Commitment: 10 sessions over 10 months, each session 1 hour long.
Schedule: Facilitators will propose a recurring monthly weekday and time. We suggest during lunch time, i.e. every 2nd Wednesday of the month at noon.
Facilitators will be compensated for their time and effort according to the standard Advisory Compensation agreement (please read the FAQ for more details on profit sharing).
Every hour you spend with a company is credited towards the 20 hour limit compensated with a share of carry as per the Advisor Agreement. For group calls, facilitators get credit for each attendee per group time: if 5 people are on a 1 hour call, you count this as 1 hour for each person. This extra counting helps compensate for preparation and coordination time for the group, which cannot be assigned to a specific company. If you do a one-on-one follow up coaching session, that time counts as part of the total 20 hour limit. Note that after 20 hours, companies are expected to compensate you directly, at a rate to be agreed between yourselves.
The objective of the program is to bring founders together in a structured but informal peer-to-peer exchange group format facilitated by qualified advisors to share what it’s like being a founder from personal journey, addressing work-life balance, co-founder issues and team alignment, personal strategies and blind spots. These sessions aim to create a safe space for sharing, resulting in actionable insights, emotional support and practical tips from the peers.
Loyal manages a network of 400+ companies and after talking to founders on a monthly basis, the team has noticed that personal wellbeing among entrepreneurs is a critical resource that doesn't always get the attention it deserves.
To offer portfolio founders structured support, Loyal conducted a Pilot Peer Group Project to determine the most effective framework. The proposed framework is based on the feedback from this pilot.
As a moderator, you will be responsible for scheduling the group sessions, tracking your group members attendance, and maintaining order during the sessions. Read the full breakdown for more details.
Ilona Hassan, a Loyal Advisor, will manage this initiative on behalf of Loyal and can be contacted for any ongoing questions and suggestions.
Facilitators will have an option to participate in facilitator-peer-exchange calls quarterly for the purpose of networking, exchanging experiences and discussing any ongoing issues with the groups.
Facilitators will be expected to manage the schedule, reminder emails and session follow up emails if valuable. Sessions should not be recorded. Founders will have signed NDA agreements (non disclosure) in order to share confidential information.
Confidentiality should be emphasized and agreed upon verbally at the first session, including that facilitators will not be briefing Loyal on any information disclosed during sessions. If a founder shares exciting or bad news worthy of knowing for Loyal, you may suggest they share themselves, and it might be the case that they need coaching on sharing bad news, either in the group and to investors, powerfully. That was one of the reasons for missed sessions in the Pilot when founders didn’t want to share bad news. That could be a useful topic to address at the alignment session.
It’s up to the group to decide whether they want to have a group chat or not. In the Pilot groups we did not have chats, because the founders felt it would be overwhelming.
We aim for 8 people initially, expecting possible attrition. The groups work well with 4 to 8 people.
We found that the same time zone was the most important factor in a group alignment. Other factors may be considered if there is more than one group in the same region. Other factors to discuss include: penalties for missed sessions, communication channels, tardiness, etc.
It’s up to the group to agree on penalties for missed sessions, i.e. 2 missed sessions results in automatic elimination from the group. Participation commitment is a crucial part of this to work. An integrity conversation may be useful at the alignment session.
Founders will sign an agreement that includes them in the equity-sharing distribution pool at a reduced rate (compared to advisors).
Important to note that the Facilitators will moderate the conversation flow rather than coach, ensuring a safe space for sharing and equal participation. Sessions will follow a round-table format with no pre-set agenda, allowing topics to emerge from the sharing. It is desirable that sessions provide actionable insights and practical takeaways. However, the emphasis should be on emotional and personal aspects of their entrepreneurial journey.
For organizational questions it’s best to send it in an email to the group, instead of using a session time.
Facilitators are encouraged to lead each session as they see fit, adapting to the unique cultural dynamics of the group. The goal is to foster an environment of authentic and honest sharing, rather than a space for competition or self-promotion. Sessions are strictly confidential, allowing founders to connect openly without taking on the role of advisor, mentor, or coach. Participants are encouraged to speak from their personal experience—sharing insights by saying, “I” or “in my experience.”
Cultural Alignment and Expectations for the Group:
Facilitators will be asked to enter session dates and track participants attendance in their portal dashboard to keep track of hours for compensation.
Loyal will send feedback surveys after 5 sessions and again after 10 sessions. Results will be shared with all facilitators.
Here is one feedback example that echoes others as well:
“The Loyal VC Founder peer group has been very worthwhile for me because:
The group will have a chance to continue with the same facilitator on mutually agreed terms outside of Loyal’s purview. They will have the option to continue without facilitation, following the same session format.
Facilitators can offer their own paid services after the 10 sessions.
In addition, if a facilitator has an attractive offer for entrepreneurs (a special offer for Loyal portfolio companies), Loyal will promote the offer in a monthly email to the entrepreneurs.
