Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from Leaders and Builders before they apply.
Applications are rolling, there are no batches, and there is no deadline to submit. We encourage you to join the waitlist to stay in the loop. We'll contact you when applications open.
No, and we believe both are an anti-pattern. We don't run cohorts because one-size-fits-all programs are antithetical to our matching process, which is designed for highly custom, tailor-made experiences for each Leader and Builder match.
The future of software is highly personalized, not cookie cutter.
Leaders pay $30,000 to the Builder for twelve weeks and a $10,000 placement fee to Sidekick. Builders grant Sidekick 0.1% in any company they found within twelve months of the first day of the match. Neither Sidekick nor the Builder are entitled to equity in any Leader's pre-existing company.
No. Matches can be in person or remote, though living near San Francisco makes it easier to participate in the Sidekick community. You must reside in the United States to participate.
No, not in the traditional sense. Sidekick creates rolling twelve-week, half-time matches that are designed to benefit both Builders and Leaders, not place Builders full-time at companies. However, Leaders who hire any Builder within twelve months of the match must pay a placement fee of 30% of first-year cash plus equity compensation.
Interested in working at Sidekick? Email us something interesting at careers@sidekick.builders.
Yes. If the fit is real and you want to bring them on, you can definitely hire your Builder. Hiring within twelve months of the match carries a placement fee of 30% of first-year cash plus equity compensation.
Plenty of matches end as a clean twelve-week fluency engagement with a relationship that continues with an advisory role, investment into the Builder's startup, or just informally. Convert-to-hire is there when both sides want it and is not the default outcome.
Leaders are usually founders who have raised at least $20M, angels or partners at established firms, or C-suite operators at a scaleup or larger. Larger-company executives are considered case by case. What matters as much as the title is that you can commit real working hours and leave fluent–not that you collect a prestige match.
We encourage you to join the waitlist, regardless of your background.
Plan on weekly working sessions with your Builder, plus async time between sessions to try things in your own stack. You are not expected to clear half your calendar, but real hours matter, including a bit of mentoring on founding and leading. If you only want a name on a roster and occasional coffee, this is the wrong product.
Builders are most often early-stage, typically pre-raise founders who have shipped work people can try, bring frontier AI fluency, and need runway, mentorship, and network. Bay Area builders get priority because most matches happen in or around San Francisco.
We'd love for you to join the waitlist, even if you're not sure whether you qualify, so we can contact you when applications open.
Builders grant Sidekick 0.1% in any company they found within twelve months of the match. It is how Sidekick stays aligned with the people we place when they go on to build something of their own.
It is not equity in the Leader's company, and it is not a surprise claim on work you ship together during the embed. The builder's next company, if they start one in that window, is what the grant covers.
Exact instruments and paperwork live in the builder agreement. If you are a builder and that term is a dealbreaker, say so early; we would rather know before a match than after.
If you feel that you're neither a Builder nor a Leader, such as a seed-stage founder or an angel without a company to embed into, email us at hello@sidekick.builders. We'll tell you honestly which side (if either) fits.
Beyond the match itself, you'll get into the Sidekick community of all Builders and Leaders, as well as exclusive access to credits and resources from venture-backed startups that partner with us. Sponsors will be announced on or around when applications open.
Chemistry is the product, and sometimes chemistry is wrong. The $10,000 placement fee is refundable any time before the end of the term, including if you walk away early.
Before money moves, you will meet the person we want to match you with. Leaders are guaranteed a match, which means we keep working until we find a Builder we stand behind, not that we force a bad fit for ninety days.
If something breaks mid-term, talk to us immediately. Offboarding, remaining Builder pay, and rematches are handled in the engagement agreements.
Still have more questions? Email us at hello@sidekick.builders.