{
 "sym": "Mn",
 "updated": "2026-08-06",
 "verdict": "An accelerator alumni network is still the best advice you can buy \u2014 YC's $500K/7% is really a 6,000-expert Bookface subscription with a check attached, and the ~1% acceptance rate is the price. If you can't get in (you probably can't), the highest-leverage substitute is three or four named advisors on the FAST v3 agreement at 0.10\u20131.00% each on a two-year vest with a three-month cliff \u2014 the cheapest pattern recognition in startups. Operator angels beat both on price when you're already raising, because the advice rides in on equity you were selling anyway. Paid marketplaces (GrowthMentor $50/mo, MentorCruise $100\u2013290/mo, Intro $59\u20132,500/call) win when you need a specific answer this week and refuse to give up equity for it. Free networks \u2014 ADPList, SCORE, Startup School \u2014 win at pre-revenue, at the cost of enormous variance in who shows up.",
 "top5": [
  {
   "rank": 1,
   "name": "Accelerator & alumni network",
   "maker": "Y Combinator (canonical) \u00b7 Techstars \u00b7 South Park Commons \u00b7 a16z Speedrun",
   "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com",
   "docs": "https://www.ycombinator.com/deal",
   "pricing": "YC $500K for 7% ($125K post-money safe + $375K uncapped MFN) \u00b7 Techstars $220K for min. 5% + $200K MFN \u00b7 SPC $400K for 7% + $600K guaranteed next round \u00b7 a16z Speedrun $500K for 10% + $500K \u00b7 no program fee at any of them",
   "best_for": "Founders who want a decade of compressed pattern-matching, warm intros on demand, and a peer group in the same 12 weeks \u2014 and can afford 7\u201310% to get it.",
   "why": "The equity buys the network, not the money: YC gives you 6,000+ domain experts reachable through Bookface plus a group partner running sections of 6\u201310 companies, and it now runs four batches a year (since 2025) so the door opens quarterly. Techstars is the mentorship-heavy alternative at 10,900+ founders accelerated across 150+ countries, and improved its terms in 2025 to $220K. The scarcity is real \u2014 YC's Summer 2025 batch was reported at ~0.6% acceptance, a16z Speedrun at 0.4% on 19,000+ applications.",
   "watch": "Selectivity means this is not a plan, it's a lottery ticket. Advice quality is partner-dependent and the batch cadence is fixed \u2014 you get help on YC's schedule, not on the week your co-founder quits. Techstars overbuilt and cut 17% of staff in Aug 2024 while ending its J.P. Morgan-backed programs; its program roster has been in flux ever since, so verify the specific program still exists before you apply.",
   "evidence": [
    {
     "stat": "YC standard deal unchanged as of Aug 2026: $500K total \u2014 $125K post-money safe for 7% + $375K uncapped MFN safe; no program fee",
     "src": "https://www.ycombinator.com/deal"
    },
    {
     "stat": "YC alumni network: 6,000+ domain experts, four batches/year, sections of 6\u201310 companies (YC 'What Happens at YC', Aug 2026)",
     "src": "https://www.ycombinator.com/about"
    },
    {
     "stat": "Techstars: 10,900+ founders accelerated, 150+ countries, 29 portfolio unicorns; terms $220K = $20K CEA for min. 5% + $200K uncapped MFN (Apr 2025)",
     "src": "https://www.techstars.com/newsroom/investment-terms"
    }
   ],
   "tile_note": "the network you buy"
  },
  {
   "rank": 2,
   "name": "Advisor equity & a formal advisory board",
   "maker": "FAST v3 (Founder Institute) \u00b7 Carta / Wilson Sonsini templates",
   "url": "https://fi.co/fast",
   "docs": "https://carta.com/learn/startups/equity-management/advisory-shares/",
   "pricing": "FAST v3 grid: Standard (monthly meetings) 0.50% pre-seed / 0.25% seed / 0.10% Series A \u00b7 Expert (contacts + projects) 1.00% / 0.75% / 0.50% \u00b7 2-year vest, 3-month cliff \u00b7 Carta medians run lower: 0.21% pre-seed, 0.12% seed, 0.05% Series A",
