Comparison · 17 material differences
Genius Network vs Helm
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Paid mastermind
Verified September 2026 Genius Network
Founders and chief executives of established companies with at least US$1 million in annual revenue who can meet the annual fee.
Invitation-only community
Helm
Founders and CEOs of UK scale-up businesses past about £3 million in revenue
What the records say
- Role or title: Genius Network: No published role or title; Helm: Founder or CEO of the business.
- Minimum company revenue: Genius Network: "You run a company that's making at least $1 million in annual revenue"; Helm: £3m+ revenue, or more than £3m raised.
- Minimum employees: Genius Network: No published minimum employees; Helm: Team size around 20 full-time equivalents.
- Geographic restriction: Genius Network: No published geographic restriction; Helm: United Kingdom scale-up businesses.
- Annual dues: Genius Network: Not publicly disclosed. The membership page states only that "No one comes as a guest. Every Member and Attendee pays to participate" and that no discounts or free passes are offered.; Helm: £1,450 a year.
Side by side
| Genius Network | Helm | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Paid mastermind | Invitation-only community |
| Founded | 2004 (The organization's About page dates its formation to 2004, when Joe Polish converted a client's request for a year-long group into Genius Network.) | 2003 (Founded as The Supper Club in 2003 by Duncan Cheatle; rebranded to Helm. Helm's own site states the 2003 founding on every page footer line and in its FAQ.) |
| Headquarters | Tempe, United States | London, United Kingdom |
| Geographic footprint | Member meetings are held at the organization's Tempe, Arizona offices; the public annual event is held in Scottsdale, Arizona. | United Kingdom: events across London and regional UK hubs, plus a digital community; Helm does not publish a full list of hubs |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed | 400as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | No chapters; the group operates from a single Arizona base. | Helm has no chapters. It runs Forum groups and events in London and regional UK hubs but does not publish a hub list or a Forum count. |
| Primary audience | Founders and chief executives of established companies with at least US$1 million in annual revenue who can meet the annual fee. | Founders and CEOs of UK scale-up businesses past about £3 million in revenue |
| Typical member | The organization's FAQ states that "the average member or attendee in Genius Network runs a $9 million dollar per year company". Published member testimonials come from consumer-brand founders, authors and marketing operators. | Members are founders and CEOs of UK scale-ups, with average member turnover of about £21 million according to Helm's own comparison page. Businesses span SaaS, deep tech, biotech, property, manufacturing and retail. Non-founder executives, advisers and service providers are explicitly not admitted. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | No published role or title | Founder or CEO of the business"non-founder executives, advisers and service providers are not admitted as members".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | "You run a company that's making at least $1 million in annual revenue"Stated on the membership page as a membership requirement.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | £3m+ revenue, or more than £3m raisedHelm's published qualification panel: "Revenue £3m+ (or, raised >£3m)".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum employees | No published minimum employees | Team size around 20 full-time equivalentsHelm's qualification panel gives "Team size 20 FTEs"; its FAQ says "a team of around 20 or more".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | United Kingdom scale-up businessesverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | Not documented | No |
| Application process | Prospective members complete an application, described on the site as a confidential waitlist application, and are vetted against the published revenue floor and a contribution test. Non-members may separately apply to attend the annual event, the one meeting each year opened to the public. | A short application form (Helm says two to five minutes), then a 30-minute qualifying call with the membership team to check fit and identify a suitable Forum. Helm describes committee approval within about 48 hours, followed by a 45-minute onboarding call. Forum placement follows an introductory conversation with the prospective Forum Chair and happens within one to three months of joining. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The organization says applicants must "qualify" but publishes no acceptance rate or waitlist length. | No acceptance rate is published. Helm states that every application is reviewed for fit and that non-founder executives, advisers and service providers are not admitted. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed. The membership page states only that "No one comes as a guest. Every Member and Attendee pays to participate" and that no discounts or free passes are offered.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | £1,450 a yearClub membership: "£1,450 /per annum" on Helm's Get Started page. In-person experiences are pay-as-you-go at this tier.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Monthly dues | Genius Network publishes no prices. A higher-priced tier (reported by third parties as GeniusX at US$100,000 a year) is referenced in secondary coverage but could not be independently verified on the organization's own site. | £495 a monthA Helm comparison landing page quotes "£495 Joining Fee + £495 per month" (about £5,940 a year), which conflicts with the annual figures on the Get Started page. Both are Helm's own pages; the discrepancy is unresolved.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Genius Network publishes no prices. A higher-priced tier (reported by third parties as GeniusX at US$100,000 a year) is referenced in secondary coverage but could not be independently verified on the organization's own site. | £495 one-time"£495 Joining Fee" per Helm's comparison landing page. No joining fee appears on the Get Started page.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Event costs | Not publicly disclosed. The annual event page shows the November 5-7, 2026 Scottsdale event as sold out and routes non-members to an application rather than a published ticket price.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Helm publishes prices, but two of its own pages disagree: the Get Started page lists £1,450 and £4,250 a year for the two tiers, while a competitor-comparison page quotes £495 joining plus £495 a month. Membership can be cancelled at any time under the published membership agreement. |
| Membership term | Annual; the membership page recommends committing for at least three years | Annual, cancellable at any time under the published membership agreement |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Two member meetings per year chosen by the member, plus the annual event | Forum meets ten times a year (about three hours a month) plus an annual retreat; Helm runs two to three events a week, roughly 160 a year |
| Peer forums | No assigned confidential forums are published; the group meets as a room, with Ten Minute Talks and facilitated problem-solving sessions, supported by a private online community | Chaired Forum groups of six to eight founders, capped at eight, matched on business size, experience level, personality mix and Chair expertise; Chairs are experienced or exited founders |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Events run under the Chatham House Rule; Forum is described as absolutely confidential ("What's discussed at Helm stays at Helm") |
| Time commitment | Not documented | About three hours a month for Forum; Helm states there is no fixed overall commitment and that members typically attend an event every one to two months |
| Organized as | Event-focused, Virtual | Forum-based, Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Yes |
| Local chapters | No | Partial |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Partial |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | Yes |
| Travel | No | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | Partial | Partial |
| Philanthropic component | Not documented | Partial |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | High |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Genius Network · Helm