Last verified
Foundations vs On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship)
Foundations is a hybrid community platform with staff-convened. On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) is a hybrid community platform with staff-convened. This page compares cost, requirements, format, and stage fit using verified public data. Foundations: Seattle technical founders who want an invite-only in-person community, space, mentors, and peer accountability around early company building. On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship): Pre-seed builders committing to start a company who want an SF onboarding week plus lifetime fellow network without giving equity.
Side-by-side
| Field | Foundations | On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | hybrid | hybrid |
| Structure | community platform | community platform |
| Facilitation | staff-convened | staff-convened |
| Group size | Not published for peer subsets | Onboarding week: 80–100; community platform: 3,000+ |
| Stage fit | Pre-seed and seed, Series A | Pre-seed and seed |
| Revenue / capital floor | Not published | Not published / none stated |
| Annual cost | Not published | Pay-what-you-can; suggested contribution $1,000 USD |
| Application model | application | application |
| Venture-specific | Yes | Yes |
| Other requirements | Invite-only application; Member acceptance requires strong track record of building/scaling startups; FIR path for earlier founders; Seattle or SF/Bay based options | Great 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. |
| Time commitment | FIR: 4-month residency (rolling); FIRs commit to coming in at least once a week plus programming; Members: community and space access plus weekly events | Required: five business days in San Francisco; ongoing community optional |
| Geography | Seattle (Capitol Hill) and San Francisco (South FiDi) | Onboarding in San Francisco; applicants worldwide |
| Best for | Seattle technical founders who want an invite-only in-person community, space, mentors, and peer accountability around early company building. | Pre-seed builders committing to start a company who want an SF onboarding week plus lifetime fellow network without giving equity. |
| Not for | Operators seeking a classic confidential CEO peer board with published dues and a fixed monthly half-day forum. | Founders past pre-seed/PMF, or builders whose primary market will stay outside the US. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-27 | 2026-10-24 |
Verdict by stage
Pre-seed and seed
At Pre-seed and seed, both Foundations and On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) list this stage. Foundations annual cost is Not published. On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) annual cost is Pay-what-you-can; suggested contribution $1,000 USD. Foundations revenue floor is Not published. On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) revenue floor is Not published / none stated. Foundations group size is Not published for peer subsets. On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) group size is Onboarding week: 80–100; community platform: 3,000+.
Series A
At Series A, Foundations lists this stage. On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) does not. The fit is Foundations for this stage band.
Growth
At Growth, neither group lists this stage as a primary fit. Foundations targets Pre-seed and seed, Series A. On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) targets Pre-seed and seed.
Late stage
At Late stage, neither group lists this stage as a primary fit. Foundations targets Pre-seed and seed, Series A. On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) targets Pre-seed and seed.
FAQ
- How much do Foundations and On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) cost?
- Foundations: Not published (verified 2026-10-27). On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship): Pay-what-you-can; suggested contribution $1,000 USD (verified 2026-10-24). Prices are shown verbatim from public sources; nothing is estimated.
- What are the requirements for Foundations vs On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship)?
- Foundations: Not published Invite-only application; Member acceptance requires strong track record of building/scaling startups; FIR path for earlier founders; Seattle or SF/Bay based options On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship): Not published / none stated Great 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.
- Which is better for venture-backed founders?
- Both Foundations and On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship) are venture-specific. Compare stage fit (Pre-seed and seed, Series A vs Pre-seed and seed) and format.
Sources
Primary public pages used for the fields above.
6 sources from 5 sites
admissions.joinodf.com
- admissions.joinodf.comRetrieved 2026-10-24 · On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship)
beondeck.com
- beondeck.comRetrieved 2026-10-24 · On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship)
fndtns.org
- fndtns.orgRetrieved 2026-10-27 · Foundations
- /membershipRetrieved 2026-10-27 · Foundations
joinodf.com
- joinodf.comRetrieved 2026-10-24 · On Deck / ODF (On Deck Fellowship)
root.fndtns.org
- /kb/root/founder-in-residenceRetrieved 2026-10-27 · Foundations