   "best_for": "Getting a named, accountable operator into your specific problem \u2014 pricing, enterprise sales, a regulated market \u2014 for a cost measured in basis points.",
   "why": "This is the highest advice-per-dollar route in the element: the Founder Institute's FAST agreement is a one-page checkbox contract that ends the negotiation before it starts, and v3 (July 2026) added localization to any jurisdiction that supports options or restricted stock. The three-month cliff is the load-bearing feature \u2014 it lets you fire an advisor who talks a good game in month one and disappears in month two, at zero cost. Carta's data says founders are already pricing this tighter than the FAST grid suggests: median pre-seed advisor grants sit at 0.21% and only 10% of pre-seed advisors get 1% or more.",
   "watch": "Advisor equity is the easiest cap-table mistake to make at volume \u2014 30\u201350 micro-advisors is a fashionable pattern and a diligence headache later. Most advisors deliver their value in the first two quarters and then coast onto a vesting schedule you're still paying. Carta's advisor medians are H1 2024 data, the freshest they publish; treat them as directional in 2026, not current.",
   "evidence": [
    {
     "stat": "FAST v3 released July 2026: 3 stages \u00d7 2 engagement levels, 0.10\u20131.00%, 2-year vest with 3-month cliff, now localizable to any jurisdiction",
     "src": "https://fi.co/fast"
    },
    {
     "stat": "Median advisor grant: 0.21% pre-seed, 0.12% seed, 0.05% Series A; only 10% of pre-seed advisors got \u22651% (Carta, H1 2024 data, page current Aug 2026)",
     "src": "https://carta.com/learn/startups/equity-management/advisory-shares/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "Carta guidance: 1\u20135 advisors for most early-stage startups; two-year monthly vest, no cliff or short cliff; free Wilson Sonsini template",
     "src": "https://carta.com/learn/startups/founding-team/advisor/"
    }
   ],
   "tile_note": "basis points for scar tissue"
  },
  {
   "rank": 3,
   "name": "Operator angels on the cap table",
   "maker": "Individual operators \u00b7 AngelList syndicates/SPVs \u00b7 Hustle Fund Angel Squad",
   "url": "https://www.angellist.com",
   "docs": "https://www.hustlefund.vc/squad",
   "pricing": "No separate cost \u2014 angels buy equity at your round price ($5K\u2013100K typical checks); no advisory grant, no fee. Syndicate carry is paid by the investors, not you.",
   "best_for": "Founders already raising a pre-seed or seed who would rather fill the round with people who have shipped their exact problem than with passive capital.",
   "why": "Structurally the cheapest advice in the element: you were selling the equity anyway, so the marginal cost of picking an ex-VP Sales over a generic angel is zero. The supply side got institutional \u2014 Hustle Fund's Angel Squad alone has 2,500+ operator members across 40+ countries who have put $30M+ into 70+ companies, and AngelList reports 50,000+ funds and syndicates and $201B AUM as of 2026. Instrument friction is also gone: SAFEs now dominate pre-seed and convertible notes have collapsed to 7% of rounds (Carta, Q1 2026).",
   "watch": "Advice from an angel is unenforceable by design \u2014 there's no cliff, no cadence, no way to claw back. Small operator checks buy small attention, and a crowded cap table of 25 angels is 25 people to update and roughly two who answer. Only works on your fundraising clock; useless the week after you close.",
   "evidence": [
    {
     "stat": "Hustle Fund Angel Squad: 2,500+ members, 40+ countries, $30M+ into 70+ companies (Aug 2026)",
     "src": "https://www.hustlefund.vc/squad"
    },
    {
     "stat": "AngelList: $201B AUM, 50,000+ funds and syndicates, 101,000+ active startups (Aug 2026)",
