The Lean Startup Operating System Workshop

Scaling from 0 to 1 requires more than just product-market fit - it requires a durable operating system. In this interactive, workshop-style session, Ariso CEO Erkang Zheng will walk through the practical framework for building a lean startup operating system.

Designed specifically for first-time founders, this session moves past high-level theory to focus on the day-to-day mechanics of operating a fast-growing business.

📅 Thursday, April 23, 2026
⏰ 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
📍 Large Training Room, 600 Park Offices Drive, RTP, NC 27709 

 We'll Cover

1. Finding the Signal in the Noise:

How to identify the real signals inside your business versus distractions.

2. Building an Operating Cadence: 

Setting up the rhythms, meetings, and processes that drive high-velocity execution.

3. Diagnostic Framework: 

An industry-agnostic approach to diagnosing your business bottlenecks

4. Getting Unstuck: 

Practical tactics for unblocking yourself and your team when momentum stalls.

5. The AI Operating Partner: 

A brief look at how AI agents (like Ariso) can support and reinforce your operating system without replacing human leadership.

You'll Walk Away With

TAKEAWAY 1 📋

Diagnostic Workbook: A structured tool to assess your current operating bottlenecks and identify exactly where your business is getting stuck.

TAKEAWAY 2 ⚙️

Operating System Framework: A repeatable, industry-agnostic framework you can implement with your team - starting the same week.

Come prepared to discuss your current operational challenges openly with the group.

Make this workshop free - and every one after it.

FORGE members get more than a seat at the table - you get complimentary access to every CED workshop, a Venture Connect ticket, and a community of founders and operators building across the Triangle. If you're going to be in the room anyway, membership pays for itself fast.

Facilitator:

CEO, Ariso

Erkang Zheng

Erkang Zheng is the CEO of Ariso and a repeat founder with deep experience building operating systems for fast-growing startups. His practical, no-nonsense approach to startup operations has helped early-stage companies build the internal infrastructure they need to scale without chaos. In this session, he brings that same framework directly to founders in a small-group, working session format.