Getting that one job that you really want is hard. That's why I started onejob - to make that process easier.
And our approach has resonated: thousands of you are reading this now (and you're an impressive group), we have best-in-class engagement rates, and we've been able to help many of you find incredible roles at startups and VC firms.
But when I reflected on my own career so far, I realized that we were only solving a part of a much larger problem. You may have a great job, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're getting any closer to your ultimate career ambitions. And if you're someone who wants to start a company or lead organizations, the path from where you are to achieving your long-term goals can feel daunting.
For every person who drops out of college to work on their startup idea, there are dozens more who have what it takes to be a great founder or executive, but need a supportive network, experience, and resources to get there faster.
So a few months ago, I teamed up with a couple of friends and we started building. We talked to hundreds of people about their career goals and where they needed a little boost. We heard that it was difficult to connect with people with similar goals, difficult to find mentors, difficult to find time to gain new skills, and difficult to carve out dedicated time and space outside of work to make progress on their ideas.
With that in mind, we started shaping what would come to be Propel, the community for future builders. And when we described it to people, they started asking how they could get involved.
We launched the community with a few founding members in late May and since then have recruited 60+ incredible people from organizations like Warby Parker, USV, Uber, and HBS. Members have met potential co-founders, gotten help on their job searches, and learned from our group of 30+ advisors who are current CEOs and executives.
Now, before we launch to the general public, we want to give onejob subscribers the opportunity to join Propel. We'll be bringing on a few dozen new members by the end of July and are prioritizing onejob subscribers.
The initial application should take about 5 minutes (we’ve tried to make it painless) and if we think you could be a fit, you'll have a 20-minute call with me or one of my co-founders. That’s it. If you're interested, you can apply here.
Membership costs $50 per month, which we’re using to cover operating costs and build a great community. We recognize that this is not a small amount, but if Propel helps you get closer to your professional goals, it’ll pay off many times over. We’re confident that we can make this the highest ROI thing that you spend your money on each month. We're also happy to provide receipts to help you get this covered by your company, if you have a professional development budget that you can access.
Who should apply to Propel?
You should apply if:
You want to be a founder or executive
You want to participate in and help build a new community
You have a record of high achievement (whether it’s at work, in a hobby, or in an entrepreneurial endeavor)
What do people think so far?
Here’s some feedback from current members and advisors:
General feedback:
On the cohort experience:
From one our advisors:
What do you get with your membership?
Propel is based around three central pillars: network, accountability, and learning.
Network
You'll join a diverse group of operators and investors who share your goal of becoming a founder or executive. Our members come from top startups, tech companies, and financial firms and have demonstrated a record of achievement (either at work or outside of work).
We have a lively Slack channel, planned networking events, and much more.
Accountability
Upon joining, you'll be placed into a small cohort with people who have similar goals to you (but come from varied backgrounds). You'll meet monthly to go through our Propel programming that's designed to help you define and reach your goals. The members of your cohort will help you make progress on your idea, get promoted, or figure out that tough challenge at work.
Learning
We hold weekly events on topics ranging from high-performance wellness to off-the-record AMAs with founders to discussions about the Chief of Staff role. You'll have access to our stellar advisory board, which is made up of current CEOs and executives, both through these events and for one-on-one mentoring that we facilitate.
We’re also building out dedicated learning tracks for founders, people who want to switch into new functions, new managers, and more.
Thanks for making it this far. If you’re interested in joining the Propel community alongside other future builders, apply today.