     "src": "https://www.angellist.com/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "~3,000 US startups raised pre-seed in Q1 2026 ($2.3B+); SAFEs dominate, convertible notes at an all-time-low 7% of rounds",
     "src": "https://carta.com/data/state-of-pre-seed-q1-2026/"
    }
   ],
   "tile_note": "advice inside the check"
  },
  {
   "rank": 4,
   "name": "Paid mentor marketplaces & expert networks",
   "maker": "GrowthMentor \u00b7 MentorCruise \u00b7 Intro \u00b7 GLG / AlphaSights / Third Bridge",
   "url": "https://www.growthmentor.com",
   "docs": "https://www.growthmentor.com/pricing/",
   "pricing": "GrowthMentor $85/mo (3-mo) or $50/mo (12-mo), unlimited calls with 750+ mentors \u00b7 MentorCruise $100\u2013290/mo ongoing, one-offs $39\u2013149 (platform take ~16.6%) \u00b7 Intro $59\u20132,500/call \u00b7 expert networks (GLG et al.) typically $300\u20131,500/hr, enterprise contracts",
   "best_for": "A specific, bounded question you need answered this week \u2014 a pricing model, a channel that isn't working, a market you've never sold into \u2014 with zero equity and zero relationship overhead.",
   "why": "The only route in this element with same-week latency and no dilution. GrowthMentor's all-you-can-eat model is the outlier on price: $50/month annualized for unlimited 1:1 calls with 750+ vetted mentors, 85% of whom charge no per-call fee. MentorCruise runs the opposite model \u2014 7,100+ mentors on individual monthly retainers \u2014 and is transparent that it takes ~16.6% per transaction. Above them sits the $3B expert-network industry (GLG, AlphaSights, Third Bridge, ~12% annual growth 2023\u201325), which is where you go when the answer is worth four figures an hour.",
   "watch": "You are buying an hour, not a stake \u2014 nobody on these platforms is exposed to whether you succeed. Marketplace mentors skew career-coaching and functional IC advice, not company-building; MentorCruise's roster is heavily engineers and PMs seeking career mentorship. Intro has drifted well outside startup advice \u2014 its browse page now leads with interior designers, stylists and astrologers alongside founders, so treat the founder-relevant supply as thin. Expert networks price for hedge funds, not seed startups.",
   "evidence": [
    {
     "stat": "GrowthMentor: $255/3mo or $600/12mo, unlimited 1:1 calls, 750+ vetted mentors, 85% with no per-call fee (Aug 2026)",
     "src": "https://www.growthmentor.com/pricing/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "MentorCruise: 7,100+ mentors, $100\u2013290/mo plans, one-offs from $39; platform take 16.6% global average, min $20 / cap $100",
     "src": "https://help.mentorcruise.com/article/61-what-fees-does-mentorcruise-take"
    },
    {
     "stat": "Expert-network industry ~$3B in 2025, ~12% annual growth 2023\u201325; GLG share fell 51% \u2192 24% over a decade",
     "src": "https://inex.one/blog/expert-network-market-size"
    }
   ],
   "tile_note": "cash for an hour"
  },
  {
   "rank": 5,
   "name": "Free structured mentor networks",
   "maker": "ADPList \u00b7 SCORE (SBA) \u00b7 YC Startup School \u00b7 ODF",
   "url": "https://adplist.org",
   "docs": "https://www.score.org/find-mentor",
   "pricing": "$0. ADPList free \u00b7 SCORE free and unlimited for the life of the business (SBA cooperative agreement) \u00b7 YC Startup School free \u00b7 ODF free and non-dilutive",
   "best_for": "Pre-revenue and pre-fundraise founders who need volume and calibration more than they need one perfect advisor \u2014 and can filter hard.",
   "why": "The floor is much higher than it used to be: ADPList reports 32,000+ verified mentors, 300,000+ people mentored across 140+ countries and 150M+ minutes of sessions, all free. SCORE is the unglamorous workhorse \u2014 free, confidential, volunteer-run in all 50 states under an SBA cooperative agreement, and the only route here with no end date. ODF, after a brutal 2022 downsizing, has rebuilt as a free, non-dilutive one-week in-person SF program (ODF28 kicks off Q3 2026) with 80\u2013100 participants and a 3,000+ alumni community.",
