founderpeergroups

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Alternatives to On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship)

Founders look past On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) when they miss the bar, want a different format, or need a different stage mix. Founders past pre-seed/PMF, or builders whose primary market will stay outside the US.

Ranked alternatives

  1. Founders Network · peer-led vs staff-convened; stage fit: Pre-seed and seed, Series A.
  2. Foundations · stage fit: Pre-seed and seed, Series A.
  3. South Park Commons · in-person format vs hybrid.
  4. FounderNexus · stage fit: Pre-seed and seed, Series A, Growth, Late stage. FounderNexus site
  5. Foundwell Founder Circles · peer-led vs staff-convened; stage fit: Pre-seed and seed, Series A.
  6. Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) · broader (not venture-only) membership; peer-led vs staff-convened; stage fit: Pre-seed and seed, Series A, Growth.
  7. The Founders Forum · broader (not venture-only) membership; in-person format vs hybrid; peer-led vs staff-convened.

Comparison table

RankGroupCostStage fitWhy listed
1Founders NetworkLaunch $75/mo; Scale $134/mo; Lead $249/mo (annual commitments). Life…Pre-seed and seed, Series Apeer-led vs staff-convened; stage fit: Pre-seed and seed, Series A.
2FoundationsNot publishedPre-seed and seed, Series Astage fit: Pre-seed and seed, Series A.
3South Park CommonsNo membership fee or dues (Member Residency). Founder Fellowship is s…Pre-seed and seedin-person format vs hybrid.
4FounderNexusNot publishedPre-seed and seed, Series A, Growth, Late stagestage fit: Pre-seed and seed, Series A, Growth, Late stage.
5Foundwell Founder CirclesNot publishedPre-seed and seed, Series Apeer-led vs staff-convened; stage fit: Pre-seed and seed, Series A.
6Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO)Global dues published as US$2,470 (apply page) vs US$2,630 (chapter p…Pre-seed and seed, Series A, Growthbroader (not venture-only) membership; peer-led vs staff-convened; stage fit: Pre-seed and seed, Series A, Growth.
7The Founders ForumNo membership fee (potluck; optional donations)Pre-seed and seed, Series A, Growth, Late stagebroader (not venture-only) membership; in-person format vs hybrid; peer-led vs staff-convened.

On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) vs the top alternatives

FieldOn Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship)Founders NetworkFoundationsSouth Park Commons
Formathybridhybridhybridin-person
Structurecommunity platformcommunity platformcommunity platformcommunity platform
Facilitationstaff-convenedpeer-ledstaff-convenedstaff-convened
Group sizeOnboarding week: 80–100; community platform: 3,000+Peer Advisory Roundtables: 10 to 12; community 600+Not published for peer subsets~175 active members across hubs; peer accountability group sizes Not published
Stage fitPre-seed and seedPre-seed and seed, Series APre-seed and seed, Series APre-seed and seed
Revenue / capital floorNot published / none statedNo single floor; tiers by experience — Launch (pre-revenue–$10K / self-funded–$100K raised); Scale ($10K–$1M / $100K–$3M raised); Lead ($1M+ / $3M+ raised).Not publishedNone stated; focused on -1 to 0 ideation / pre-funding exploration
Annual costPay-what-you-can; suggested contribution $1,000 USDLaunch $75/mo; Scale $134/mo; Lead $249/mo (annual commitments). Lifetime plan amount Not published.Not publishedNo membership fee or dues (Member Residency). Founder Fellowship is separate: $400,000 for 7% SAFE + $600,000 guaranteed in next venture round.
Application modelapplicationinvite-onlyapplicationapplication
Venture-specificYesYesYesYes
Other requirementsGreat fit: track record of shipping; committed (or soon) to starting a company. Not a fit: past pre-seed/PMF, already have a full team, primary customers outside US. Must attend full SF sprint. Non-dilutive.Full-time tech startup founder (no service firms); invite-only with membership committee approval; no selling/pitching.Invite-only application; Member acceptance requires strong track record of building/scaling startups; FIR path for earlier founders; Seattle or SF/Bay based optionsExpected to be located in SF, NYC, or Bangalore and come into SPC throughout the week; generally full-time; selective application + interview.
Time commitmentRequired: five business days in San Francisco; ongoing community optionalFlexible; 100+ events/year available; Lead includes monthly peer roundtablesFIR: 6-month residency with space as full-time office; Members: visit as third space up to a couple times/week plus weekly eventsMember Residency up to 6 months; show up in space throughout the week
GeographyOnboarding in San Francisco; applicants worldwideGlobal chapters including SF, Silicon Valley, LA, Seattle, Vancouver, NYC, LondonSeattle (Capitol Hill) and San Francisco (South FiDi)San Francisco, New York City, Bengaluru
Best forPre-seed builders committing to start a company who want an SF onboarding week plus lifetime fellow network without giving equity.Full-time tech startup founders who want a vetted peer community and stage-tiered mentoring without giving equity.Seattle technical founders who want an invite-only in-person community, space, mentors, and peer accountability around early company building.Technical builders in -1 to 0 who want a talent-dense in-person community before or at the start of a venture-scale company.
Not forFounders past pre-seed/PMF, or builders whose primary market will stay outside the US.Service-firm operators, non-founders, or people looking to sell inside the network.Operators seeking a classic confidential CEO peer board with published dues and a fixed monthly half-day forum.Founders who need a classic confidential CEO peer board, or remote-only members who cannot commit presence in a hub city.
Last verified2026-09-152026-09-152026-09-152026-09-15

Full On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) profile

Sources

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