We know applying for and joining a new community requires a leap of faith. We want you to feel comfortable and excited to apply to join us at Catalyst.

Unfortunately, a typical application process can feel vague or unclear. You apply, wait for weeks, and never hear back—and you’re left wondering why you applied in the first place. Applying for ANYTHING takes courage, and it’s hard to muster that courage when—more often than not—your only reward is silence.

The onboarding process at Catalyst is different. When you apply for membership, you are going to hear back from us, even if we don’t see a clear fit for the community. In fact, throughout the process, we strive to make sure you never go more than seven days without hearing from us.

In the spirit of Catalyst’s values, here’s what happens when you apply to become a member. 

• Applying: When you apply for membership at Catalyst, once the application is received, you will be sent a confirmation email. You might notice something unique in our application—it is YOU focused. We want to get to know you and what you hope to give and receive from the community, as well as start to get a feel for how you align with the values of the community. Lastly, we want to gather some demographic and logistical information to ensure our emphasis on DEIB and member-centric programming is upheld.
• Application review: Your application is then reviewed based on evidence that demonstrates you align with the values and vibe we are all about. We automate the things we are able to at Catalyst, but not our application review—every application is reviewed by a founder, and often the advisory board, before next steps are determined. We realize that no applicant is perfect (imperfection is one of our values after all), so we tend to focus our review on the WHO and WHY and how you will complement and add value to the community. You should hear from us within a week of applying.
• Interview w/ the founders: If, during your application review, we confirm that you seem well-aligned for the community, we will work with you to schedule 45 minutes for you to chat with the founders. During this time you’ll be asked questions that give you space to talk at a deeper level about your alignment with our values. Additionally, you’ll have time to ask the founders questions. At Catalyst, we don’t believe in interviews, but in conversations that work in both directions—this means you’ll have ample time to evaluate whether Catalyst matches the values and opportunities you want in your community. The founders will follow up with you within seven days after the conversation to provide you with an update on whether you’re moving to the next step.
• Offer: If after the conversation, the founders and advisory board feel all parties are in alignment, we will extend an offer to join Catalyst. Your offer will include a link to pay and officially join the online community, Catalyst Connect. Hopefully, you’ll accept!

At each point in this process, we promise not to go silent on you. We strive to never go more than seven days without letting you know the status of your application. We know we’ll make mistakes from time to time, so if you ever have questions about where you stand or about the process, just reach out!

Thank you for considering becoming a member of Catalyst, and we hope this will encourage you to take that leap of faith and send in an application.

[Inspired by the Zapier Commitment to Applicants]