   "watch": "The highest variance in the element. ADPList's supply is dominated by design, product and career mentorship \u2014 excellent for craft, weak for 'should I raise or cut burn.' SCORE mentors skew small-business and retail, not venture-backed software. Free means no accountability: no cliff, no retainer, no reason for anyone to follow up. Use this route to calibrate, then convert the two people who were actually useful onto a FAST agreement.",
   "evidence": [
    {
     "stat": "ADPList: 32,000+ verified mentors, 300,000+ mentored, 140+ countries, 150M+ minutes delivered \u2014 free (Aug 2026)",
     "src": "https://adplist.org/about-us"
    },
    {
     "stat": "SCORE: free confidential mentoring by volunteer mentors in all 50 states and territories, funded in part by an SBA cooperative agreement",
     "src": "https://www.score.org/scores-small-business-services/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "ODF28 (Q3 2026): free, zero equity, one week in SF, 80\u2013100 participants, 3,000+ member alumni community",
     "src": "https://joinodf.com/"
    }
   ],
   "tile_note": "free, high variance"
  }
 ],
 "matrix": {
  "cols": [
   "Cost",
   "Dilution",
   "Selectivity",
   "Time to value",
   "Domain depth",
   "Cadence",
   "Best stage"
  ],
  "rows": [
   [
    "Accelerator + alumni net",
    "$0 fee (they pay you)",
    "7\u201310% equity",
    "Brutal (~0.4\u20131%)",
    "Weeks\u2013months",
    "Broad + peer",
    "Ongoing, lifetime",
    "Pre-seed \u2192 seed"
   ],
   [
    "Advisor equity (FAST v3)",
    "$0\u20132k/mo optional",
    "0.10\u20131.00% each",
    "Your ask, their yes",
    "Days\u2013weeks",
    "Deep, named",
    "Monthly, 2-yr vest",
    "Pre-seed \u2192 A"
   ],
   [
    "Operator angels on the cap table",
    "$0 (they buy in)",
    "Round price only",
    "Round-dependent",
    "Weeks",
    "Deep, unenforced",
    "Ad hoc, no cliff",
    "Pre-seed \u2192 seed"
   ],
   [
    "Paid marketplaces",
    "$50\u2013290/mo \u00b7 $39\u20132,500/call",
    "None",
    "Open, instant",
    "Days",
    "Functional, shallow",
    "One-off or monthly",
    "Any"
   ],
   [
    "Free mentor networks",
    "$0",
    "None",
    "Open",
    "Days",
    "Wide, uneven",
    "One-off",
    "Idea \u2192 pre-seed"
   ],
   [
    "CEO peer group (Vistage/EO)",
    "$4.4k\u201316.5k/yr + initiation",
    "None",
    "Revenue gate ($1\u201315M)",
    "Months",
    "Peer, not domain",
    "Monthly, standing",
    "Post-PMF SMB"
   ],
   [
    "Expert network (GLG et al.)",
    "~$300\u20131,500/hr",
    "None",
    "Open (enterprise terms)",
    "Days",
    "Very deep, narrow",
    "One-off",
    "Any with budget"
   ],
   [
    "LLM as sounding board",
    "$0\u2013200/mo",
    "None",
    "None",
    "Minutes",
    "Broad, no stakes",
    "Unlimited",
    "Any (see notes)"
   ]
  ]
 },
 "rules": [
  {
   "if": "You are raising pre-seed or seed anyway",
   "then": "Fill 10\u201320% of the round with operator angels who have shipped your exact problem. It is the only advice in this element with a marginal cost of zero \u2014 you were selling the equity regardless, and 3,000 US startups closed pre-seed in Q1 2026, so there is supply."
  },
  {
   "if": "You need one specific domain unlocked \u2014 enterprise pricing, FDA, a channel",
   "then": "One FAST v3 advisor at the Expert level (0.50\u20131.00% pre-seed), two-year vest, three-month cliff. The cliff is the whole point: it costs you nothing to be wrong about them."
  },
  {
   "if": "You got into YC, Techstars, SPC or Speedrun",
   "then": "Take it, and treat the 7\u201310% as the price of the alumni graph, not the cash. But do not build a plan around it \u2014 a16z Speedrun ran 0.4% on 19,000+ applications and YC's reported rate is around 1%."
