FAQs

If you're interested in joining Cabal, then please contact us via our Contact Page. The process for joining involves three stages, which can generally be progressed through in 4-6 weeks: ENQUIRE - Engage with the Cabal Membership Team by booking in a call or complete the enquiry form CALL - We'll arrange a 30-minute call, so you can learn more about Cabal and we can learn more about you and your business. MEETING - We'll meet you for a coffee, or you can join one of our Founder Breakfasts, to ensure there is alignment. This is a good opportunity also to ensure you're comfortable with the time commitment. PLACEMENT - You'll be carefully placed into an appropriate peer-group, and can join its next monthly meeting. We typically launch a single new peer-group each month.

Joining Cabal is a unique opportunity to be part of a vetted community of growth-minded founders and CEOs across the UK. Our playbook is structured to help founders develop authentic, trusted connections with founders in their peer group, which provides a place where genuine business and personal challenges can be discussed and progressed. Your peer-group of 6-8 founders is likely to become an integral part of your support network, as you live through the highs and lows of your founder journey. Just imagine having an incredibly close group of entrepreneurial peers, who understand your business, relationships and ambitions inside out, and who are there for you consistently. Generally peer-groups stay together for many years. We've distilled the most valuable components of some leading founder support groups (like YPO, Helm and EO) and focussed on peer-support groups, as this is where founders report receiving the most value. Because Cabal is not focussing on events, we can provide access to the peer-group at a more accessible price point than other groups.

Each applicant is vetted to ensure compatibility with Cabal's membership criteria and values. Cabal is currently accepting members who are founders or CEOs of businesses in the UK, which have a team (min 3 FTEs) and business traction (min £500k revenue). If you are below this revenue threshold but have secured significant funding you are also welcome to apply. Similarly if you have exited a business previously, we'd welcome you aboard. We're focussed on the entrepreneurial experience you can bring to the table. In addition to these membership criteria, it's important that members are a match for our Member Values (see next FAQ). Cabal is not the place for big egos and bravado - instead we value a generosity of spirit and an openness to different viewpoints.

The composition of founders and CEOs in your peer-group (ie your Cabal) is key. There will be 6-8 members in your Cabal, all with non-competing businesses and at a broadly similiar stage of business. Cabals typically have an industry theme, which means we seek member businesses that are connected to a specific industry. It is important that Cabals don't become echo chambers, or too operational, so we seek a variety of businesses from that industry. For example, our Food & Beverage Cabal might have members who are restaurateurs, distributors, retail products, brewers or farmers. Or our Professional Services Cabal has members who are marketing agencies, accountancy practices, recruitment businesses or law firms.

Your Cabal will meet monthly, with the exception of August and December. Meetings will generally be in-person - but it's up to your Cabal to define the way you want to operate. Meetings are scheduled for 2.5 hours and planned, organised and hosted by your dedicated executive facilitator. There is a proven playbook that is followed to ensure everyone gets value from the monthly meetings. Some of the key elements include: - Updates - short summary from each member, covering what is working and not working in business and personally; - Deep dive - a member will present their challenge on an important topic, after which each member shares any relevant lived experience on the topic. - Hot Topics - any urgent challenges that arose during Updates, will be tabled for members to contribute any relevant experiences on. We focus on 'experience sharing' rather than giving advice.

There is an annual, all-inclusive membership fee, which gives access to all of the benefits of CABAL membership, including monthly meetings with your peer group, a two-day retreat at an amazing country location, and the broader community. You also have the option to pay upfront or monthly. We've introduced a membership tier for smaller businesses (<£500k sales) which makes membership more affordable as you scale up your business. Fees and payment options can be discussed on your first call.

Cabal members come from all across the UK. We are passionate about building peer-groups across the north as well as the London area. Monthly peer-group meetings are generally held in-person, so it's important that your Cabal buddies are somewhat proximate to each other.

Cabal has specified some desired Members Values, so that we're transparent about the types of founders and CEOs that are part of the community: CURIOSITY - enquiring, open minds, willing to listen and consider other viewpoints. GENEROSITY - a kindness of spirit and a willingness give before getting. CONFIDENTIALITY - utmost respect for the confidentiality of information your Cabal buddies share. COMMITMENT - be prepared, and show up when you say you will.