GeeksTap · The Virtual Local
Become a better investor in an hour a week.
In that hour you will
Learn from a headline speaker.
Build relationships in small groups with impressive fellow Backers.
Connect with a highly curated group of Builders.
All without leaving your house.
Who has taken questions in this room
- Founders of companies that are household names.
- Fund managers you've heard of.
- Famous rock stars.
Writing checks
Investing your own money in startups is hard.
- The network problem
Deals flow on relationships. Warm intros only reach as far as your network.
- The already-passed problem
When a deal lands in your inbox, how many people have already passed?
- The pitch problem
Once a founder knows you invest, the real talk stops. You get the pitch.
- The market problem
The people who know how the market is really changing aren't writing or lecturing. They're building.
- The five-people problem
Every investment needs a different expert. You have the same five people.
We've designed our rooms to solve these problems…and more.
Who holds a seat
Only two types of people are allowed in GeeksTap.
Backer
A tech founder, ex-founder, or executive putting their own money and experience into tech companies.
We're sure your angel-investing dentist is great. He is not in our rooms.
Builder
A founder still in the trenches, full-time, on something real.
Builders know what's really going on in the market, and yes, some of them are raising.
Building Backer
Many of our Backers are serial entrepreneurs who use GeeksTap to find or accelerate their new projects. They're considered Backers but could be called Building Backers.
Being a Backer isn't for you if
- You only invest other people's money.
- You just want to sell something to the room.
- You want a stage to pitch from.
- You're not Interested and Interesting.
No service providers. Ever.
We want to create the most value in one hour, and having lawyers and accountants in the room ain't that.
The design
Most rooms get the ratio of Founders to Investors wrong.
Fifty investors, three founders
An angel group. A pitch queue with a scoring sheet, and most of them attach an annual allocation. It's hard to build long term relationships and learn from each other.
Fifty founders, three investors
A receiving line. The three get mobbed, the fifty get nothing, and nobody builds any connections.
To solve this we have…
The Magic Ratio
We guarantee our roster will have two Backers for every Builder. One Builder comes off our long wait list for every two Backers who join.
This gives us the luxury of only accepting the best Builders.
All Tappers are interviewed and vetted before they can join.
The hour
Fifteen minutes hearing from a speaker and 45 minutes networking in small groups.
-
1
The Speaker
Guests who could headline somebody else's conference. Kenny does a fifteen minute Q&A with his own questions and yours from the chat.
-
2
The Tap Rooms
The other 45 minutes we split into small groups of 4 to 6, chosen at random. You'll hear what everyone is working on, find any overlap, and discuss the topic if there's time.
All Members need to attend at least two Wednesdays per month. That consistency means you can start to build real relationships over time.
What a seat gets you
Five problems, five answers.
In the order they were named.
-
The network problem
Introductions you asked for.
Tell the AI concierge in the member portal what you're looking for and it keeps looking after you've forgotten you asked. Both sides opt in, so nobody gets volunteered.
-
The already-passed problem
You hear the work before it's a deck.
You get to know the Builders while they're still building, and their raise may never leave the room. When the conversation is that early it hits different.
-
The pitch problem
Talk shop, don't shop.
Nobody in the room can pitch you. If a Builder asks for money uninvited they get one warning, and then their seat goes to the next person on the wait list. Builders talk about their work and interest finds its own way to them.
-
The market problem
The people building the future are in the room with you.
The Builders selected from the wait list have something worth hearing about, and they help you keep your finger on the pulse of tech.
-
The five-people problem
A bench you didn't have to build.
All Backers write their own checks and have run startups across different backgrounds and sectors. You get to know them every week, so when you need a second opinion you know who to call.
You can invest together.
This was already happening informally, so we gave it a structure.
- 1
Three Backers nominate a company they want to back.
- 2
Those three lead the diligence and set the terms.
- 3
The opportunity goes to the whole membership.
- 4
Delvia structures the SPV and shares the carry back with the leads.
You're under no obligation to invest.
For comparison
What a curated room normally costs.
Different business models, so read these as a rough guide. Most of them meet monthly, and none of them put investors and founders in the same small group.