  },
  {
   "if": "The question is bounded and urgent and you refuse to dilute",
   "then": "GrowthMentor at $50\u201385/mo for unlimited calls if the question is growth/product; MentorCruise or Intro for a named specialist; an expert network only if the answer is worth $300\u20131,500/hr."
  },
  {
   "if": "Pre-revenue, no round, no network",
   "then": "ADPList (32,000+ free mentors) and SCORE (free for the life of the business) for volume and calibration \u2014 then convert the two people who actually helped onto a FAST agreement. Do not give equity to anyone you met once."
  }
 ],
 "field": [
  {
   "name": "Y Combinator",
   "maker": "Y Combinator",
   "note": "The reference point. $500K/7%, four batches a year since 2025, ~196 companies in W26; value is the 6,000+ expert Bookface network and group partners, not the check",
   "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$500K for 7%",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Techstars",
   "maker": "Techstars",
   "note": "The mentorship-first accelerator: 10,900+ founders, 150+ countries, 29 unicorns. Cut 17% of staff and ended J.P. Morgan programs in Aug 2024; running ~11 programs in 2026 \u2014 verify your program still exists",
   "url": "https://www.techstars.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$220K for min. 5% + $200K MFN",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "South Park Commons",
   "maker": "SPC",
   "note": "The '-1 to 0' network. Fall 2026 fellowship: $400K for 7% + $600K guaranteed next round, 8-week bootcamp in SF/NYC/Bangalore, then open-ended residency",
   "url": "https://www.southparkcommons.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$400K for 7%",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "a16z Speedrun",
   "maker": "Andreessen Horowitz",
   "note": "12 weeks in SF, two cohorts a year, 50\u201370 startups; 0.4% acceptance on 19,000+ applications. Access to a16z's ~600-person team (90% operators) is the real product",
   "url": "https://speedrun.a16z.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$500K for 10% + $500K",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Antler",
   "maker": "Antler",
   "note": "Pre-idea residency model across ~30 cities; co-founder matching plus a check. Terms vary by geography \u2014 Singapore improved its terms and moved to a 6-week residency",
   "url": "https://www.antler.co",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "varies by region",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Entrepreneur First",
   "maker": "EF",
   "note": "Talent-first: they fund individuals, then form teams. Closest structural analogue to SPC outside the US",
   "url": "https://www.joinef.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "cohort investment",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "HF0",
   "maker": "HF0 (Hacker Fellowship Zero)",
   "note": "Monastery-style residency for repeat technical founders; small, extremely high signal, Fall 2026 cohort running",
   "url": "https://www.hf0.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "residency + investment",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Neo",
   "maker": "Neo",
   "note": "Mentor-heavy accelerator and scholars program built around a named mentor bench of senior operators",
   "url": "https://neo.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "accelerator terms",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "500 Global",
   "maker": "500 Global",
   "note": "The volume accelerator; broad global program network, weaker per-founder partner attention than YC/Techstars",
   "url": "https://500.co",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "accelerator terms",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Founder Institute",
   "maker": "Founder Institute",
   "note": "Pay-to-play pre-seed program and author of the FAST agreement. $999\u20131,299 entry fee plus a 2.5% warrant via the Equity Collective; ~30% admitted, <30% of those graduate",
   "url": "https://fi.co",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$999\u20131,299 + 2.5% warrant",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "FAST Agreement v3",
   "maker": "Founder Institute",
   "note": "The default advisor contract. v3 (Jul 2026) simplified to 2 engagement levels \u00d7 3 stages, 0.10\u20131.00%, 2-yr vest / 3-mo cliff, now localizable to non-US jurisdictions",
   "url": "https://fi.co/fast",
   "oss": true,
   "entry": "free template",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "ODF (ex-On Deck)",
