Founder's Letter

"For the ones who are starting over, starting up, or just trying to start"

It's 2am. You're still up, scrolling through LinkedIn, watching people "crush it" while you're trying to figure out if your idea is even good enough to share.

You've got this thing you want to build — a startup, a brand, a side hustle, something — but every time you get close to starting, that voice kicks in:

You're not qualified.
You don't have the skills.
Who are you to think you can do this?

So you don't. And the weight of that unbuilt thing sits on your chest.

I know this feeling because I live it. And I'm betting you do too.

That's why I'm starting SURGE NY.

This isn't your typical, generic networking group where everyone exchanges business cards and pretends they have it all figured out. This is a space for the ones who don't have it figured out yet — and are building anyway.

For the ones who left the conventional path and now feel like they're free-falling.

For the ones who are tired of choosing between ambition and mental health.

We've been sold a lie: that success means grinding until you break. That if you're struggling, you're not cut out for this. That vulnerability is something to hide, not share.

But here's the truth:

Your struggles aren't weaknesses. They're the exact things that will make you a better founder, creator, and leader. The messy middle, the failures, the doubt, the "I really don't know what I'm doing" moments, that's where the shift happens.

SURGE NY is a movement built on one simple belief: you don't have to build alone.

Here's How It Works:

The Digital Hub

A private Discord where you can drop your wildest ideas, get feedback without the LinkedIn polish, and actually talk about the hard parts. Think less "personal brand building" and more "I'm stuck and need help." We're building channels for:

• Real talk about mental health and founder struggles
• Accountability groups to actually ship your ideas
• Resources, tools, and templates we're all using
• Job leads, collabs, and opportunities

IRL Meetups

Monthly gatherings across NYC — coffee shops, parks, borrowed office spaces, wherever we can get 20-50 people in a room. These aren't pitch fests. They're:

• Founder hot seats (bring your biggest challenge, leave with real advice)
• Co-working sessions (work on your thing, surrounded by people doing the same)
• Casual hangs (sometimes you just need to grab a coffee with people who get it)

Programs & Sprints

Cohort-based challenges that actually get you moving. 30 days to launch your MVP. 30 days to make your first dollar. 30 days to overcome creative block. Small groups, real accountability, zero bullshit.

Guest Sessions

Founders, creators, and operators who've been where you are — talking about what actually worked, what didn't, and the stuff nobody posts on LinkedIn. Q&A's, workshops, live builds. Real stories, not highlight reels.

We're starting scrappy. First 100 members help shape what this becomes. Some stuff will work, some won't. We'll figure it out together.

This is a community where:

• You can pitch your half-baked idea and get real feedback, not just polite nods
• You can admit you're burned out without feeling like a failure
• You can find the people who get it—who are building, struggling, and figuring it out right alongside you

We're starting in NYC because this city is full of dreamers who feel like they're shouting into the void. We're bringing them together — online and in person — to build something real.

This isn't for people who have it all figured out.

This is for people who are willing to figure it out.

If you're reading this and thinking "holy shit, I need this" — you're exactly who this is for.

I'm starting SURGE because it's the community I need. And I'm betting you need it too.

Let's build this thing together.

Messily. Imperfectly. For real.

— Hussain Ali
Founder, SURGE NY