Retail venture investing has never been studied so we had to build a simulation to learn how people ages 18–70 would perform as early-stage investors — capturing real decision patterns over time. Insights from this R&D directly informed the design of VentureStaking®, Doriot's capital formation mechanism.
FantasyStartup® instruments how people evaluate founders, allocate simulated capital, react to outcomes, and refine judgment through feedback. This is not theory — it's observed behavior.
The result is a growing intelligence layer on retail venture decision-making that Doriot uses to design programs and market mechanisms that actually work for investors and founders.
Participants learn venture by building a simulated portfolio, completing micro-quizzes, and comparing outcomes. In the process, we capture structured signals about how retail investors form conviction and allocate risk.
FantasyStartup® is built to make venture education measurable. You improve your judgment while contributing to the R&D engine behind Doriot's VentureStaking® model.
Build a portfolio of up to 50 startups over a fixed period and see how your decisions perform against the field.
Complete micro-quizzes that reinforce core venture concepts and capture how learning translates into decisions.
Complete the experience and earn a FantasyStartup® certification that signals venture fluency and commitment to learning.
Download FantasyStartup® to participate in the global venture behavior study — learn venture judgment, earn certification, and help build the evidence layer behind Doriot's VentureStaking® model.
_1769800069947.png)