   "maker": "ODF",
   "note": "The comeback story: after cutting a third of staff in 2022 and scaling back the accelerator, relaunched as a free, non-dilutive one-week SF intensive. ODF28 in Q3 2026, 80\u2013100 people, 3,000+ alumni",
   "url": "https://joinodf.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "free, no equity",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "YC Startup School",
   "maker": "Y Combinator",
   "note": "Free ~7-week course plus co-founder matching (100,000+ matches made). Not mentorship, but the cheapest way to get YC's priors without YC",
   "url": "https://www.startupschool.org",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "free",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "ADPList",
   "maker": "ADPList",
   "note": "Largest free mentorship network: 32,000+ verified mentors, 300,000+ mentored, 140+ countries, 150M+ minutes. Skews design/product/career over company-building",
   "url": "https://adplist.org",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "free",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "GrowthMentor",
   "maker": "GrowthMentor",
   "note": "Best price-per-conversation in the paid tier: $50\u201385/mo for unlimited 1:1s with 750+ vetted mentors, 85% with no per-call fee; growth/product/marketing focus",
   "url": "https://www.growthmentor.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$50\u201385/mo",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "MentorCruise",
   "maker": "MentorCruise",
   "note": "7,100+ mentors on individual monthly retainers ($100\u2013290/mo) plus one-off sessions from $39. Transparent ~16.6% platform take. Career-mentorship heavy",
   "url": "https://mentorcruise.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$100\u2013290/mo",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Intro",
   "maker": "Intro (Raad Mobrem)",
   "note": "Per-call bookings with named experts, $59\u20132,500/call. Still operating in Aug 2026, but the marketplace has drifted consumer \u2014 home decor, style, astrology sit alongside founders and investors",
   "url": "https://intro.co",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$59\u20132,500/call",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "SCORE",
   "maker": "SCORE / U.S. SBA",
   "note": "Free, confidential, unlimited volunteer mentoring in all 50 states under an SBA cooperative agreement. Small-business and retail bias; almost no venture-scale software depth",
   "url": "https://www.score.org",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "free",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Hustle Fund Angel Squad",
   "maker": "Hustle Fund",
   "note": "The operator-angel supply pool: 2,500+ members in 40+ countries, $30M+ into 70+ companies, $1K minimums. Founders meet them via Hustle Fund pitch events",
   "url": "https://www.hustlefund.vc/squad",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "free trial; $1K min/deal",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "AngelList",
   "maker": "AngelList",
   "note": "Infrastructure for the operator-angel route: syndicates, SPVs, rolling funds. $201B AUM, 50,000+ funds and syndicates, 101,000+ active startups (2026)",
   "url": "https://www.angellist.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "fund/SPV fees on investor side",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "GLG",
   "maker": "Gerson Lehrman Group",
   "note": "The original expert network. Market share fell 51% \u2192 24% over a decade as second-generation rivals took 44% of a ~$3B market",
   "url": "https://glginsights.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "enterprise, ~$300\u20131,500/hr",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "AlphaSights",
   "maker": "AlphaSights",
   "note": "Fastest-growing of the large expert networks; consulting/PE client base, priced far above startup budgets",
   "url": "https://www.alphasights.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "enterprise",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Third Bridge",
   "maker": "Third Bridge",
   "note": "Expert network with a large pre-recorded interview transcript library \u2014 the cheapest way in for a founder doing market diligence",
   "url": "https://www.thirdbridge.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "enterprise",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Vistage",
   "maker": "Vistage Worldwide",
   "note": "Largest CEO peer-advisory org: 45,000+ members, monthly groups plus a 1:1 chair. ~$16.5K/yr plus ~$2.5K initiation; typically gated at ~$5M revenue",
