GeeksTap · Members only · Wednesdays, 10AM Central
Most rooms are full of founders. This one is full of Backers.
As a Builder in GeeksTap you get to hear from amazing Speakers and connect in small groups with both founders still on the grind and former or current founders who have already found success and are investing back.
Across the table
The room is stacked with Backers on purpose.
A Backer is a tech founder, ex-founder, or executive putting their own money and experience into tech companies. The Bar is two angel checks totalling at least $50,000, and a background actually building or running something. Kenny interviews every one of them before they sit down.
And yes, they pay more for their seats than you do. That's how it should be.
They chose a room with founders in it because they want to stay close to the work. So bring the work.
The house rule
Talk shop.
Don't shop.
We promised Backers that they wouldn't get pitched. No decks. No "can I send you something". One warning, then the seat goes to the next name on the list.
That frees you up to be real. Talk about what you're working on. Open up about your challenges. Every Backer has been exactly where you are and they can be immensely helpful. If a Backer wants to dig in with you, and maybe even invest, let them initiate that conversation.
This is not a "show up, pitch, and cross your fingers hoping for a check" event.
Before the seat
You already know how the other version goes.
Thirty investor conversations in a quarter and no checks. A warm intro that buys one meeting and never the second. An inbox where you look like every other founder with a deck and some traction. And often you're doing all of this while you're out of runway and have no leverage.
What a seat gets you
One hour a week. Here's what's in it.
-
The speaker
Fifteen minutes with the speaker
A guest who could headline somebody else's conference, taking questions from Kenny and the chat. No decks.
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The rooms
The Tap Rooms
We split the room into small groups and assign them at random. The speaker joins one of them.
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The people
Advice with scar tissue
The Backers have built companies and are now choosing to help out folks earlier in their journey. Take advantage of their knowledge.
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The money
A path to being funded by the room
Three Backers can nominate a company for the whole membership to consider. They lead diligence and set terms, and Delvia structures the SPV. These are people who already know you.
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The long game
The upgrade path
Start writing checks and your seat converts to a Backer seat.
The price
What it costs.
From 9 September
$89/mo
or $890 a year. Two months free.
The list price. It's what somebody joining in November pays.
Unless you earn Charter
Charter Builder
$49/mo
or $490 a year. You earn this one by turning up.
Attend 3 of these 6 Wednesdays and the rate is yours, even if you're not off the wait list yet: 29 July, 5, 12, 19 and 26 August, and 2 September.
Locked for as long as you're a member.
To be a Charter Backer they just need to join before September 9th. Because of the Magic Ratio, Builders can't just join, which is why we ask you to come to three Wednesdays before we switch to the new model instead.
The list price climbs as the room grows and the Bar rises. A Charter rate holds. Charter members also carry a permanent mark in the room, and it won't be available later at any price.
- 29 Jul
- 5 Aug
- 12 Aug
- 19 Aug
- 26 Aug
- 2 Sep
Come to any three of the six and the Charter rate is yours, wait list or not.
Every Charter seat also gets
- A Spotlight on you. A produced piece about you and what you're building, worth sending to anybody who asks.
- 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.
- The Wrap. A weekly update and access to full speaker recordings, so if you miss a Wednesday you can catch up.
- The archive. Every past session in the member portal.
- The summit and city 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 in the most investor-dense room you've sat in, and it cost you nothing.
One standing expectation once you're in: show up at least two Wednesdays a month.
The wait list
We hate waiting too.
Fortunately you can move yourself to the front of the line.
Commit to the year
We'd rather have Builders for the long run than just for their current raise. If you choose an annual membership, a check box on the application, then we will move you to the front of the wait list. We charge nothing when you apply, only when you're able to fully join.
Bring a Backer
The more Backers you introduce who join, the higher your spot. Two Backers on the roster opens one more Builder seat, so this is the fastest lever you have.
Straight answers
The questions people actually ask.
How long is the wait?
Nobody can put a date on it honestly. Builder seats open only as Backers join, or as Builders depart.
Wednesdays you attend while you wait still count toward Charter, so the wait costs you nothing but time.
If I can't pitch, how does this get me funded?
Focus on adding value, learning, and telling the room what you're working on. If a Backer is interested in more, let them start that conversation.
The ban on pitching is what keeps Backers in the room, and a room they avoid is worth nothing to you.
Do I pay while I'm waiting?
No. We charge nothing when you apply. You pay when a seat is actually yours.
What counts as a Builder?
Full time, today, on something with real traction. This is deliberately vague to give us some flexibility to prioritise folks who are working on something we think the Backers will find particularly interesting, or that they've explicitly said they want to learn more about.
I'm raising right now. Is that a problem?
No, and the application asks outright. Say so and it goes on your member card either way. The only thing that doesn't work here is treating the room as one round and then leaving.
What if I start investing?
Your seat converts to a Backer seat. Serial founders tend to write angel checks and build at the same time, so this comes up often.
The door
Join the list. Interview. Earn the seat.
- 1
Join the wait list below
Six questions, two minutes.
- 2
Fifteen minutes with Kenny
We want to make sure we're the right community for you and vice versa.
- 3
The list, then the nod
Seats open as Backers join. Annual electors and Backer-bringers go first. Nobody pays until a seat is theirs.
Charter eligibility ends September 2nd
The wait list is the way in.
The single most useful thing you can do for your own queue position is bring a Backer. Or two.