggling to break through into the sluggish world of XR, this is your new home. Don's Collective is full of live virtual meetups and interviews from top VCs and Founders who have succeeded. The collective itself is made up of lots of quality startup founders in the XR/MR/VR/AR space. Don is an amazing MC/Host who keeps the dialogues fueled with different 'applicable' insights, from finding market fit, to raising funds and marketing and learning from one's failures. We're constantly learning from each other. The dialogue is unfiltered - it's straight from the heart with Don and his guests. Community knowledge sharing - it's how Hollywood was build and how the world of XR too will come to life. And one day when XR achieves the level of audiences as Hollywood (and it will), Don will be considered one of the great pioneers and 'stars' of the industry.

After 28 years of mastering the art of selling cars and running auto dealerships, I decided to dive headfirst into the startup world, armed with zero knowledge about raising capital and a dream bigger than my budget. Spoiler alert: I hadn’t raised a single penny. Couldnt even find one in a wishing well Turns out, getting a meeting with an investor is harder than selling a minivan to a teenager. One minute, I’m the go-to guy for running other people’s businesses. The next, I’m getting unsolicited advice from everyone I’ve ever known, friends, family, my barista, all letting me know what I’m doing wrong, or how to run a business. 🤦‍♂️🤣🤬 Then, like a plot twist in a feel-good movie, Don Stein shows up. This guy swoops in, charges me and everyone else next to nothing, and drops us into a group of fellow dreamers who are just as confused but equally determined, and then, bam! He puts us in front of actual investors. Real ones. With money. In just a few weeks with Don, I’ve learned more than all the well-meaning lectures combined, from the people who’ve also never raised a dime. Go figure. I honestly can’t put into words what Don has meant to me… but if I had to try: he’s like the GPS I didn’t know I needed on this wild entrepreneurial road trip.

I have to say that I'm super impressed by what Don is doing for the VR community. I would have never imagined that someone would offer so much help for people like me. So if you're a VR founder and don't join the Collective, you are really missing out on some great support.

Don paid attention to what I was doing when few cared and gave me feedback and encouragement along the way. His support led me to raise an angle round to get my business off the ground!

Don was instrumental in helping us at 6D.ai raise our first funding from General Catalyst. Don's experience in XR meant he could understand the potential of our technology, and his ability to articulate that into VC-speak helped convince GC we were worth backing, which eventually led to our successful exit.

Don is an expert in all things AR/VR and is incredibly well connected in the industry!

Spatial Collective is a unique platform to connect with the global community of XR entrepreneurs! Weekly meetings with lots to learn and share in ways that are not available in any other forum.

The collective has been instrumental in connecting and joining forces with other XR founders to build products for our verticals. Access to high-profile guests that provide bite-size advice has also been vital to steer our ship in the right direction. Amazing ride!