   "url": "https://www.vistage.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "~$16.5K/yr",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)",
   "maker": "EO",
   "note": "20,000+ members, 220+ chapters; Forum groups are the product. ~$4.4\u20137K/yr plus ~$3.5K initiation, $1M revenue minimum \u2014 the lowest gate of the big three",
   "url": "https://hub.eonetwork.org",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "~$4.4\u20137K/yr",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "YPO",
   "maker": "YPO",
   "note": "30,000 members in 142+ countries; ~$9\u201315K/yr plus a ~$12.6K initiation and a $15M+ revenue gate. Irrelevant to almost every reader of this element",
   "url": "https://www.ypo.org",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "~$9\u201315K/yr + initiation",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "TAB (The Alternative Board)",
   "maker": "TAB",
   "note": "Cheapest of the traditional peer boards at $600\u2013900/mo; SMB-oriented, no venture context",
   "url": "https://www.thealternativeboard.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$600\u2013900/mo",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Sidebar",
   "maker": "Sidebar",
   "note": "Facilitated peer circles of 8\u201310 senior professionals plus expert consults; 1,000+ vetted members from 42,000+ who engaged. Career-leadership framing more than founder-specific",
   "url": "https://sidebar.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "membership (undisclosed on site)",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Endeavor",
   "maker": "Endeavor Global",
   "note": "Selection-based mentor network for scale-up founders in emerging markets; no fee, no equity in the founder, mentors are local business leaders",
   "url": "https://endeavor.org",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "free (selection-based)",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Clarity.fm",
   "maker": "Startups.co (acq. from Dan Martell, 2015)",
   "note": "The per-minute expert-call pioneer. Still reachable but effectively unmaintained \u2014 homepage renders as a loading shell in Aug 2026 and the roster has not refreshed in years",
   "url": "https://clarity.fm",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "per-minute",
   "status": "fading"
  },
  {
   "name": "Plato",
   "maker": "Plato \u2192 Coda \u2192 Grammarly \u2192 Superhuman",
   "note": "Mentorship marketplace for engineering leaders \u2014 1,000+ mentors, 500+ leaders, 13 Elevate conferences. Sunset Dec 19, 2025 after the Coda/Grammarly/Superhuman chain; platohq.com now redirects to a Substack",
   "url": "https://platocommunity.substack.com/about",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "\u2014",
   "status": "dead"
  },
  {
   "name": "Techstars J.P. Morgan programs",
   "maker": "Techstars / J.P. Morgan",
   "note": "The largest corporate-backed accelerator partnership of its era, covering underrepresented-founder programs in several US cities; ended Aug 2024 alongside 17% staff cuts",
   "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/07/techstars-is-laying-off-17-percent-ending-jp-morgan-backed-programs/",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "\u2014",
   "status": "dead"
  }
 ],
 "signals": [
  {
   "fact": "Startup accelerator market $5.11B (2025) \u2192 $6.07B (2026), 18.6% CAGR, forecast $11.86B by 2030 \u2014 structured mentoring is the cited growth driver",
   "src": "https://natlawreview.com/press-releases/startup-accelerator-market-2026-2030-analysis-regional-trends-and-market"
  },
  {
   "fact": "Selectivity keeps tightening: a16z Speedrun at 0.4% on 19,000+ applications (Feb 2026); YC reported around 1% for W26 after moving to four batches a year in 2025",
   "src": "https://www.techcrunch.com/2026/02/15/how-to-get-into-a16zs-super-competitive-speedrun-startup-accelerator-program/"
  },
  {
   "fact": "FAST Agreement v3 shipped July 2026 \u2014 collapsed to 2 engagement levels \u00d7 3 stages (0.10\u20131.00%) and localizable to any jurisdiction supporting options or restricted stock",
   "src": "https://fi.co/fast"
  },
  {
   "fact": "Advisor equity is deflating: median pre-seed grant 0.21% (down from 0.25%), seed 0.12%, Series A 0.05%; only 10% of pre-seed advisors get \u22651% (Carta, H1 2024)",
   "src": "https://carta.com/learn/startups/equity-management/advisory-shares/"
  },
  {
