Comparison · 10 material differences
Baby Bathwater Institute vs Dynamite Circle
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
Invitation-only community
Verified September 2026 Baby Bathwater Institute
Founders and owners of consumer, e-commerce and digital-service businesses, plus a smaller share of investors and advisers.
Invitation-only community
Dynamite Circle
Founders of bootstrapped, profitable, location-independent businesses in software, e-commerce, services and media.
What the records say
- Role or title — Baby Bathwater Institute: Founder, co-founder, CEO, other C-suite, or strategic adviser; Dynamite Circle: Business founder; freelancers, employees, multi-level marketers, C-suite executives, upper management and department heads are excluded.
- Minimum company revenue — Baby Bathwater Institute: Guideline minimum of US$1M+ in revenue; Dynamite Circle: At least US$100,000 per year in business revenue (standard DC membership).
- Minimum capital raised — Baby Bathwater Institute: Alternative guideline of US$3M+ raised, or an equivalent equity milestone; Dynamite Circle: No published minimum capital raised.
- Annual dues — Baby Bathwater Institute: $12,500 a year; Dynamite Circle: $697 a year.
Side by side
| Baby Bathwater Institute | Dynamite Circle | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Invitation-only community | Invitation-only community |
| Founded | 2014 (The organization's About page says it "began back in 2014 with one unforgettable party...and not a single business plan in sight". It was co-founded by Hollis Carter and Michael Lovitch.) | 2011 (Founded in 2011 by Dan Andrews and Ian Schoen, who had started the Tropical MBA podcast in 2009.) |
| Headquarters | United States | Not documented |
| Geographic footprint | Events are held across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe; past locations include Croatia, Cabo San Lucas, Colorado, South Carolina, Louisiana, Idaho, California, Utah, New York and British Columbia. | Members in 50+ countries and 200+ cities, with in-person meetups across seven continents and annual conferences in Bangkok and Mexico City. |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed on the organization's own pages, which describe "a few hundred founders". A December 2025 published interview with co-founder Hollis Carter cites "250+ active members". | 1,400as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | No chapters; the community is organised around events plus an app-based platform. | No formal chapters. The organization runs local meetups in cities including Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Tokyo, Barcelona and Portland, and states it holds 200+ in-person meetups a year. |
| Primary audience | Founders and owners of consumer, e-commerce and digital-service businesses, plus a smaller share of investors and advisers. | Founders of bootstrapped, profitable, location-independent businesses in software, e-commerce, services and media. |
| Typical member | The organization publishes a member composition breakdown: 65 per cent own seven- to nine-figure business-to-consumer businesses, 25 per cent provide digital services such as marketing, branding and growth, 5 per cent are influencers and up-and-comers, and 5 per cent are investors and mentors. | Members are business owners rather than freelancers or executives, running bootstrapped companies with consistent recurring revenue above US$100,000 a year; the premium tier is limited to founders above US$1 million. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Founder, co-founder, CEO, other C-suite, or strategic adviserRoles offered on the application form.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Business founder; freelancers, employees, multi-level marketers, C-suite executives, upper management and department heads are excludedCertain professional categories are also excluded, specifically coaching, consulting and recruiting.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | Guideline minimum of US$1M+ in revenuePublished as one of three alternative business guidelines (US$1M+ revenue, US$500K profit, or US$3M+ raised or equivalent equity milestone). The organization states these are "guidelines, not a checklist".verified September 2026 · source ↗ | At least US$100,000 per year in business revenue (standard DC membership)The organization also requires consistent recurring revenue rather than one-off income.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum capital raised | Alternative guideline of US$3M+ raised, or an equivalent equity milestoneOne of three alternative tests; the application form also offers routes for businesses under US$3M that have raised at least US$3M or had a prior seven-figure exit.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum capital raised |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | A four-step process: a five-minute application covering the business; a personal review by the team; a two-way call described as a genuine conversation about fit; and then, on approval, an invitation with onboarding. The organization says every application is reviewed and that unsuccessful applicants receive feedback on fit rather than silence. | Applicants confirm they meet six published requirements, agree to the code of conduct and submit an application with written answers about themselves and their business. A team member reviews each application personally and notifies the applicant within 48 business hours. DC BLACK adds a discovery call with the founder and revenue verification through a signed profit-and-loss statement, followed by facilitator-led placement into a mastermind group. Referrals from current members are encouraged. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. No acceptance rate is published; the organization states that members are vetted for character as well as revenue and that the published business minimums are guidelines. | "Only a fraction of applicants are accepted", per the requirements page; no acceptance rate is published. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $12,500 a yearSingle published membership rate. The membership page states: "That's the whole number. No tiers, no a la carte add-ons, no surprise fees once you're in." Members also receive 50 per cent off all flagship, mastermind and adventure events.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $697 a yearStandard DC membership: "$697 per year - one-time annual payment", covering the online community, app and free local meetups.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Monthly dues | $1,250 a monthMonthly alternative to the annual rate, published on the same page.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed |
| Event costs | Third-party reported figures: a December 2025 interview with co-founder Hollis Carter quotes live events at US$12,500 for non-members and US$6,250 for members. The organization's own events page lists no ticket prices; the 50 per cent member discount is confirmed on the membership page.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed in aggregate. The events page states that local meetups and Juntos are typically free, and that "Global conferences and retreats have ticket prices that are listed on each event page".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | One-year initial term, then month-to-month with 45 days' cancellation notice | Annual |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Three to four flagship events a year (100-200 attendees), one to three masterminds (12-25 members) and one to three adventures (12-20 members), plus virtual sessions | 200+ local meetups a year plus 13+ organised events annually; DC BLACK masterminds meet monthly |
| Peer forums | Small-group hot seats with peers at a similar stage, plus The Tub app community and brokered one-to-one introductions | Online community and mobile app for all members; DC BLACK members are placed in facilitated mastermind groups of five to seven peers matched by track |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed; the organization publishes a no-pitching rule covering members, speakers and the organization itself | Not publicly disclosed beyond a published code of conduct |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused, Virtual | Virtual, Event-focused, Forum-based |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | No | Partial |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Partial |
| Leadership development | Partial | Partial |
| Retreats | Yes | Yes |
| Travel | Yes | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Not documented | Not documented |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | High | High |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Baby Bathwater Institute · Dynamite Circle