Comparison · 18 material differences
Baby Bathwater Institute vs On Deck
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
On Deck
Pre-seed and pre-idea technology founders in or willing to travel to San Francisco, building for United States customers, who are committed full-time to starting a company.
What the records say
- Role or title — Baby Bathwater Institute: Founder, co-founder, CEO, other C-suite, or strategic adviser; On Deck: No published role or title.
- Minimum company revenue — Baby Bathwater Institute: Guideline minimum of US$1M+ in revenue; On Deck: No published minimum company revenue.
- Minimum capital raised — Baby Bathwater Institute: Alternative guideline of US$3M+ raised, or an equivalent equity milestone; On Deck: Must not have raised beyond pre-seed.
- Geographic restriction — Baby Bathwater Institute: No published geographic restriction; On Deck: Target customers must be in the United States; attendance in San Francisco for five business days is required.
- Annual dues — Baby Bathwater Institute: $12,500 a year; On Deck: $10,000 a year.
Side by side
| Baby Bathwater Institute | On Deck | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.) | 2019 (TechCrunch reported that On Deck launched in June 2019, co-founded by Erik Torenberg and David Booth. The current ODF site does not publish a founding date.) |
| Headquarters | United States | San Francisco, United States |
| 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. | The core programme is an in-person week in San Francisco; the ongoing community is online. The published eligibility notes rule out founders whose target customers are outside the United States. |
| 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". | 3,000as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | No chapters; the community is organised around events plus an app-based platform. | No chapters; the programme runs as numbered cohorts from a single San Francisco base. |
| Primary audience | Founders and owners of consumer, e-commerce and digital-service businesses, plus a smaller share of investors and advisers. | Pre-seed and pre-idea technology founders in or willing to travel to San Francisco, building for United States customers, who are committed full-time to starting a company. |
| 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. | ODF states that cohorts run 80 to 100 people and that more than half have technical backgrounds. The published eligibility screen excludes founders who have raised beyond pre-seed, who already have a team, whose business cannot reach venture scale, or whose target customers are outside the United States. Named alumni companies include Cal.com, Luma and Partiful. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Founder, co-founder, CEO, other C-suite, or strategic adviserRoles offered on the application form.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published role or title |
| 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 ↗ | No published minimum company revenue |
| 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 ↗ | Must not have raised beyond pre-seedThis is an upper bound, not a floor: the FAQ says the programme is not suitable for founders who have already raised beyond pre-seed.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | Target customers must be in the United States; attendance in San Francisco for five business days is requiredThe FAQ lists non-US target customers as a disqualifier and requires the "full SF sprint (five business days)".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| 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. | The published sequence is: apply through an online form, then an optional asynchronous video, then an interview, then an optional second interview, with a decision stated at roughly 36 hours. Admission is to a specific numbered cohort rather than to open-ended membership. |
| 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. | Not publicly disclosed. Cohort size is published at 80 to 100 people, but no application volume or acceptance rate is given. |
| 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 ↗ | $10,000 a yearHistorical: On Deck Scale, the programme for high-growth companies, was reported at US$10,000 per year in September 2022. This programme is not listed on the current ODF site.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Monthly dues | $1,250 a monthMonthly alternative to the annual rate, published on the same page.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | The programme takes no equity. The related three-month Solo Founders residency does not publish a price on its own site. |
| Programme fee | Membership pricing is published; individual event ticket prices are not listed on the organization's events page. | $1,000 one-timeCurrent ODF cohort fee: "Non-dilutive program with a Pay-what-you-can model; we suggest $1000 USD which covers venue, food, and year-round community infrastructure." The suggested figure is a guideline, not a fixed charge.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| 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 ↗ | The programme takes no equity. The related three-month Solo Founders residency does not publish a price on its own site. |
| Membership term | One-year initial term, then month-to-month with 45 days' cancellation notice | Admission is to a single cohort; the site describes year-round community access afterwards without stating a renewal term. |
| 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 | One five-business-day in-person sprint in San Francisco per cohort, then continuing online community activity |
| Peer forums | Small-group hot seats with peers at a similar stage, plus The Tub app community and brokered one-to-one introductions | Cohorts of 80 to 100 founders, more than half of them technical; there is no standing confidential forum group |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed; the organization publishes a no-pitching rule covering members, speakers and the organization itself | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Five business days in San Francisco for the sprint; no ongoing commitment is published |
| Organized as | Event-focused, Virtual | Cohort-based, Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Partial |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | Partial |
| Retreats | Yes | No |
| Travel | Yes | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | No | Partial |
| Philanthropic component | Not documented | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | High | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Baby Bathwater Institute · On Deck