   "fact": "Expert networks ~$3B in 2025 growing ~12%/yr (2023\u201325), with second-generation firms at 44% share vs 37% for the legacy incumbents \u2014 paid expertise is fragmenting and getting cheaper to access",
   "src": "https://inex.one/blog/expert-network-market-size"
  },
  {
   "fact": "The mentorship-marketplace shakeout is real: Plato (1,000+ mentors, 7 years) sunset Dec 19, 2025 after passing through Coda, Grammarly and Superhuman; Clarity.fm is unmaintained; On Deck rebuilt only by going free and non-dilutive",
   "src": "https://platocommunity.substack.com/about"
  }
 ],
 "notes": "Premise correction: the prompt asked to verify a '2026 Techstars restructuring' \u2014 there isn't one. The cuts were August 2024 (17% of staff, J.P. Morgan-backed programs ended); through 2026 Techstars has been running Spring and Fall program cycles with ~11 accelerators open at a time and improved $220K terms dated April 2025. Treat 'Techstars is shrinking' as a 2024 story with a long tail, not current news. \u00b7 Conflict resolved: YC acceptance rates are not officially published and third-party estimates range from ~0.6% (Summer 2025) to the older 1.5\u20132% figure; we cite ~1% for W26 and flag it as aggregator-sourced (wearefounders.uk), not primary. The YC deal terms, batch cadence and 6,000+ expert figure ARE primary (ycombinator.com/deal and /about). \u00b7 Data staleness: Carta's advisor-equity medians are H1 2024, still the most recent published as of Aug 2026 \u2014 everything citing '2026 advisor equity data' traces back to this same table. \u00b7 The FAST v3 grid (0.10\u20131.00%) sits above Carta's observed medians (0.05\u20130.21%); the grid is a negotiating anchor, the Carta numbers are what founders actually sign. Element canon said 0.1\u20130.5% \u2014 that holds for the Standard level and understates the Expert level. \u00b7 Intro.co is included as active but with an honest flag: the marketplace has drifted toward consumer verticals and founder-relevant supply is thin. \u00b7 LLMs as advisors: the matrix row is real and free, but there is no credible 2026 survey of founders substituting AI for human mentors \u2014 the closest evidence is LivePlan's survey of 130 small-business advisors, where <50% had used AI in their advisory work while >80% expected it to matter more within a year. Judgment with skin in the game is what this element buys; a model has neither reputation nor a cliff. \u00b7 Adjacent elements: peer communities and founder friendship groups \u2192 Co \u00b7 accelerator money as money (YC, HF0, revenue-based financing) \u2192 Cp \u00b7 renting senior operating execution rather than advice \u2192 Fx \u00b7 credentialing what you learned \u2192 Sk.",
 "sources": [
  "https://www.ycombinator.com/deal",
  "https://www.ycombinator.com/about",
  "https://www.techstars.com/newsroom/investment-terms",
  "https://www.techstars.com/about",
  "https://www.southparkcommons.com/news/f26-founder-fellowship/",
  "https://www.techcrunch.com/2026/02/15/how-to-get-into-a16zs-super-competitive-speedrun-startup-accelerator-program/",
  "https://fi.co/fast",
  "https://fi.co/faq",
  "https://carta.com/learn/startups/equity-management/advisory-shares/",
  "https://carta.com/learn/startups/founding-team/advisor/",
  "https://carta.com/data/state-of-pre-seed-q1-2026/",
  "https://www.growthmentor.com/pricing/",
  "https://mentorcruise.com/",
  "https://help.mentorcruise.com/article/61-what-fees-does-mentorcruise-take",
  "https://intro.co/",
  "https://adplist.org/about-us",
  "https://www.score.org/scores-small-business-services/",
  "https://joinodf.com/",
  "https://www.startupschool.org/",
  "https://www.hustlefund.vc/squad",
  "https://www.angellist.com/",
  "https://inex.one/blog/expert-network-market-size",
  "https://natlawreview.com/press-releases/startup-accelerator-market-2026-2030-analysis-regional-trends-and-market",
  "https://platocommunity.substack.com/about",
  "https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/07/techstars-is-laying-off-17-percent-ending-jp-morgan-backed-programs",
  "https://www.leadersadapt.com/ceo-mastermind-comparison-2025/",
  "https://sidebar.com/",
  "https://www.wearefounders.uk/y-combinator-acceptance-rate-2026/",
  "https://www.liveplan.com/blog/advisors-and-educators/advisor-ai-business-planning"
 ],
 "element": {
  "number": 53,
  "name": "Mentors & Advisors",
  "group": "Human Elements",
  "essential": false,
  "edition": "v2026.Q3",
  "revision": "r7",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0 \u2014 cite elems.ai",
  "url": "https://elems.ai/e/mn.html"
 }
}