The price
What it costs.
Backer Seat
$159/mo
or $1,590 a year. Two months free.
The list price. It's what somebody joining in November pays.
Unless you are a Charter Backer
Charter Backer
$95/mo
or $950 a year.
You can only be a Charter Backer if you join before September 9th.
This price is locked as long as you're a member, even when we increase prices.
Every Charter Backer also gets
- A Spotlight on you. A produced piece about you and what you back, worth sending to anybody who asks what you do.
- The Charter mark. A GeeksTap virtual background you can use every Wednesday so everyone knows you're an OG.
- The other 167 hours. The Wednesday event is one hour…for the other 167 you can connect in our WhatsApp community.
- Two Backer guest passes a year. A guest pass is the only way a non-member can join GeeksTap without being a paid member, and they still have to interview first. Use these wisely.
- One Builder Sponsor Chip a year. Move one Builder on the wait list to the top of the queue.
- The Wrap. A weekly update and access to full speaker recordings, so if you miss a Wednesday you can catch up.
- The summit and the dinners. We will host at least one in-person summit a year, as well as periodic dinners and trips.
The Bouncer Guarantee
Come to three of your first four Wednesdays. If you wouldn't fight the bouncer to get back in, say so and every dollar comes back. No questions.
Worst case: three Wednesdays with people worth knowing, and it cost you nothing.
Three things are expected in return
- Don't be an asshole. We're a community helping each other out, so act accordingly.
- Add value first. The more you give the more you get.
- Show up at least two Wednesdays a month. This format requires consistency.
Why now instead of later
The Charter rate expires September 9th.
You need to clear the Bar and join by then to be eligible.
The more Backers who join, the more Builders we can take off the wait list.
Q&A
Questions we've received.
How is this different from an angel group?
Curation, high quality speakers, small group networking, and the Magic Ratio. An angel group puts fifty investors in front of three founders and runs a pitch queue. The roster here is two Backers to every Builder, and pitching is banned outright.
There's no allocation to hit either. Angel groups tend to expect you to deploy a set amount a year. Nothing here obliges you to invest in anything.
Is an hour a week really worth $95 a month?
The Bouncer Guarantee covers that. Come to three of your first four Wednesdays, and if you wouldn't fight to get back in, every dollar comes back.
The comparison above is the other answer. The nearest curated rooms run $3,000 to $9,500 a year, meet monthly, and require you to leave the house.
What exactly is the bar for a Backer?
Using your own money and your own judgement you have written two angel checks totalling at least $50,000. Plus a background actually building or running technology companies.
The bar starts there and rises as the room grows. The Charter rate is unaffected either way.
Who else is in the room?
Founders and ex-founders who write their own checks, and full-time founders who came through an interview and a wait list. Member names stay inside the room and our WhatsApp community.
Do I have to invest in anything?
No. The SPV structure exists because this was already happening informally. Participation is deal by deal, accredited investors only, and terms are shared in full before you commit anything.
What if I travel and miss a few Wednesdays?
The standing expectation is two a month. It's important that our members consistently attend to ensure the right room compositions. The Wrap and the archive keep you current when you can't make it.
Can I see it before I commit?
Until 9 September the Wednesdays are still open, although there is no Magic Ratio, so apply first to book the interview and protect the Charter rate, then come and see the room while you wait. After that, a Backer's guest pass is the only way to attend GeeksTap without being a paid member.
How long does this take?
Two minutes to apply, then fifteen minutes with Kenny. He talks to every single person before any money moves, and Backers get an interview quickly, because Backers are what opens everything else up.
The door
Apply. Interview. Take your seat.
- 1
Apply below
Six questions, two minutes. That's the whole application.
- 2
Fifteen minutes with Kenny
He talks with every member before they can join.
- 3
Your seat
Approved and paid before 9 September holds the Charter rate. The first members-only session is September 9th.
Not a Backer yet, but building something cool?
Builder seats are capped by the roster, so that side is a wait list, and a real one. There are two ways to decrease your wait.
Charter membership closes 9 September
Apply and interview to join now.
Worst case: three Wednesdays with people you want to know, and you can get your money back.